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Every seed you sow helps a family grow stronger. Together, we plant hope.

I am Daniel Josiah, founder of Seed of Life Sierra Leone, a non-profit agricultural organisation. I am also an orphan,  the son of a humble local farmer who spent his life working hard to feed our family. My mother passed away when I was only nine months old. My father, out of love and desperation, took me to my grandmother, Nancy, a kind but ageing woman who became my entire world. She took care of me with what little she had until she passed away in 2010. I was then left under the care of my aunt, Hawa Vandi, who was also a great farmer.


Growing up, I had no childhood of rest or comfort. After school each day, we would work with my aunt in the swamp, garden, and farm, planting and harvesting crops like potatoes, rice, cucumbers, maize, groundnuts, ginger, and beans. A woman who doesn't grow a single crop at a time works a different field in our maternal home. Life was not easy. We ate only once a day, and even then, the small bowl of rice we shared was never enough. As a result, we had to go out into the bush to search for bush yams, bring them back, and cook them in the middle of the night every day. In our African way, we call it boys cook. My African brothers and sisters, I hope you know this, right? This made us strong. Every weekend, I visited my father in the other village to help him with his farm work and to support my family. My father’s passion for the soil planted something deep in me,  a lifelong love for farming and a desire to continue his legacy.


Because of the struggles and lack of opportunities, we had little time to study. My father, determined to give me a better life, asked my cousin to help register me at EducAid, a free and reputable school in Sierra Leone known for providing quality education to underprivileged children. Though EducAid provided food and free tuition, I could not afford basic items such as soap or other personal items. Still, I persevered and studied hard, knowing education was my only way forward.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck again. The very day I was to attend my university interview, my father passed away. It was the hardest day of my life, but I did not give up. I went for the interview with tears in my eyes and was accepted to study Accounting at Njala University. My cousin promised to pay my university fees and did so for the first year, but he was unable to continue due to some financial challenges. 

Desperately, I turned to a woman I had helped greatly with her work while she lived abroad. I explained my situation, and she paid my second-year fees, but the same problem continued in the next academic year. I spent several sleepless nights wondering how to continue my education.

Then, one night, I took my phone, logged in to my LinkedIn account, and started searching for NGOs, individuals, and organisations that might be of help. I sent my story to many people, hoping for a miracle.
Within a week, I met a woman named Joy Stephens, who became a divine helper. She asked me to send all my documents, which I did. Then, she told me, “Daniel, I will pay your fees till your final year.” True to her word, after a week, she sent my fees, I paid, sent her the bank receipt, university receipt and all the registration documents. To her word, she paid all my remainder fees. A few months later, another amazing person, Tiffany C. Brinkley, responded to my messages and offered to pay my university fees as well. I told her that my fees were already being handled by Joy, but if she still wanted to help, she could support my living expenses, including rent, printing, transportation, and food. Tiffany agreed and took up that responsibility. She has stood by me ever since. At that time, Joy had to remind me about my birthday, send me funds to celebrate it. Something I never dreamt of doing. 

In 2021, I graduated from the university,  something I never thought would happen. After graduation, I founded Seed of Life, as a way of giving back to society. Immediately, I involved my friend, Jesse. After two weeks, we had a good consultation and discussions with the chief, stakeholders and youth, and they decided to give us 8 acres of land for free. A few weeks later, we began farming with Tiffany’s, Joy's, and Mr Pjeh's personal funding. We started small, but our hearts were big.

 In 2022, we officially registered Seed of Life Sierra Leone as a nonprofit community-based organisation. We aim to empower youth, students, women, and smallholder farmers through sustainable agriculture, education, and skill training.

Today, our organisation works with more than 3 schools and over 1,000 students through school gardens and agricultural learning projects. We have created a space where young people learn how to grow food, care for the environment, and build self-reliance. Many of the students who have volunteered with us have now graduated from high school but cannot afford to attend university due to poverty. Others are currently in university, studying agriculture or related fields, and will graduate soon. We want to hire them immediately after graduation, providing them with jobs and a future, because in Sierra Leone, it is very hard for graduates to find employment.
Our work doesn’t stop there. We also want to open a skills training centre to support our foundation children, young people who have been volunteering with us. We want to give them a new purpose through vocational training, agriculture, and entrepreneurship. Women and youth are at the heart of our operations, and we want to ensure that they all have opportunities to learn, work, and live with dignity.

A few weeks ago, we hired four additional staff members to help boost the initiative. Between December 2025 and January 2026, we plan to bring in 20 additional volunteers to help during the next farming season, starting in February 2026. But we can only achieve this with your help.


We are raising $350,000 to expand our operations and create lasting change. We want to buy an additional 30 acres of farmland, purchase farm tools such as machetes, hoes, shovels, garden lines, and install irrigation systems so we can work year-round without walking over 8 miles to fetch water. We need funds to hire our waiting staff, provide stipends to volunteers, and buy a motorcycle for transportation and field supervision.

Your donations will also help us send our foundation students to university, hire graduates immediately after school, and open our first free skills training centre for those who cannot afford formal education. This project is not just about farming; it is about transforming lives, creating jobs, and giving hope to those who have none.
I studied Accounting, and over the years, I have completed certificate courses in Agriculture, Climate Adaptation, Entrepreneurship, and Irrigation Systems. I have gathered deep experience working with local farmers and communities. My passion for farming runs deep; it began as a child on my father’s farm and continues today through Seed of Life. My dream is to continue my father’s legacy and ensure that no child in my community ever sleeps hungry or drops out of school because of poverty.
 

I am asking for your support today. Your donation, no matter how little, will bring hope to struggling youth, women, and farmers in Sierra Leone. It will send children to school, provide tools to farmers, and create jobs for graduates. We will update you at every stage, from land expansion to planting, harvesting, and training, so you can see the impact of your kindness.
Please, stand with us. Help us raise the $350,000 needed to continue this life-changing mission. Again, help share with your connections and friends. Together, we can turn pain into purpose, hardship into hope, and poverty into prosperity.

Thank you so much for reading my story, for your compassion, and for believing in our cause. Your generosity will help us sow seeds of life that will grow for generations to come.

 Donate today, and help us build a future of hope for Sierra Leone.

"Help me continue my father’s legacy, empower youths and communities in Sierra Leone, through Agriculture."

Together, we can end hunger in Sierra Leone.

Read Daniel's Story:

Your donations can directly support farmers, families, and schools:

Funds a full community plot for rice and corn

$500

(NLe 11,000)

Training for five women farmers

$100

(NLe 2,200)

Seeds for a school garden

$50

(NLe 1,100)

Provides tools for one farmer

$10

(NLe 220)

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