November 30, 2021
The National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), under its Community Driven Development Project (CDDP), has handed over a completed recreational center at Bandamain Small Bo chiefdom, one junior secondary school at Burma III section and a community market structure at Lagor, Nongowa chiefdom in Kenema district.
In his Statement at the Handing Over Ceremony at Bandama,the Chairman Kenema District Council who doubles as Chairperson for the occasion, Councilor Mohamed Amadu Sesay disclosed that, the recreational center has been one of the felt needs of the people of Bandama community and by extension residents of Kenema city as a whole, adding that, upon assuming office as Council Chairman, recreational center was the first project tabled to him by the chiefdom speaker by then as councilor through the community people.
He said, the importance of the center is to serve as a waiting point for the people of Kenema, to receive dignitaries coming to the eastern region through Kenema city.
Chairman Sesay stated that, there is no conducive place to welcome authorities especially the President and, people who perform pilgrimage among others.
“I want to thank NaCSA for the good work but again to inform them that more community structures have collapse and needs NaCSA`s intervention”, the Chairman noted’’.
Chairman Mohamed Amodu Sesay further went onto thank government through NaCSA for responding to their cries by approving these project, Bandama recreational center, the construction of three-classroom Bloc k at Burma III, a market structure at Lagor, and many other projects that they are implementing within the Kenema District.
Given an overview of the project, the Programme Manager for the Community Driven Development Project (CDDP), Patrick Lebbie said, NaCSA was created as an institution to complement the efforts of government and other MDAs, and that hey have been doing this since its establishment. The Manager continued to state that, the Community Driven Development Project (CDDP)as its name implies is a community driven approach project, which is been implemented based on the demands and request from the community.
Mr.Lebbie said, NaCSA does not dictates to communities which project should be taken to them but however, the communities themselves do identify their felt needs and through the councils pass it over to NaCSA for supporting its implementation.
He said, NaCSA as institution stand to support all government priority areas of development, and promised the people of Kenema District that they will continue to support any community as long as funds are available, so as to be able to achieve the presidents aims and objectives, such as the free quality education, access to food, health and other better standard of living among others in ensuring that the vision of the entire government becomes actualized.
The Programme Manager stated that, as a program they only receive funding through government, unlike other components within the commission that receive funding from donorpartners,statingthatundertheCDDP,theCommissionhasimplementedovertwenty(20)ofsuchprojectsfullycompletedandhandedovertothecommunities,andthatplanareunderwaytoadvertiseotherprojects.
“The Bandama Recreational Center has five hundred rubber chairs, public address system, minimarket, generator and modern toilet facilities among others” Mr. Lebbie ended.
In his Statement whiles representing the Commissioner and officially handing over keys for the three facilities, the Recreational Center at Bandamain Small Bo Chiefdom, the Junior Secondary School at Burma Section and Market Structure at Lagor, Nongowa Chiefdom , the Senior Director Support Service Division at NaCSA, Kofi Addia Said, NaCSA is a Government Agency and it is the government body responsible to meet with the felt needs of communities across the country in terms of social needs like, providing community infrastructures like School, Markets, Hospitals , Roads, Bridges Water and Sanitation and the likes.
The Senior Director states that the Community Driven Development (CDDP), is one hundred percent funded by the Government of Sierra Leone.
Mr.Addai expressed his appreciation to the people of Kenema for their initiative in requesting for the construction of these three facilities, noting that as they fall within the mandate of the commission and Sierra Leone Community Driven Development Project (CDDP).
He maintained that NaCSA is under the office of the President, and that what so ever the commission is doing is with the supervision of the President.
The Senior Director encouraged the stakeholders to provide oversight in terms of maintenance and care.
He said, there are other communities who are in dire need of such facilities, and that Government is working very hard to reach out to those other communities as and when the funds are available, citing at projects like the SSN, SLCDDII, COVID-19 and the upcoming GPCIII Projects which the people of Kenema District are benefiting from currently. Mr. Addai commended the Government for the continued support given to NaCSA for its operations and project implementation, and promised the people of Kenema that NaCSA will continue to provide more facilities for the commission is a permanent entity now.
The Member of Parliament for constituency 011Kenema District, Hon Peter Musa Moigua said, the construction of recreational facility at Bandama was no mistake because it linked the two chiefdoms, small Bo and Nongowa together and that as member of parliament believe in working with the local council and his people to foster development to his constituency base on the needs of his people.
Hon. Moigua stated that, NaCSA has done many developmental projects in his constituency and reaffirmed that the center will be strictly monitored to serve its intended purpose.
Hon. Moigua continued to say, he will work with his people to ensure proper maintenance of the facility and will be committed in its protection and therefore advised his people to put measures in place to add more carparks through negotiation for addition all and space.
He cataloged so many projects NaCSA has supported in his constituency and used the opportunity to inform the people that 2022 budget has captured tar mark road of Blama with gravity water supply which government has disbursed the fund for work to commence.
Hon.Moigua, thanked NaCSA for undertaking several developmental projects in his constituency and called on all to support the government development agenda.
On behalf of his colleague Paramount Chief of Small Bo, the Paramount Chief of Nongowa Chiefdom, PC Sidique M Kapuwa, thanked government through NaCSA for bringing development to their door steps as paramount chiefs, and that they have no doubt in this government in terms of development and seeking the interest of the people.
He said, building a market at Lago has been the cry of the people of Lagor for twelve good years and therefore the construction of the market by NaCSA will reduce the burden of the women in doing their businesses and assured the commission of their continued support in working with NaCSA to achieve its developmental activities in their chiefdoms at all time.
In his Keynote address, the Mayor of Kenema city council, Thomas Karim Baio, expressed delight over the activities of NaCSA and that idea of separating NaCSA from the development ministry was viable by the late President Ahmad Tejan Kabba, as the Commission is there to ensure development reaches out to the grass root communities.
He said, this government do not believe in depriving other part of the country from development and therefore the government is distributing development across the country equally with no idea of political stronghold, adding that, Kenema was deprived from all forms of development in recent past because of bad politics, but as it is now, development is surfacing in Kenema city and the district as a whole.
‘’OurpeoplewereneglectedwithdevelopmentfortenyearsandasacountryitshouldnotbelikethatsincethereisoneSierraLeoneforallofus”, said Mayor Baio.
Mayor Baio emphasized the idea of culture of maintenance and that all the facilities should be kept intact, and urge the Kenema district council and the community to take good care of these facilities provided as it is their taxes payer’s money.
He expressed his appreciation to NaCSA for the support accorded the people of Kenema in creating this facility and thanked the current commissioner to continue the good work started by her predecessor for the development of the country. The Mayor stating that, plans are underway for the two councils to build regional market between Hanghai and Kenema while the District Council also plans to erect Regional Park for vehicle between Kenema and Blama including funeral home for dignify burial.
The Mayor used the opportunity to call on the people of Bandama community to provide land as the PAVI-Fort Construction Company working in Kenema city wants to construct one secondary school for the community as part of their cooperate and social responsibility.
The Community Driven Development Project (CDDP) is been implemented by NaCSA, and funded by the Government of Sierra Leone, to address the needs and requests coming directly from the communities themselves. It is a community driven development approach project, which involves construction, rehabilitation and /or reconstruction of community infrastructure based on community felt needs.
The first and second sets of sub-projects have been completed and handed over to the respective communities across the country for utilization.
The third set is ongoing, with three completed awaiting to be handed over again to their respective communities.