June 29, 2021
By Dadson A. Musa
Street Child-SL has on the 24th of June 2021 commenced the training of mothers on good business practice; especially those who are struggling to raise children and keep them in school. This was followed by grant-giving up to the tune of Le.600, 000 (six hundred thousand Leones) per child as base amount.
This is the UKAM (United Kingdom Aid Match) 5 project. It targeted 261 families in Bo district and many more in Bonthe, Moyamba and Pujehun districts. Children on the margins of society were targeted for this programme and its aim is to make sure families undertake or improve on their businesses so that their children will continue in school and complete schooling.
At a well-attended ceremony chaired by Hawa P. Sesay, mothers were told that this family business support is following the giving of learning materials at the start of the academic year.
The Programme Coordinator, Hawa Shour, admonished the recipients to be ‘careful in handling the business grant’. The social workers, she said will be going round to monitor the business and collect a saving of Le. 5000 every week which will last for 20 weeks after which they give an addition of Le. 100,000 to businesses back especially those that are thriving.
She told them to be ‘……..competitive enough to fair better than other women in the other districts of the southern province.’
During the business training exercise, Adama K. Turay who is responsible for grant distribution in Street Child-SL highlighted to the mothers that in business the following must be observed; don’t spend more than the profit you make, choose the right location for your business, be polite, be patient and be hospitable to customers. She also cautioned them not to go and keep the money as there is risk in that. He told them to do the business themselves instead of sending the children to hawk on the streets especially girls.
In his keynote address the Country Director Street Child-SL, Kelfa Kargbo entreated parents to put their children at the heart of the business.
He encouraged parents to make the sacrifice for the education of their children. He was very appreciative of parents for honouring the invitation and thanked those who made the event possible. Statements were made by representatives from the ministry of Gender and social welfare, all geared towards encouraging the mothers to turn around the grant to big businesses.
Chief Santigie Bangura in whose section Street Child office is located warned against parents who will refuse to maintain their children in school after collecting the grant.