By:Audrey Raymonda John
Keep the Drums and Lose the Knife (KDLK) as well as Girl Child Network (GCN) will intensify advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and female genital mutilation.
Preparing ahead of the campaign, a two-day national workshop was held on Thursday 26th and Friday 27 October 2023 at Hotel-5-10 in Freetown with C’est La Vie (CLV2.0).
CLV2.0, a coalition of civil society organisations, has been contributing to the advancement of sexual and reproductive health rights of adolescents and youth through communication, awareness and advocacy.
The workshop drew participants from different civil society organisations and relevant ministries, departments and agencies among others.
In his Presentation, the facilitator, Mr Ishmael Cole disclosed that the workshop was geared towards building the capacity of coalition members on advocacy techniques.
The workshop, Cole said, aimed at ensuring that participant understand advocacy concepts, key words and objectives.
He also informed the participants the advocacy was a coordinated intervention to ensure that funding on sexual health and female genital mutilation is placed high on government agenda.
It also seeks the commitment of international and local decision makers on the two national issues.
Building consensus among those to work with was also part of his presentation.
“In advocacy for sexual and reproductive health right and female genital mutilation, advocacy organisations need the private sector, government, health providers, academics and civil society” Cole emphasised.
One of the Participants, Alpha B.Y Kamara working for AIM-SL as Programme Manger, expressed thanks to KDLK and all CLV2.0 members for part of the Advocacy workshop.
He said they have learnt a lot on advocacy techniques, adding that the two days’ workshops have broadened their capacity on advocacy especially on quick wins and other skills when advocating for total abandonment of FGM in Sierra Leone.
Kamara said as he will also replicating what he learnt from the workshop on his organization that is currently working on rite of passenger which is national agenda to end the practice of FGM.
The Director of Women Actions for Human Dignity, Madam Sesay who is also a participant on the Workshop said the training is very important because as organisations fighting to restore dignity on human should be equipped with advocacy skills.
She said in advocacy organisations need to know their target audience and what to do if they are to succeed, adding that the workshop is just milestone to their works as CSOs.
He thanked KDLK for the capacity build which she said is geared towards empowerment organisations on advocacy techniques and other skills.
The Coordinator for KDLK and CLV2.0 Project in Sierra Leone, Rev Joseph Sowa said the CLV’2.0 is health issue addressing project focusing on addressing the issue of FGM.
He said in Sierra Leone, the project started with two organization including KDLK and Girls Child Network.
Rev. Sowa revealed that the project has expanded with more organisations joining, adding that CLV2.0 deals with coalition and the membership has grown to 15 who are working relentlessly to end FGM.
He went further that the do is still open for more members to come onboard with the same focus to end the practice of FGM and other related issues.
He underscore that, the two day workshop is to empower coalition members to get ready for next year advocacy activities that will taking place in Makeni.
Rev Sowa continued that the training to capacitate members and show them what to do and who those stakeholder to be involve in the advocacy.
He pointed out that KDLK expect much from participants in terms of knowledge sharing and get ready for the next year’s holistic advocacy campaign in the Makeni.
He said the organisations priority areas is for authorities to see reasons, buy the idea and come on board, coalition members been actively involve and undertake the activities and the other priority is to end FGM in the country.
Other participants also buttressed on the perfect outcome of the workshop while calling on all to work to end harmful tradition practice practices and promote sexual reproductive health right in Sierra Leone.
