By: Problyn J. Alpha
The “Uman Land en Kol At” or Women’s Land for Peace Project a women-led transformative initiative aimed at promoting peace through natural resource management was officially launched at the Women in Development Resource Centre, Kissi Town, Koidu City, Kono District.
The launch took place during an inception meeting attended by project stakeholders, partners, and community representatives. In his overview of the project, John Lahai, the Project Coordinator for Women’s Land for Peace, explained that the two-year initiative seeks to empower women as key actors in mitigating conflict and promoting gender-responsive land and natural resource governance in Kono District.
Lahai highlighted the core objectives of the project, which include: Strengthening women-led organizations to address gender-based discrimination in land ownership, Empowering women to lead in sustainable natural resource management, Creating peaceful and gender-inclusive platforms for resolving land-related conflicts, and Supporting the implementation of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Policy and the Land Rights Act.
He noted that the project targets at least 20,870 direct beneficiaries, with 85% being women, and includes men, youth, and persons with disabilities who represent 60% and 5%, respectively.
Key implementing partners of the project include Green Scenery, Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD), Women’s Network for Environmental Sustainability, the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone, Barefoot Women Solar Engineers Association, and IDT Labs. The initiative is supported by Christian Aid and its major donor.
Lahai emphasized that the expected outcomes include: Increased women’s leadership in land governance, Reduced land-related conflicts, Greater adoption of environmentally sustainable and gender-equitable resource management practices.
Speaking during the event, Sahr B. Kongor, Kono District Coordinator for NMJD, thanked stakeholders for their presence and described the project as timely and necessary to address longstanding systemic barriers that prevent women from owning land in Kono.
He praised Christian Aid and its donor partners for funding a project that he believes will leave a lasting legacy in the district.
Christian Aid Project Manager, Lois Simche Lebbie, echoed the significance of gender equality as a pathway to eradicating poverty. She encouraged the community to assign a local name to the project to foster greater ownership and involvement. Lebbie also underscored the importance of adhering to Christian Aid’s safeguarding policies, stating, “Obtaining human dignity is key to the lifespan of the project and to Christian Aid as an organization.”
In a candid statement, Chief Sahr Gbondo of Gbense Chiefdom admitted that many men have failed to drive meaningful development in the district. He praised women, particularly Madam Sitta Kaikai, for her recent acquisition of six tractors to enhance agriculture. He argued that such women deserve land for developmental purposes and called on fellow chiefs to follow suit revealing that his chiefdom has already allocated land to Madam Kaikai for poultry farming.
“The only thing I don’t like about women,” he noted, “is that they do not support each other,” urging greater solidarity among women in development efforts.
Other community stakeholders also delivered remarks in support of the project, all echoing the same sentiment: that the Women’s Land for Peace project marks a vital step forward in women’s empowerment, land reform, and peacebuilding in Kono District.