By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to support children living with disabilities in the areas of health, education, livelihood and social inclusion using the inclusive development strategy in the country, One Family People organization with support from Liliane Fonds has on Friday 10th March, 2023 allocated the sum of Two Billion Five Hundred Million Old Leones (Le 2,500,000,000.00)to be divided amongst their six partner organizations in the country. The event took place at the One Family People’s Office on Congo Cross in Freetown.
The six partner organizations that benefited from the fund included: Dorothy Springer Trust, Kono Cheshire Services, Disability Awareness Action Group, Welfare Society for the Disabled, Polio Person’s Development Association and Sierra Leone Autistic Society.
Reading the press statement on behalf of One Family People, the Program Manager, Samuel POV Macaulay, said that the allocations are in fulfillment of one of their core responsibilities as the strategic partner organization of Lilliane Fonds in Sierra Leone (to Sign/renew Contracts and Agreements with Partner Organizations within their Network) as well as to demonstrate transparency and accountability by informing the general public about their 2023 Child Empowerment Annual Plan and budget allocation to their partner organizations.
He added that the funding allocation to these organizations will enable them to support the development of children and youngsters with disabilities in the areas of health, education, livelihood and social inclusion using the inclusive development strategy to make their environment accessible.
He said that every year POs are required to design their annual plans, applying the Community Based Inclusive Development Strategy formerly known as Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) (where applicable), with a strong lobby and advocacy approach and submit to OneFamilyPeople. Equally, OneFamilyPeople is required to assess and advise on POs’ annual plans to be submitted to LF for financing, register these plans/projects in the LF database (Pluriform), monitor progress and assess reports in accordance with the schedule agreed upon.
“Therefore, at the completion of the design phase of these plans, we are now informing the general public and our beneficiaries about our collective plans for 2023 geared towards complementing Government efforts, as well as key successes of 2022, highlighting the synergies between our work and committing towards broader participation in the implementation process,” he revealed.
The Program Manager also emphasized to their POs in the presence of stakeholders and the fourth estate, the importance of complying with OFP-PO Agreement, PO eligibility criteria, communication guide, child protection policy, and reporting requirement, stating that as they seek to improve delivery in all spheres this year,they want to encourage their partners to continue working with Government line Ministries and local authorities.
He pointed out that as an organization they are of the strongest conviction that the support they are providing for the children through their partners have broken barriers and opened doors for them to access basic health and education facilities, improved livelihood and enhanced social inclusion using the inclusive development strategy, furthering that as a way of achieving the sustainable development goals 2030, OneFamilyPeople is committed towards creating the enabling environment for an inclusive society where no one is left behind.
“In lieu of the above OneFamilyPeople is calling on Stakeholders to come onboard and mount a sustainable campaign against all forms of stigma and discrimination against Children and Youngsters with Disabilities. It is our belief that together with our partners we are providing the basic needs for our beneficiaries, but we are equally of the strongest conviction that it is not enough and we need to do more. It is on this backdrop that we are calling on all to support us and know that there are no small actions and creating a barrier free society begins with you,” he concluded.
Speaking on behalf of the partner organizations, the Executive Director of one of the implementing entities, Welfare Society for the Disabled, that benefitted, Joseph Alieu Kamara, expressed appreciation to the One Family People and the Liliane Funds for the support they have been giving them over the years to implement programs geared towards the development of people living with disability across the country which he described as very pivotal in addressing issues of disability in the country.
He said that through the support of the organization they are currently supporting children with disability which has open doors for those children, furthering that they support the children to access health and education facilities, improve their livelihoods and enhance social inclusion using the inclusive development strategy formally known as community-based rehabilitation in the country.
Joseph assured all that the funds will be used for the intended purposes and will benefit the lives of children living with disabilities across the country.
All other partner organizations’ representatives also highlighted their achievements for 2021 and also outlined their future plans for 2022.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Saa Lamin Kortequee, commended One Family People and the Liliane Fonds for allocating such an amount towards supporting persons with disabilities in the country.
He said that the move by the organization is part of their strides towards complementing Government’s efforts.
Saa Lamin Kortequee encouraged partner organizations to make good use of the opportunity in supporting children living with disabilities in the areas of health, education, livelihood and social inclusion using the inclusive development strategy in the country as part of what the fund is meant for.
The event was climaxed with the official signing of the agreement between the One Family People and the six partner organizations.
