May 4, 2021
BY PROBLYN JOHN ALPHA
The Sierra Leone Election Dialogue Series (SLEDS) in collaboration with Search for Common Grounds with funds from USAID, has held a town hall meeting with stakeholders in Kono District to map out strategies to address five burning issues in the district.
Making his submission, the representative of search for common ground Abdurahman Swarray pointed out that the Sierra Leone Elections Dialogue Series is targeting three districts and the capital city where violence is very rife.
Mr. Swarray highlighted that they are operating in two districts in the North and Northwest, one in the Eastern Region and Freetown the capital city.
He further stated that the project is operating in Karina, Falaba and Kono Districts respectively because these three districts are been characterized by political violence at all times.
Talking about Kono District, Abdurahman Swarray said there are five Key points which they are working with key stakeholders in the district to address in the interest of peace.
These issues include: Political Intolerance, Injustice, Youth unemployment, Gender Based violence and poor electricity in the district.
He said search for common ground is working with two civil society organizations in Kono District to see how they can address the cited five burning issues identified in the district.
The two civil society organizations are community mobilization advocacy network and concern for vulnerable children.
He said Search for Common Ground will be folding up in august 2022 that is the more reason they have chosen the two aforementioned civil society organizations in Kono to complement the institution, noting that with their intervention even if Search for Common Grounds folds up tomorrow the project will be on going.
Mr. Swarray disclosed that they have bought two motor bikes for the two partners in Kono and plans are afoot to fund their operations in the district in order to succeed in addressing the five key areas that are posing threat to development in the district.
Responding, the coordinator for Community Mobilization Advocacy Network, Ibrahim Sahr Bockarie assured Search for Common Grounds of his organization’s commitment and promised to work with his colleague Dauda Bangura of Concern for Vulnerable Children to deliver a sustainable action plan to the people of Kono and to the donors of Search for Common Grounds when elections are imminent.