Struggling Levuma Women Seek Help

By: Isatu Bai Kamara

In the rural village of Levuma, situated along the highway in Mandu Chiefdom, Kailahun District, a group of resilient women are raising their voices in a plea for help. Faced with harsh economic realities, limited access to resources, and persistent gender inequality, many women in this remote area have turned to stone mining as a means of survival.

These women some of them widows, single mothers, and caregivers of large families say they have no alternative means of income. Their stories paint a vivid picture of endurance in the face of adversity.
“I used to do business,” said Umu Sesay, a mother and stone miner. “But everything vanished. Now I rely on stone mining to support my children’s education and daily needs.”
For Musu Koroma, stone mining is not by choice but by necessity. “I have no other job. If I don’t do this, I won’t have food to eat. I am pleading for support,” she explained.
Zainab Sheriff, who is physically challenged, also relies on this backbreaking work to sustain her family. “I mine stones to feed my five children. Their father is no more, and I am the only breadwinner,” she shared.
While stone mining has become a lifeline for these women, they are not asking for charity they are asking for opportunities. They hope that the government and humanitarian organizations can intervene with sustainable solutions such as vocational training, agricultural support, microfinance opportunities, and access to social welfare services.
Stone mining, they say, is not their dream it is their last resort.
“We are willing to work,” one woman added. “But we need help to find a better path.”