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 25th March, 2022 allocated the sum of One Billion Six Hundred and Seventy Million Leones (Le 1,670,000,000.00) 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 funds include: 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.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director of One Family People, Edward Emmanuel described the ceremony as a remarkable event as it symbolizes the formal kickoff of their 2022 programmatic year.
He expressed his sincere appreciation to the Liliane Foundation for generously providing funding for its partner organizations that helped them to make 2021 a successful year and count on their support for 2022.
Edward Emmanuel maintained that One Family People believes that persons with disabilities are powerful, radiant agents of change and that is why they have an unwavering commitment to enable them to
develop and attain the same quality of life as those without disabilities maintaining how they include them in everything they do, furthering that listening and giving them space to shine, working together to find solutions that benefit not only persons with disabilities but their families and communities as well and with Support from LF and together with their local partners, they are empowering individual children with disabilities and their parents/caregivers.
Reading the press statement on behalf of One Family People, the Program Manager, Samuel POV Macaulay, described the gathering
as a fulfillment of one of their core responsibilities as the strategic partner organization of Lilliane Fonds in Sierra Leone (to Sign/renew Contracts and Agreement with Partner Organizations within their Network) as well as to demonstrate transparency and accountability by informing the general public about their 2022 Child Empowerment Annual Plan and budget allocation of One Billion Six Hundred and Seventy Million Leones (Le 1,670,000,000.00) to be divided amongst six partner organizations in the country.
He revealed 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.
“OFP as the Strategic Partner Organization of Liliane Foundation in Sierra Leone is mandated to develop and implement policies, strategies and Programmes that fit the country’s context and are consistent with the LF global policy and strategic framework. We are also responsible for
coordinating a network of partner organizations that are empowering children and youngsters with disabilities below 25 years of age, who belong to “resource poor” families to participate in society
and ensure their inclusion in the community,” he added.
The Program Manager pointed out that the gathering is part of the organization’s efforts towards informing the general public and their beneficiaries about their collective plans for 2022 geared towards complementing Government efforts, as well as key successes of 2021, highlighting the synergies between their work and committing towards broader participation in the implementation process, continuing that they also wish to emphasize 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.
He further inform the gathering that One Family People with support from Liliane Fonds last year also disbursed over One (1) Billion Leones to five partner organizations who are also present to give them highlights of what they achieved in 2021, stating that this year they have added another Partner to the Network Sierra Leone Autistic Society that will share their expertise in working with children and youngsters with neurological disorders.
“As an organization we are of the strongest conviction that the support we are providing for the children through our 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. As a way of achieving the sustainable development goals 2030,One Family People is committed towards creating the enabling environment for an inclusive society where no one is left behind,” he revealed.
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 disability across the country.
All other partner organizations’ representatives also highlighted their achievement for 2021 and also outlined their future plans for 2022.
The event was climaxed with the official signing of the agreement between the One Family People and the six partner organizations.
