March 24, 2021
The national Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) has commenced start-up training and launching of sub-project which comprises of construction of solar kiosk, Boli land and modern family and public toilets.
This intervention is part of the Sierra Leone Community Demand Driven (GIETRENK) project implemented by the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) through NaCSA with funding from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). Phase Two of the GIETRENK project scales up from the earlier successes in the well performing chiefdoms, by promoting community driven development interventions within rural growth pole model approach. The aim is to reduce poverty and attain sustainable improvement in the well-being of the population of the rural poor by providing them with access to socio-economic opportunities and capacity building. This will be achieved by providing communities access to demand driven social and productive assets and services, access to a package of business development services including microfinance, and building local level institutions and governance structures.
In his welcome address, Pa Alimamy L. Kamara, the Paramount Chief of Bureh Chiefdom expressed the readiness of his people to work with NaCSA and the GoSL in ensuring sustainable development in their respective districts and the construction of solar kiosk, modern markets, schools and toilets is part of the readiness. He called on GoSL and NaCSA to ‘’…to extend similar projects to other part of the districts as there are many other chiefdoms who are anxiously waiting to be benefited.’’
Momoh Juana is the Programme Manager; SLCDDII, in his statements, he underscored that project presence is currently in seven districts running at a budget of $5.250m as government counterpart funding and 46.650m funding from IsDB; summing up to $51.9m. ‘’The aim of the SLCDD II is to alleviate poverty in rural settings by constructing and reconstructing structures to improve access to social and economic amenities thereby supporting government’s Human Capital Development Initiative. This project also focuses on increasing local food production through an innovative agricultural mechanism and more important making electricity available and accessible in rural communities.’’ He ended.
One of the Civil Society representatives; Sao Lamin stated that ‘’ I have worked with NaCSA and I can vividly say the Commission is the bread-and-butter agency of government because it reaches the last mile with development initiatives including providing unconditional cash transfer and micro credit to poor Sierra Leoneans. NaCSA is well known for initiatives that increase citizens potential to access money and social amenities. One of the reasons why we have population density in urban settings is because many factors that attract population are concentrated in the urban settings. NaCSA is breaking that divide by constructing roads, modern schools, markets and other facilities that compete with structures in the cities. I therefore plead with the community people to own these infrastructures for sustainability and appropriate use.’’
Mohamed Rashid Bah; the Senior Director of Programmes (SDP) called on attendees to be very meticulous and conscious about taking care of community development infrastructures. ‘’ I am here representing the Commissioner and deputy and to deliver a simple but straight forward message. It could be recalled the government of President Julius Maada termed this year as a year of accelerated delivery. NaCSA stands within the right direction to ensuring that delivery of development in communities especially rural areas are accelerated with a more resilient force. We know communities have proven to be strong but with GoSL’s supports through NaCSA, they are stronger. Today, we have commenced start-up training and launched the construction of solar kiosk, Boli land, Modern markets, schools etc. Similar event will be hosted in Tonkolili, Moyamba and Kenema.’’
The Commissioner of NaCSA – Dr. Sao-Kpato Hannah Isatta Max-Kyne gave a brief introduction of the Commission and laid emphasis on the importance of partnership as key to the success of projects. ‘’… the Sierra Leone Community Demand Driven Project is in the second phrase of implementation and it gear towards creating opportunities for rural areas, strengthening agricultural value chain, identifying areas that have great potential and bring in a lot of modern facilities like schools, clinic, feeder roads, rural electrification, water borne systems which will be like an attraction for young people to stay in their communities and create more opportunities for rural areas and reduce poverty.’’
The commencement of start-up training and launching of sub-project will see the construction of Seventy-five (75) solar kiosk, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Nine (759) hectares of Boli Land in portloko, Six Hundred and two (602) Hectares of Boli land in Tonkolili and three Hundred and Twnenty (320) modern family and public toilets across the districts of Tonkolili, Portloko, Kenema and Moyamba.