At 27, Moinjama Bockarie stood before a delegation of government representatives, UN officials, development partners and her peers and found her voice.

When the group visited her Ngombu community in Kenema district, Moinjama quietly raised her hand, then stepped forward with determination. When she began to speak, applause filled the air, a gesture of encouragement from the crowd. But within moments, the atmosphere changed.

Her voice trembled. Then she began to cry. 

“I dropped out of school at an early age,” she said. “I had to become the breadwinner.” 

Her father had died when she was still a baby. Her mother struggled to provide for the family. Faced with few options, Moinjama made a life-changing decision, one that would define her youth. She took to the streets.

At night, she joined other girls around a famous road in Kenema, where they made just enough to survive each day. Whatever they earned went to buy food and clothing. There were no savings, or safety net. There was little hope for a better future.

For Sierra Leone’s Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Isata Mahoi, stories like Moinjama’s are not uncommon. Yet hearing this one firsthand, raw and unfiltered, carried a different weight.

Moinjama did not give up. Today, she is a farmer, a university student, a mother, and a symbol of possibility.

Her turning point came through a programme supported by UN Women under the Women’s Economic Empowerment in Resilient Communities initiative. 

Implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Unity Women Agri-Business Cooperative, the two-year project equips women and the youth with the tools they need to thrive, including access to climate-smart agriculture, financial literacy, market access and entrepreneurship skills training.

The programme’ s acceptance and impact, however, was not immediate.

“We had been trained before, and we did not take it seriously,” Moinjama recalled. “So, when we were invited again, many of us had doubts.”

Encouraged by her longtime friend Ms. Isha Songa, Moinjama joined 25 other young women to form the Gbotima Farmers-Based Organisation in Ngombu. 

Their journey started with Village Savings and Loan Association training, a simple but powerful introduction to basic financial management and how to save money.

That night, something shifted. 

“I could not sleep after the first day,” she recalled. “I was thinking about my life, my child and my mother. I realised I had to change,” Moinjama narrated.

She begun by saving as little as 25 Sierra Leonean Leones (SLE), which is equivalent to USD $1.10, a day. 

Over time, the savings grew to US $220—more money than she had ever managed to save before. A year later, her savings had doubled.

That money enabled her to register for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, re-opening a door she had long thought had long been closed.

Today, Moinjama is a first-year student at the Eastern Technical University in Kenema, where she is studying agriculture with a specialisation in fisheries and aquaculture. 

Beyond the classroom, her transformation is also visible in the field. She now manages a farm where she cultivates ground nuts, rice, corn, cucumbers, and other crops, generating income to support her family.

“Agriculture has transformed my life,” she told the delegation with a smile. “I take care of my child and support my mother. I am back in school. I am happy.”

Within the next five years Moinjama hopes to build her own house and ensure that her son receives better education than she had. She wants to live the kind of life that others can admire and emulate.

To strengthen her economic resilience, she has also diversified her skills. She has since trained in solar installation. 

Despite all her achievements, Moinjama’s ambition is to uplift others as she continues to rise economically.

“I want more opportunities for women and girls,” she said. “More projects, more scholarships, and more skills training for those who are still struggling.”

For Kadija Isata Jalloh, the Women's Economic Empowerment Specialist at UN Women Sierra Leone, Moinjama's story demonstrates the ripple effect of investing in women.

“When women are given access to opportunities, skills, finance and supportive networks, they do not merely transform their own lives; they become catalysts for change within their families, communities, and the nation,” said Ms. Jalloh.

And as Sierra Leone pushes forward with its Feed Salone initiative, aimed at transforming agriculture into a robust, productive, and commercially viable sector, women like Moinjama are key to that vision. They are not just beneficiaries of development programmes. They are helping drive it.

The lesson from Sierra Leone is clear, the path to transformation lies in unlocking the potential of its women. Empowering women, particularly those who have faced extreme vulnerability, unlocks a powerful force for change. 

Moinjama’s journey, from the shadows of survival to the promise of opportunity, offers a glimpse of what is possible. Her story is no longer one of survival. It is a story of possibility.

Osman Benk Sankoh is a Communications and Advocacy Officer for the UN Office in Sierra Leone.