By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
With support from Italian Government, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) together with the Ministry of Tourism has on Wednesday 1st March, 2023 launched the pilot phase of beach cleaning project to help empower returnees from Niger.
Christos Christodoulides, Head of Office for Sierra Leone International Organization for Migration (IOM), expressed that the project launched was the biggest cleaning campaign Sierra Leone had ever had.
He affirmed that the pilot phase of the project launched was financed by the Italian Government in order to facilitate a project that would serve as livelihood assistance to Sierra Leoneans who were returned from Niger.
He explained that Sierra Leoneans who travelled to Niger were returned due to the difficult situation they were going through.
Christos affirmed that the project was a four-month beach cleaning campaign specially organized for Niger returnees.
He said that the working schedule would be six days in a week for up to a consecutive period of four months.
He assured that the project would be very helpful to the returnees and it would also help to clean and beautify the beaches in Sierra Leone. Christos added that the returnees were capacitated with professional training on waste management in livelihood opportunities, and other visible materials to facilitate the work.
Head of Office SL IOM affirmed that the project was in close collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, the National Tourism Board and other government counterparts. As it was a pilot program, he assured that if it proved to be effective, they would cascade the project to other regions and districts in Sierra Leone.
Giving a background of the project, Memunatu Pratt, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs recalled that the project started in December a good number of people who voluntarily went to clean the beaches.
She explained that after that period they convened a meeting with the IOM country director, where they discussed about the project. The Minister assured that the project would go beyond beach cleaning.
“The aim of this program is to make sure that after doing the beach cleaning and at the same time you would be mainstreamed to different aspects of skills development. The project created a space for that,” the minister assured the returnees during the launching at the beach.
Admonishing the returnees, Baindu Dasama Kamara, Minister of Social Welfare, discouraged the returnees from embarking into such illegal migration. Since their voices seemed not to be heard, the Social Welfare Minister appealed to the returnees to spread the message across and raise the awareness to prevent other people from engaging in illegal travelling.
Isatu Sesay, one of the returnees, explained that they departed the shores of Sierra Leone to go in search of greener pastures, but unfortunately, they were returned with a promise of giving them a package. She said that after they had been returned, they could not have any access to a package. With the situation in the country, Isatu said they had already lost it.
But with the intervention of IOM. SL who saw the need to create job opportunity for them, she expressed gratitude to IOM and other partners. On behalf of the team, she appreciated and assured that they would do the job diligently. Isatu further expressed hope for the continuity and progress of the project as they were promised.