By Sr. Henriette Anne, FSSA
The Sustainable Agriculture for Rural Development (SARD) Institute has successfully trained one of its most remarkable students yet—an 83-year-old retired medical professional, who has proven that age is no barrier to learning, hard work, or new beginnings.
The elderly gentleman, whose name is being respectfully withheld for now, as we wait for the graduation day recently retired voluntarily from government service. He had spent most of his career serving as medical personnel, concluding his professional journey at Nzara Hospital. But instead of retreating into quiet retirement, he embraced a new mission, returning to the land.
Driven by a deep desire to establish a small, sustainable farm, he joined SARD Institute to acquire essential agricultural skills with a clear goal, to put up vegetable garden, to raise fruit tree and engage in some staple food crops production.
“He is strong, sound, and very active during practical’s,” said one of the instructors. “He handles hoes better than some of the younger men and can till the land for more than an hour—more than many of our regular students.”
SARD Institute is a brainchild of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, was established in 2015 in Mupoi Parish and later relocated to St. Augustine Parish, strategically positioned adjacent to the Solidarity Teachers Training Center. From its humble beginnings, the institute has steadily evolved into a dynamic center of agricultural excellence, focused on equipping young men and aspiring farmers with the skills and knowledge required to build sustainable careers in agriculture.
According to Mr. Marchelo, the director of SARD Institute is more than just crop production, but it is a rural transformation, helping communities to thrive through improved agricultural practices, modern techniques, and capacity-building that puts people and center of development.
Show casing farms of various farmers who have graduated from the institution, the director noted that they are advocating for targeted approach to capacity building, where farmers are not only taught what to do but are also empowered to innovate and sustain what they learned.
