By Mary Kabay
The West African Youth Network, on the 18th January 2022, joined partners and other organizations to engage in the Joseph Kaifala’s “Do Something for Sierra Leone Initiative” as it was engaged on a large cleaning operation at the Levuma beach in Freetown as part of their efforts to foster cleanliness and development.
The West African Youth Network is a youth service organization that works in a number of West African countries. Since its establishment in 2001, WAYN has been working with young people in West Africa on peace consolidation, conflict resolution processes, youth inclusion in governance and border capacity building to strengthen the security situation.
The “Do Something for Salone” Project, according to Edwin Nyamoh, Project and Finance Officer at the West African Youth Network, is a wake-up call for all citizens, noting that they owe it to their country to make it a better place as citizens.
He explained that the beach cleaning activity at Levuma was inspired by the TRC Report’s recommendation that every Sierra Leonean should help their country in whatever manner they can, which is why the organization decided to undertake the cleaning of the beach.
Nyamoh explained that they are now focused on two projects: Peace and Education. According to him, the Education Initiative target issues like corruption, an unjust system, and marginalization in schools. The Peace initiative, on the other hand, is aimed at targeting university students.
The West African Youth Network, according to Rebecca Petz, a Civil Peace Worker, was created in 2001 in reaction to the civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
