Memuna Fofana relocated from Freetown, Sierra Leone to Italy following the start of the 1996 Sierra Leonian Civil War and after losing her mother. In Italy, she lived with her step mother and father, but was regularly abused and her relationship with her father was toxic. She also experienced a lack of opportunities for black people in Italy, and so in 1999 she was then sent to live with her father’s older sister in a deprived area of Hackney, East London. 

At the age of 13, Memuna was selected to be part of the MET Black Police Association young leaders summer program called The Young Black Positive Advocates (YBPA). She graduated from the program and at 15yrs old and launched her own charity for young women in East London called Internal Ladies Org.  Through this organisation, Memuna mentored over 300 young women, created campaigns and facilitated programs in schools, youth centres and local girls groups on a weekly basis both in East and South East London.

Despite this, Memuna became involved in illegal activities, working in bars in central London where she was introduced to different people from different walks of life. She had experienced so many traumas and had no effective guidance, but she had the ability to present an illusion of perfection. She met Pastor Tobi at the age of 23, at a crucial time in her life.

Through leadership, Memuna is now an Agriculturist and founder of Thee Harvesters, a farming and poultry business based in the Western provinces of Sierra Leone. Thee Harvesters isn’t just another agricultural business, rather a business that invests in women – 80% of the workers are women. Working with widows and young single mothers, Memuna has incorporated her entrepreneurial mindset and her passion for change to meet the needs thousands. 

Thee Harvesters’ vision is to create sustainable practices that empower women and youth in rural communities while producing high-quality crops and poultry products to meet the increasing demand for healthy and affordable food worldwide. Our mission is to support economic development by providing resources and employment opportunities for women and youth. Through our sustainable farming practices, we aim to produce safe, nutritious, and affordable crops and poultry products that meet the needs of our local, national and international customers.”