Rural Vulnerability and Inequality in Eastern Sierra Leone: Findings from the Field

The SPIRAL-Project (the "Project"), financed by the UK government under the LEGEND Challenge Fund and implemented by Deutsche Welthungerhilfe ("WHH") and a private-sector partner (the "Investor"), establishes and tests a fair, transparent, and inclusive business approach (the CPC model) for responsible land-based agricultural investments in the Sierra Leonean Cocoa Sector. With the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Forests, and Fisheries (the "VGGT") serving as the cornerstone of the Project, the CPC Model strengthens land tenure rights for the target communities, promotes leading farming and management practices, and establishes a mutually beneficial relationship between Beneficiaries and the Investor. In order to maximize programmatic impact, the Project conducted a Beneficiary Mapping Exercise for the selection of Beneficiaries in 13 Target and 3 CPC Associated Villages. The Project developed a unique data model to process assessment responses in order to identify the most vulnerable households in every Project village and provide a clear baseline to measure Project results throughout the land lease agreement.