Government Takes Possession of Land & Buildings on Blue Bell Drive in Freetown

September 23, 2022

By Ophaniel Gooding

In compliance with the findings in the report of Honourable Justice Bankole Thompson Commission of Inquiry 2018, and as ordered by the Government White Paper which was published on 24 September 2020, the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has on the 21st September, 2022 took possession of a parcel of land together with buildings situated off Spur Road, Blue Bell Drive Freetown.

According to the Attorney General, the property was a subject of interest during the Commission of Inquiry but no one came forward to claim it, therefore it became “Bona Vacantia,” or ownerless property, and the State assumed possession of it.

The property was first registered as a deed of conveyance No. 8/2012 at page 74 in Volume 15 dated 14th March 2012 and subsequently as No1253/2014 at page 103 in volume 729 dated 30th May 2014 in the books of Registered Deed of Conveyances kept at the Office of Registrar and Administrator General, Roxy Building in Freetown.

New MCC CEO Holds Fruitful Discussions with President Bio

September 23, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

President Julius Maada Bio on the 20^th September, 2022 held a productive bilateral meeting with the new Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Alice Albright, on the margins of the 77th United Nations General Assembly.

The MCC CEO expressed commitment to supporting Sierra Leone’s compact development process and willingness to promote private sector participation in addressing challenges in the energy sector.

She updated the President on the various stages of the compact development process and commended his leadership for the satisfactory progress made so far.

The National Coordinator, Sierra Leone Compact Development Unit, Ndeye Koroma, explained some of the challenges in the energy sector and the plan of the Government to mobilize donor partners and private investments in the energy sector.

In response, President Julius Maada Bio expressed his commitment to the development of the compact, adding that the process would be transparent and credible.

He also assured the MCC CEO that his Government would continue to improve on the MCC scorecard despite the challenging circumstances. He highlighted the progress he had made on legislative reforms, investment in human capital development and the protection and empowerment of women and girls.

“We are eagerly waiting for the completion of the compact development process,” President Bio stated.

Earlier this year the MCC, which is an innovative and independent U.S. foreign assistance agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty, notified the Government of Sierra Leone of its plans to finance critical feasibility studies to further develop and design the proposed Sierra Leone compact in four areas of opportunity, including assessing the expected impact of the proposed compact, furthering design activities, and developing implementation strategies.

UN Country Team Expresses Commitment to Support Efforts to Promote Peace

September 23, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

During the commemoration of the International Day of Peace in Freetown on the 21^st September, 2022, the UNFPA Country Representative, Nadia Rasheed, who represented the UN Resident Coordinator, highlighted the UN Country Team’s (UNCT) commitment to supporting efforts to promote peace and inclusion in Sierra Leone.

In her statement at the International Day of Peace Symposium organized by the Independent Commission on Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) at the Bintumani Conference Hall she said the day “signifies a core value for the founding of the United Nations and reflects shared aspirations for building peaceful and inclusive societies that are free of all forms of discrimination.”

The Resident Coordinator ad interim congratulated the Government of Sierra Leone for ratifying the ICPNCSL Act 2020 that established the Commission, describing such as “an important step in reaffirming commitments and further advancing a positive drive towards the actualization of a peaceful and united Sierra Leone.

Recognizing the critical role that next year’s multi-tier elections can play in advancing peace and national cohesion in the country, Ms Rasheed informed the gathering of the existence of the national Elections Steering Committee with the Resident Coordinator representing the UNCT in that Committee.

Furthermore, she said that UNDP and UNICEF signed an MOU with the Ministry of Political and Public Affairs to create an enabling environment for the conduct of peaceful elections and for strengthening social cohesion. “UNDP has also supported the National Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone on their regional briefings for Ward Electoral Committee Members.”

Additionally, she said UN Women supported the review of the implementation of UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and is assisting in the development of its third National Action Plan.

According to her there is also a further commitment on the part of the UN to continue to provide technical and other advisory support to the process.

Ms Rasheed expressed hope that through collaboration and support from other development partners and stakeholders, the opportunity the elections present to build on the gains Sierra Leone has made towards peace and national cohesion will be seized by all actors.

Speaking earlier at the event, Ambassador of the European Union to Sierra Leone, Manuel Muller, said that peace needs all our engagement, especially if there is something to heal, inclusiveness is of the highest importance.

The Irish Ambassador, Claire Buckley, said that by treating each other equally regardless of political, ethnic, social and economic status, “we build a better world for our children”. She welcomed the decision by the organizers to give the global theme a domestic focus: “End Tribalism, Build Peace and National Cohesion“.

Political and Public Affairs Minister, Ambassador Foday Yumkella, who represented the Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, stressed that the country has a common ground when it comes to tribalism. He said where there is no peace, there is no development and emphasized that efforts should be made to ensure peace in the country. He concluded, that “we want to leave a better Sierra Leone behind”.

A short skit from students and a peace song by local musicians formed some of the high points of the programme including the symposium held afterwards.

NP’s Effective & Efficient Service Delivery Garners Widespread Commendation

September 23, 2022

By Amin Kef-Ranger

NP-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) continues to make meaningful inroads within the petroleum landscape of this country based on its effective and efficient service delivery which has garnered wide-spread commendations from near and far for the petroleum importing and marketing holding the fort for too long, weathering various storms along the way

Formed years back by certain selfless Sierra Leoneans (thirty-five of them), the company has grown exponentially by infusing business-oriented initiatives that have helped in transforming the entity into a towering company within the business landscape of this country and even in the West African sub-region, in countries where it has functional and vibrant operational branches.

One major initiative which these local investors factored into their business activity and considered very paramount is the premium placed on optimizing customer care, which, they believed will put the company in a very good stead to widen its customers’ base. It was against such a backdrop that they decided to import and install calibrated pumping machines at the company’s various Filling Stations, which are very capable of churning out the right quantity of fuel and at the same time display the corresponding price.

The installation of these machines was indeed a good move, as such is constantly instilling the feeling that they are getting the right amount of petroleum products, petrol or diesel as well as lubricants, against what is being paid for.

Hitherto, the old pumping machines were not so sophisticated and created leeway through which certain unscrupulous pump attendants clandestinely cheated customers by not pumping the requisite quantity of fuel requested for. However, with the latest calibrated machines, such became a thing of the past, making petroleum transactions at the company’s Filling Stations very transparent.

To properly interface with customers, NP-SL operates on an open-door policy basis with the avowed objective of addressing the concerns of customers and by extension members of the public. The inputs from members of the public are, most times, taken into consideration whenever meetings are convened, out of which resolutions are adopted that are tailored to give satisfaction in terms of responding to concerns and embracing certain recommendations.

The buoyant oil marketing company is a premier and sustainable indigenous business entity in the country as it is hundred percent owned by Sierra Leoneans. And one thing that they laid much emphasis on is to give preference, in terms of employment, to Sierra Leoneans exclusively instead of considering bringing foreigners on board, except in instances where local expertise could not be sourced.

This stance on the part of the company is in sync with the country’s Local Content Policy, which underpins making use of local human and material resources in the production and service delivery chain. By giving employment preference to Sierra Leoneans, the company has been positively contributing towards poverty alleviation and availing individuals the opportunities to live improved standards of living.

With regards rolling out its Corporate Social Responsibility, NP-SL has been doing so steadily and progressively. The company has been giving institutional support to certain institutions.

The company’s introduction of a Smart Card to purchase fuel has been widely applauded as a very good initiative. A particular customer, with money in his or her NP Smart Card, could easily put in for the quantity of petrol or diesel that he or she wants and the supply is facilitated, after which the amount of money expended is deducted from the card.

It is a very convenient way of doing such transactions in a cashless manner. Its biggest advantage is that it creates room for a customer to budget for fuel purchase over time. NP Smart Card is now trending and many are presently using it, saying they prefer it than using physical cash.

Some users of NP Gas that this medium spoke with, intimated how it is a very good device which has a high speed performance and very environmentally useful and friendly. Manufactured in different cylinder shapes, it is portable and affordable. NP Gas could be secured at all the company’s major Filling Stations, where the gas to refill it could be accessed.

The company has really exhibited that it is poised to expand its operations, a determination that has been manifested in opening branches in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia. In all those countries, those NP branches are doing extremely well in terms of service delivery and payment of taxes to the home Governments.

Indisputably, there is no way that we can talk of a very successful company, amidst challenges encumbered along the way, without mentioning NP-SL because the company is greatly contributing to the socio-economic development within the West African Sub-Region.

Two Young Sierra Leoneans Bag $4,000 Grant Money to Set Up Small Businesses

September 23, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Two young Sierra Leoneans have emerged as winners of the ‘Yulisa Ahmadu Entrepreneurship Seed Foundation’ grant for small businesses. The two are Hassan Bangura and Moses Collier who submitted a Multi-Media proposal and a Keke Transportation Proposal respectively. Each of them bagged a grant of $2,000 which will be delivered before the 30th October, 2022.

It could be recalled that in May this year the Yulisa Ahmadu Entrepreneurship Seed Foundation put out a Public Notice announcing the launch of $4,000 seed money for two Young Entrepreneurs running or intending to start a small business in Sierra Leone ($2,000 each). It was stated that applicants must be under 35 years old, residing in any part of Sierra Leone, have an existing business or intends to start one, women were strongly encouraged to apply and to briefly share the intended goal via email to: yulisa.ahmadu@gmail.com with the 30^th August, 2022 stated as the closing date for the submission of proposals.

According to the brain behind the competition, Yulisa Ahmadu, they hope to increase the number of winners next year as they trust God for financial blessings!

He underscored that awarding the grant was not an act of show off but a humble way of giving back and empowering other young people to maximize their full potentials.

Yulisa Ahmadu intimated that the female applicants had very good proposals too adding that lamentably the best ones were already beneficiaries of some other entrepreneurial grants and so they gave new people the chance to win maintaining that they strongly considered gender equality.

He informed that the seed grant is meant to support small businesses or individuals under the age of 35 years old who either have an initiative they want to implement of a business idea or who already have an existing business they want to develop.

Yulisa furthered that when he launched the initiative it went viral and a good number of young people sent in their applications with very wonderful proposals amounting to over 400 plus proposals.

He reiterated that the idea behind the initiative was to support small businesses, either someone with an initiative or someone who is already doing the business itself.

With regards the disqualifying factor, Yulisa said most of the other proposals or scripts showed that all what were indicated are things that the competitors just do as side hustles.

He said these days, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, individuals who are investors will be more likely to trust something.

Yulisa pointed out that one cares about something one is passionate about, something that is one’s bread and butter, something one is really, really focused about.

He disclosed that was what basically helped them streamlined the proposals from 400 to a lower number plus very unrealistic budgets adding that they also realized that there were some competitors that have been beneficiaries of other entrepreneur programmes.

Yulisa ended up congratulating the winners and thanked all those that took part in the competition.

Coalition of Election Observers States Outcome of Voter Registration is Encouraging

September 23, 2022

National Team Lead of the Coalition of Election Observers: Ing. Joseph Abass Sannoh

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

During a Press Briefing that took place on the 22^nd September, 2022 at the 44 Sanders Street Office of the Coalition of Election Observers, an association of 69 civil society organizations, newsmen were intimated that the Coalition has approved the first phase of voter registration which was concluded on September 15, 2022.

Joseph Abass Sannoh, who happens to be the National Team Lead of the Coalition of Election Observers, in his statement, said that despite the challenges encountered the outcome of entire voter registration was somehow encouraging, without violence and material defects that may hamper the conduct and results of the 2023 elections.

He continued that members of staff of both the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) and Electoral Commission Sierra Leone (ECSL) were highly professional and polite in 90 percent of the polling centres visited.

“98 percent of the registration centres opened on the first day of registration, 95 percent of registration centres visited started at 7am and ended at 5pm daily; the coordination between NCRA and ECSL effectively facilitated the registration process and special attention was given to the aged, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and lactating mothers,” Sannoh commended.

He said despite the successes, the Coalition of Election Observers documented some challenges at the commencement of the first phase of the registration process. He said some of the challenges include slow registration process; lack of adequate electricity; poor road network in Koinadugu and Falaba districts; long distances to registration centres in hard-to-reach communities; rejection of first-time voters due to lack of proper identification; overcrowding of registration centres, insufficient machines, malfunctioning of registration equipment and registration centres difficult to access by persons with disabilities, among others.

He said that most of these challenges were addressed as the initial stage of the registration process.

Sannoh urged ECSL to collaborate with civil society and community based organizations, the media and political parties to increase awareness; provide alternation power sources at registration centres; increase the number of computers per centres; educate party observers and government officials not to interfere in the registration process; maintain 98% adherence to Service Level Agreement to increase output; create a conducive environment for accredited observers to monitor the exercises.

AYV Signs MoU with ECSL to Give Coverage on Election Activities

September 23, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on the 22nd September 2022 between the Africa Young Voices (AYV) Media Empire and the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone geared towards using the professional services of AYV to give coverage to the 2023 electoral process.

Signing on behalf of ECSL was the Chief Electoral Commissioner and Chairman of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh and on behalf of the ECSL was the General Manager of AYV, Madam Tucker. The ceremony took place in the Conference Room of the ECSL.

In a short statement, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh said: “The Partnership is in respect of the belief that all Sierra Leoneans should be part of the country’s electoral process. AYV is just like any other partner working with ECSL on its mandates”.

He continued by saying AYV is one of the institutions of good example for the fact that Sierra Leoneans can initiate good projects and those projects become locally and internationally recognized projects.

Chairman Konneh recounted his good experience with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AYV, Ambassador Anthony Navo Jr., which he said spans as far back as 2011.

He said for AYV to have reached such a successful level with a partnership with the BBC, DSTv and countrywide, ECSL is confident that the Partnership is a very good platform for the Commission to reach out not only to its Sierra Leonean audience but also audience across the world in marketing its electoral activities and also get people involved in the process.

He said the initiative can be beneficial and will add value to ECSL’s processes, adding that the amount ECSL is paying to the AYV in respect of the Partnership is a pittance for the services the ECSL stands to gain.

“With the Partnership, whenever we have an event at ECSL, our audience will not only be Sierra Leoneans at home but globally. The Commission will always be open to AYV on all elections-related issues and we look forward to more interactions and programs that will continue to let the Commission reach its audience targeted,” Chairman Konneh stated.

In his words, AYV’s Director of Communications, Samuel Wise Bangura pointed out that the Partnership came by no mistake adding that AYV also partnered with the National Electoral Commission back then in 2018.

According to him, AYV professionally handled the 2018 presidential debate alongside other partners and also gave credible, factual, and balanced reportage on the entire electoral process.

He recalled that in 2018, local and international elections observers recognized AYV as the most credible media institution that gave equal opportunities to every political party in the country.

Samuel Wise Bangura assured that AYV can now go the extra-mile by doing better with its ultra-modern equipment to give the ECSL and the people of Sierra Leone seamless broadcast with guiding professional ethics and principles.

Importantly, he hammered home that the partnership will only see the AYV partnering with ECSL and not to collude with the Commission in the sense that AYV will not be ECSL’s mouthpiece but has the mandate to complement all ECSL’s efforts geared towards credibility, fairness, and impartiality.

“We will help to create transparency which we always stand for at AYV. We are the only media house in Sierra Leone with 3 television channels, a radio frequency, and a daily newspaper with nationwide coverage and online services. We pride ourselves as the nation’s most trusted news sources, simply because we have guided and guarded ourselves in ways that put us as a home of all things credible, factual, and all-time balanced news,” he stated.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AYV, Ambassador Anthony Navo Jr., through an online message at the event, said:

“AYV is always ready to ensure that the right thing is done. And the right thing is, ‘putting Sierra Leone and Sierra Leoneans first’. The Partnership is in no way going to stifle the professional stance of AYV but will unfold what AYV has always stood for and done”.

Also in attendance at the signing ceremony were NEC’s Commissioners for South and East and other senior staff of the ECSL. AYV’s General Manager, Office of the CEO, Directorates of the News and Current Affairs Department, and Communications, Marketing, and Digital among other senior management staff of AYV.

Africell Signs Osman Bendu Alias Mammy Thomas as Brand Ambassador

September 23, 2022

By Millicent Senava Mannah

One of the leading telecommunication mobile companies, Africell-SL, officially signed a memorandum of understanding with one of the contestants of Housemates Salone Season 3, Osman Bendu, commonly called Mammy Thomas as their Digital Brand Ambassador with an undisclosed package on the 21st September, 2022.

The auspicious event took place at the Africell Headquarters Boardroom Road at Wilberforce Village in Freetown.

Speaking during the event, Africell’s Media Manager, John Konteh, intimated that the signing of Osman Bendu, is for him to represent Africell –SL on Social media platforms since he has a large fan base of 82,000 followers on TikTok and other media platforms.

Konteh maintained that, ‘Mammy Thomas’ was one of the contestants that really made the Reality TV Show exciting through his comic acts in the just concluded Housemates Salone Season 3 though he was evicted from the House during the course of the show.

He noted that the company’s new Brand Ambassador will be coordinating whatever things the company intends to put on social media platforms, especially on TikTok were he has a large fan base.

He asserted that, TikTok is the fastest growing media at the moment, continuing that through digital media, someone can quantify the number of audience or viewership that he/ she may want to reach.

Africell’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Joe Abass Bangura,in his statement, disclosed that, he has been going through Osman Bendu’s story for quite some time now. Stating that indeed he is from an humble background, and has made it through his life’s challenges.

Joe Abass Bangura continued that the company has been supporting youths in the country, further making reference to Kelvin Doe and Karim Brima, who won One billion Leones from Africell.

He assured that, Africell is not only meant for communication, but it is also there to enhance the life of young Sierra Leoneans, further revealing their plans to launch the Africell Foundation to reach out to more people.

The Chief Corporate Affairs Officer encouraged their new Brand Ambassador to continue pushing on, assuring him that he is in good hands furthering that comedy is a business and how laughter is a medicine to the soul as according to him he watches comedy on a daily basis.

He stated that Africell would continue to support young Sierra Leoneans financially, adding that the road to success in life is hard work, he made examples of popular Nigerian comedians; Ebu, Aki and Paw Paw and others underscoring that hard work requires consistency and lot more.

He concluded by congratulating Osman Bendu and urged him to do his best to have more and more followers.

The New Brand Ambassador, Osman Bendu, firstly thanked God, Africell and the Africa Young Voices Media Empire for their support in helping him achieve such a great success, disclosing that, he had not been thinking of achieving such in this stage of his life.

He also revealed that his Manager has been one of his strongest backbone and how she was the one that motivated him to be part of the show and assured the company that, he will do his best to promote the company’s brand.

‘Mammy Thomas’ revealed that if his father were alive, he would have loved to see this day, however, according to him, he believes that he is a happy man where ever he is knowing that he had made such achievements in his life.

MRCG Sends Strong Message to ECSL & PPRC

September 23, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

The Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), a Coordinating Secretariat for media reform, research and capacity building in the country has called on the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone and the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) to engage Political Parties to desist from including campaign messages in the ongoing voter education exercise in the country. This disclosure was made as one of the Secretariat’s recommendations highlighted in its Media and Elections coverage and reportage on the first phase of the Voter Registration for the 2023 Elections.

The report maintained that in the 2018 elections, the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) implemented a program on ‘Promoting Professional Media Coverage and Conflict Sensitive Reporting of the 2018 Multi-tier Elections in Sierra Leone’ funded by the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) as part of the ‘Conflict Prevention and Mitigation during the Electoral Cycle in Sierra Leone’ project.

It added that one of the components of the program was to set up and operationalize the first Media Situation Room in the country, and that the Situation Room analyzed media contents of the 2018 elections and provided real time information on the media performance, mentoring and coaching that helped to provide broadcast and publication of unprofessional contents.

“As part of the program, there were training sessions across the country on ‘Promoting Professional Media Coverage and Conflict Sensitive Reporting of the 2018 Multi-Tier Elections in Sierra Leone’. The training sessions enhanced and strengthened the skills of 500 local journalists (including Editors and Station Managers) from regional media houses in Sierra Leone to provide professional media coverage and conflict sensitive reporting of the 2018 multi-tier elections in Sierra Leone,” the report revealed.

Commenting on the media’s coverage of the voter registration exercise, the report disclosed that the media in Sierra Leone developed series of approaches to cover and report on the electoral process since the pronouncement of the dates for the elections.

It continued that in order for the MRCG to get a vivid understanding of the media’s approach to the voter registration, it conducted series of interviews with stakeholders in the Sierra Leone’s media industry, including journalists from various media houses and the findings showed that all of the media institutions have developed an approach to cover the voter registration exercise.

The President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, said that the media has played a very significant role in terms of informing citizens about the importance of voter registration and also encouraging people to register for them to become eligible voters for the general elections.

The National Coordinator of the Independent Radio Network (IRN), Ransford Wright, stated that IRN continues to contribute to peace, free, fair and credible elections in Sierra Leone, hence they have been putting out quality and reliable information on the electoral processes, including the voter registration.

The Chairman of Guild of Editors, Donald Theo-Harding, said the print media are publishing various articles on the voter registration and monitoring the entire electoral processes.

The report further highlighted the Successes/Impacts of the Media Coverage and Reportage on the Voter Education which includes providing forums for the ESCL to engage people about the electoral process, including the voter education, informing the public about the need for voter registration and also educating them about the significance of the exercise, IRN produced its own jingles on voter registration that is broadcast in all partner radio stations across the country etc.

The report further pointed out the challenges in covering and reporting Voter Registration included lack of release of timely information and sharing by ECSL to media practitioners, logistical challenges for media institutions to meet the operational costs to cover and report on the elections, lack of capacity building for media practitioners to effectively report on the electoral processes, inadequate funding to roll out sustained national programs for particularly IRN which has a niche in elections reporting, political parties ‘skewed’ and used information in their interests, which they want the media to publish and broadcast, and thereby affecting the voter registration process, ECSL did not distribute jingles to be broadcast on particularly community radio stations..

Going forward the report made the following recommendations: that ECSL should be more open and easily accessible and to ensure timely release of information, mobilize resources for national media organizations and institutions, including SLAJ, IRN, IMC, SLBC and MRCG, to cover, report and monitor the elections.

It was also stated that donors should provide support to national media institutions to cover, report, train reporters and monitor the electoral processes, the media should not be seen as a tool, but rather a key partner and player in the electoral processes, journalists should be impartial in their coverage and reportage on the voter education process.

In conclusion the report called on ECSL to ensure a cordial relationship with the media, address the challenges in the first phase of the voter registration and implement recommendations for the second phase and the other aspects of the electoral processes and that if journalists are capacitated they can sensitize, educate and give out credible information to the public.

CARE-Sierra Leone & Health Alert Engage Stakeholders on Flood Mitigation

September 23, 2022

By Alpha Sesay

In a bid to raise awareness on flood mitigation, CARE-Sierra Leone in Partnership with Health Alert and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) on Wednesday 21^st September, 2022 held a one-day Stakeholders engagement meeting and sensitization on flood mitigation at Old Wharf Community in Wellington, East End of Freetown.

The one day Stakeholders engagement, which attracted stakeholders from the Bottom Oku Community, Joshua Community and Old Wharf Community was geared towards raising awareness on flood and disaster mitigation in those flood prone communities.

Addressing the gathering, the Project Officer of Health Alert-Abdul Karim Sankoh emphasized the importance of organizing such Community Stakeholders engagement and awareness raising.

He maintained that the meeting was borne out of an initiative that emanated from CARE-Sierra Leone with funds from Start Fund to engage disaster affected communities in Freetown like Wellington community with various support including donations of food and non-food items, simultaneously with sensitization on how disasters like flooding could be prevented in these communities.

He said Health Alert, as an advocacy organization on Health and Human Rights, was contacted by CARE- Sierra Leone to engage the communities through meetings, mass sensitization, door to door meeting, among other activities, all geared towards mitigating flood and other emerging disasters of which he disclosed some of the preventive measures needed to be taken by community residents to avert disasters which are but not limited to construction of drainages, maintenance of those drainages, proper hygiene practices etc.

He elucidated further that community people are in the habit of blocking the water runways to erect buildings, dumping of wastes in drainages and cutting down of trees.

As a result of these harmful environmental practices, he furthered that communities have been exposed to flooding and other disasters especially during the rainy season, continuing that therefore, in order to ameliorate disasters like flooding and mudslide, community stakeholders need to be capacitated with the right information that will influence behavioral change.

He called on stakeholders to serve as ambassadors in ensuring that the message is cascaded to everyone in the community as they’re influential people in their various communities.

The Western Area National Disaster Management Officer, Sylvester Tch, expressed profound thanks and appreciation to CARE-Sierra Leone and Health Alert for the community engagement which he described as timely and worth the effort.

He expounded on the most common forms of disasters like fence collapsing due to improper construction, houses are burnt down due to substandard used of electrical cables, flooding due to the blocking of the waterways, people building houses under bridges and culverts are causes for some of the many disasters across the country and it’s obvious that are caused by people.

He noted that Government, NGOs and Civil Society Organizations bringing support to affected victims of disasters cannot replace every missing property or lives and they may end their support when things go worst which is why as community residents it is their responsibility to take good care of their communities.

Teh encouraged stakeholders present to be watchful over their communities and be prepared to serve as community ambassadors.

Speaking on behalf of the Old Wharf Community, Chief Pa Alimamy Conteh abundantly thanked Health Alert and CARE-Sierra Leone for their intervention in ensuring a behavioral change.

Chief Conteh stressed on the need for such stakeholders engagement particularly in a time like this adding that Old Wharf Community was a flood and disasters free community during the early Sixties unto the Nineties when people were mindful of the environment and their surroundings.

He assured Health Alert and Partners of his commitment to cascade the message to others that were not present in the stakeholders’ engagement and to also form some bye laws in order to ameliorate flooding and other disasters that have befallen them.

During the engagement community members highlighted some concerns which include residents building their houses close to the sea and these houses are stopping the water from passing and that the process of selling and acquiring lands to build houses in the community is another problem.

A community resident also called on Government or NGOs to construct drainages for them in their communities which he said would help to solve the flooding problem in various communities.

CARE-Sierra Leone & Health Alert Engage Stakeholders on Flood Mitigation