Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Moyamba Peace Mothers boost micro credit scheme

 

Traditional leaders including section chief of Tangula,Fakunya chiefdom,Moyamba district were taken aback recently when it was announced how peace mothers have raised the sum of Le40,000 through loan scheme

After Fambul Tok trained its structures in that section,women from all 13 villages decided to embark on weekly contributions to start a soap making project.They started with Le1000 individually and when they have gathered sum good amount kicked off the soap project.

This trade continued for over a year and it was in one of their meetings the idea of loan scheme crept in. All members supported the idea .The scheme is a success story today as all villages are now doing  individual and  small scale businesses.The women have bought shares at the Moyamba Community bank

As the scheme continued,with members paying a minimal interest on loans,Section Chief of Tangula,Alfred Mosima,including some town chiefs became uneasy as women were slowly becoming breadwinners in their various households.This did not go down well with traditional leaders as they alleged that their women could no longer listen or take instructions.This is  fallacy of generalization.

Early last year,Chief Mosima threatened  to shut down the group insisting   he has no knowledge of its existence.He persuaded other chiefs to withdraw their wives and relatives from the peace mothers.

After so many threats,recently a general meeting was called by the peace mothers to explain to leaders,in detail what they have and continue to get through the scheme.This was through the selfless efforts of a single male in the group,Abu Moseray who enters daily,weekly and monthly monetary affairs since they started.Moseray’s announcement of Le40,000,000 shocked traditional leaders and in a few seconds all of them gave the go ahead for the scheme to continue.

 

The section chief,in an apologetic mood, asked the gathering to forgive him,adding that he was misled and did not know how the scheme works.Other chiefs that graced the occasion also added their voices and praised the women for their individual efforts to sustain livelihoods in the community

 

 

 

 

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

UN Peace building project ends

UN Peace building project which kicked off two years ago in four chiefdoms-(Lower Banta and Upper Banta- Moyamba) and Malen and Makpele-Pujehun has come to a close.

During a Multi Stakeholders Platform meeting in Bo,Tuesday,March 29,beneficiaries from the various chiefdoms were informed that the project has officially come to and end

meeting in progress at J and E hotel

 

In her remarks,Minister of State,Office of Vice President,Francess Alghali extended gratitude to the United Nations Peace Building Fund for supporting the chiefdoms through UNDP /WFP activities.She said the project dealt with two aspects-supporting communities in peace building and promoting livelihood initiatives such as poultry and Inland valley swamps

She said the end of the project which was implemented by Fambul Tok International was not the end adding that as elections draw closer next year,there are potentials to engage communities on non violent activities

Paramount chief of Makpele,Saffa Tamu expressed gratitude to Fambul Tok for engaging communities for the past years adding that through the project peace is reigning in his chiefdom.He asked the United Nations to support communities especially towards development  processes

Member of Parliament,Constituency 104,in Pujehun,Shiaka Sama said challenges in Malen chiefdom which has to do with Paramount Chief Kebbie,himself and some community members has nothing to do with politics.He said he led the fight against wrong things the company,Socfin was doing adding that it has resulted in poverty and damages of community property.He said if they all come together in the interest of peace Malen will be one of the peaceful areas in Sierra Leone

Executive Director of Fambul Tok,John Caulker re-enforced his organization’s commitment to work with communities always expressing that the Vice President’s office play a great role in actualizing the project

UNDP’s Kadi Jumu Peters was grateful for things that were achieved in the chiefdoms stating that they are committed to ensuring peace and development continue in the country

All the chiefdoms highligted achievements,challenges and way forward

 

Posted by Abdul Rashid

Moyamba District Upper Banta And Lower Banta Chiefdoms GRCs Hold Joint Meeting

The Grievance Redress Committee (GRC) joint meeting include members from Upper Banta and Lower Banta chiefdoms and members of the Farmer Based Organizations has ended at the CDC (Chiefdom Development Committee) hall in Mosenesie, Moyamba district on Friday March 25, 2022

This meeting is a UN Peace Building Fund exit strategy to inform members of the end of the project in both chiefdoms.

Upper Banta and Lower Banta chiefdoms Joint GRC Meeting at Mosenesie

Executive Director Fambul Tok, John Caulker, said there is need to know about activities, successes and challenges in the past two years and how problems could be solved using chiefdom administrations and mining companies in the chiefdoms. He said the exit strategy meeting does not mean Fambul Tok is going out of the chiefdoms but stressed that it was the end of the Peace Building Fund project in the chiefdoms

Sierra Rutile company representative, Mr. Alfred Tucker, said the company has been keeping up with its corporate social responsibilities

He said the company provides 0.1 percent of its revenue to CDC for development purposes, adding that it increases every year

He said 145 scholarships have been provided by the company for 2022 and very recently surface rent allocation has been made.

GRC chairman Mohamed Barrie said the project helped the company’s business environment as there were no road blocks for the past two years. He appealed to UN to extend the project especially as we approach elections next year. Adding that Lower Banta is still struggling with paramount chieftaincy problem due to a leadership vacuum

GRC chairman for Upper Banta, Alfred Laggah said the Peace Building project united youth and created a lot of awareness to move away from violent situations

Women from both chiefdoms praised Fambul Tok. Lower Banta chairlady Baby Keifala said through Fambul Tok women leadership in the chiefdoms has become organized.

The two chiefdoms in their group work highlighted activities, successes, challenges and proposed solutions

The meeting ended on a positive note setting up a small committee that will meet with the Community Affairs Department of Sierra Rutile on sustaining their work.

Posted by Abdul Rashid

Peace Clubs Commemorate Sierra Leone Civil War – Never Again

Fambul Tok (FT) with support from Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) on 23rd March  joins Wan Fambul School Peace clubs to commemorate the start of civil war in Sierra Leone 31years ago.

St.Peter’s Secondary School Peace Clubs Observe War Anniversary

Benevolent School Principal Receives T-Shirts and Manuals

Five newly established peace clubs in the chiefdoms of Fakunya and Kongbora in the #Moyamba district also joined the commemoration in their diverse ways. Sixteen other schools clubs in FT operational areas also mark the historic day that brought untold misery to the people of Sierra Leone for eleven odd years.

Pupils and teacher coordinators of Benevolent secondary school, Government secondary school in Moyamba junction in Fakunya chiefdom and St Peters Junior Secondary School (JSS) , Bishop Keilie Memorial Junior Secondary School (JSS) and St Martin’s JSS in Kongbora chiefdom commemorated the historical day with drama, football, oral history and received Peace Club Guides and Wan Fambul Peace Club T-shirts from Fambul Tok staff.

During experience sharing sessions, invited community member, Reverend Sarah, explained her bitter experience during the brutal civil war and how she lost most of her family members and their only house was burnt down. Mrs. Kabbah,  principal of the Benevolent secondary school, thanked Fambul Tok for the timely event in  their school as this will not only shape the pupils to become agents of change but also help communities to be peaceful and enhance sustainable development.

Government Secondary School Moyamba Junction

At St Peters Secondary school FT school club members in Bauya Guest Speaker Reverend Marion Kalokoh     gave a brief history of the war to the pupils, it effects, the issues that caused the war and the aftermath of the war. She then asked the pupils if war was a good thing.  They all answered No!

Fambul Tok staff Joseph Kargbo and Valisious Kamara admonished peace club members to resist influence by peers to engage in any form of violence that will undermine the peaceful atmosphere of their schools and communities. He also explained to them about transitional justice. And the role of Fambul Tok and The African Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) in peace-building in Sierra Leone and the sub-region.

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Peace Mothers embark on oil palm venture

Peace Mothers in Bambara section,Upper Bambara chiefdom in Kailahun district are helping their section to go into commercial oil palm plantation.The idea was developed two years ago when peace mothers who have been very active in agricultural activity such as upland rice farming to go into another development alongside community members.

According to Peace Mothers chair lady, Yatta Bockarie the group was established in 2008. In 2017, Fambul Tok trained them to undertake the Peoples Planning Process in the section.

She said after the war, Fambul Tok came to talk to the section people to make bon-fire during which grievances were expressed and all and sundry reconciled. She explained that Fambul Tok helped women to be trained on various topics such as reconciliation, peace building and peaceful co-existence.

The chairlady said since that time with peace and unity, they have been able to solve many problems.  They started with 20 women and 5 men. The current membership is 35 women and 15 men who have joined to help them in their work.

Yatta went on to state that the group had been involved in farming as they raised funds through contributions. In 2019, they planted three bushels of upland rice and harvested 18 bushels. In 2020, they planted 4 bushels of upland rice and 7 bushels of swamp rice apart from their individual farms. They provided group labour to do the farm work and help one another to do the private farms on the request of any member.

She said it was a very big surprise to Peace Mothers and community members in the section when a brand new rice mill was donated to the group through Fambul Tok in 2014(courtesy of US Embassy in Freetown). She stated that an information centre was equally provided where community members and strangers meet to read and find out information on certain issues

Another Peace Mother, Baindu Kortu said having worked so hard with their community members, in one of their general meetings, they resolved to find another means of outstanding way by working with community members to establish an oil palm plantation. She said   Peace Mothers have been extending loans to themselves to help in tertiary education of their children and in time of illness and other needs.

The learning here is that as the Peace Mothers group gets older, its income generation efforts becomes more intensive and expansive. For example, this group has gone beyond sustaining peace. They have engaged in farming of various crops. They have now gone to commercial oil palm crop.

 

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Stakeholders endorse chiefdom plans in Kamajei and Wara Wara Bafodia chiefdoms

Stakeholders endorse chiefdom plans

Stakeholders – including community welfare and mediation committees, section chiefs, women’s representatives and youth in both Kamajei and Wara Wara Bafodia chiefdoms – have reviewed their chiefdom plans for crisis prevention, healing and recovery

This idea of working and involving communities to identify their felt needs and collaborate with organizations to develop chiefdoms was initiated by Fambul Tok International Sierra Leone in 2015 and it’s a community driven approach to recovery and resilience.

Recently  the people of Kamajei chiefdom, Moyamba district gathered in Gondama town to validate what they have earlier identified as needs for the development of their villages and sections. This event is very important as community members are allowed to confirm or amend the chiefdom document so that the final plan will be available and presented to the district council for development purposes.

Kamajei Chiefdom Speaker Jeremy Lamboi said if such initiative existed before  communities would have developed. Adding that involving communities to identify their felt needs will cut off wastages as most organizations determine resources for their various interventions without consulting beneficiaries.

 

He said Fambul Tok intervention towards sustained community driven projects is not new, stating that after the end of the war the organization embarked on reconciliation and healing of communities.

Fambul Tok Emmanuel Mansaray said with the validation of the chiefdom plan, the chiefdom development coordination committee will be set up which will be responsible for liaising with district council to ensure appropriate actions are taken for development initiatives. He said the Paramount chief is head of the committee and meetings are expected to be held quarterly

Fambul Tok Project Officer Solomon Yarjoh divided section representatives into groups to work on the plan. Corrections were made and participants unanimously accepted the new plan as their document.

The chiefdom development coordination committee members were appointed and include: Paramount chief, ward councilors, women, youth representative, drivers’ union and traditional leaders.

Also  stakeholders from nine sections in Wara Wara Bafodia chiefdom, Koinadugu district had the opportunity to meet in Bafodia township.

The meeting was to review their chiefdom plan and form their chiefdom development coordination committee.

The newly elected Paramount chief, Alimamy Hamid Mansaray 11, welcome his people and said everyone should embark on community development for the progress of their various communities. He said having gone through the chiefdom plan he realized that every village presented its development initiative but added that they should fold their hands expecting miracles to happen. The new chief expressed thanks and appreciation to Fambul Tok for being the very first to work with every village to identify needs. He appealed to the people to support the plan to bring development to the chiefdom.

Emmanuel Mansaray demonstrated the “broken cup” exercise and participants were amazed to have seen such brilliant example. He acknowledged the support of the new chief and said the plan will be reviewed as time goes on.

Fambul Tok head of Peace Mothers, Hawa Conteh called on women to support development, referring to them as strong pillars

The participants then setup the Chiefdom Development Coordination Committee.

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Peace mothers contribute to development

PEACE MOTHERS CONTRIBUTE TO  DEVELOPMENT

Peace Mothers  group in Kunayafoi section, Fakunya chiefdom in Moyamba district are contributing positively to the development of their community. They in turn had emancipated to a higher level to help themselves extending it to community .For last year planting season,  crops grown were swamp rice, cassava, groundnuts, corn and ginger

Peace mothers in dancing mood in one of their monthly meetings

According to Mariama Turay,Peace Mothers chairlady in the section gave a brief background of the group stating that it was formed in 2015 after training of women.She said a  meeting is held on every last Friday of the month adding that initial contribution was  Le 500.00 but  increased the weekly contributions to Le 1,000.00.  as time went on. She said one of the example of human resource development was when a young lady Angela Markondor dropped out of school because of fees. She added that with the group loan system, she was able to go back to school and had now sat to the Basic Education Certificate Examination and now awaiting to continue to the senior level. Mabinty Kamara, a widow said  the group had helped her to continue to send her children back to school. She added that her son is now at University.

Kadiatu Mansaray, a teacher and secretary to the Peace Mothers group said she took a loan and started fish mongering selling in and around Njagbahun on market days. She said she can now say thanks to her colleagues in the Peace Mother group but that the biggest thanks goes to Fambul Tok who trained them to forgive and adapt peaceful co-existence that had led to individual economic emancipation and self-reliant. She intimated that she is now a graduate and back teaching but had not forgotten her buying and selling of fish at week end markets.

Mariama Turay ,Chairlady is praised to be a very good organizer and a peace maker with a very good leadership style. Thus the name “Hugbateh” means peace or organiser. In her contribution, she showered praises and prayers for Fambul Tok  and the good works of district staff. She expressed gratitude to FT for making her feel free and now empowered by her husband Gibrilla Turay who is also a strong member of the group.  She intimated that through FT initiative, girls were able to go back to school. Some are at Harford school for girls and Freetown, others in Bo and elsewhere. Ginger she said did well as they have harvested over 20 bags.

She said they as women are contributing to development processes and continue to help school pupils and the aged through proceeds from their various ventures

She said early last year,Fambul Tok donated cassava grater machine and other things to support women doing  cassava farming adding that the income  generated from the sale of the gari for  last farming season amounted to Le2,000,000 from the various contributions and interest earnings. The money is used to empower themselves via loans for education, farming and trading.

She appealed to other organizations that they need the guidance of or instituting a business development services, training in simple financial management or simple book keeping.

 

Posted by Abdul Rashid

5 Schools Join Wan Fambul Program

Fambul Tok staff identify more schools in the chiefdoms of Fakunya and Kongbora in Moyamba district, southern Sierra Leone to set up Wan Fambul Peace clubs. The 5 schools are Government Secondary School and Benevolent Secondary School in Moyamba Junction; Saint Peter’s Junior Secondary School in Bawuya and Bishop Kellie Junior Secondary School in Kongbora chiefdom; and Saint

Bishop Kaili Memorial School

Martin’s Junior Secondary School Lawana. The visits were from the 3rd to the 4th March 2022.

Government Secondary School

During the visits to the schools Joseph M Kargbo explained to school authorities that Fambul Tok has always been committed to promoting inclusivity in community, truth telling, healing and reconciliation that is truly community owned process. He continues that the Wan Fambul peace clubs in schools are to help young people that did not have firsthand experience or the effects of the brutal 11 years civil war in Sierra Leone to learn from adults community elders through oral history and experience sharing in general interaction in various activities for a generational change, with the opportunity to participate in peace promotion in the schools/ communities.

FT Elizabeth Kolugbonda told school authorities that for transparency and accountability, selected teacher coordinators must follow the criteria for selecting school peace clubs pupils to enhance quality education. Mrs. Musu Kabba, principal Government Secondary School Moyamba junction in the Fakunya chiefdom, thanked Fambul Tok for their timely intervention in their school to catch them young to know the benefit of peace and hazards of war to prevent political tension and other forms of violence that undermined the peaceful atmosphere in schools/communities.

In the pilot phase sixteen Wan Fambul schools were selected in Moyamba, Pujehun, Kailahun and Koinadugu districts to bring young people on board as peace ambassadors through the activities of the school peace clubs. This helped to bridge the gap between the older and younger generations in promoting inclusiveness in peace building, governance and sustainable community development.

Posted by Abdul Rashid

Fambul Tok Trains 48 CWMC Members in Vaama Mani Chiefdom

CWMC Members

Training Session

Fambul Tok’s (FT) #Moyamba district staff on Friday trained 48 Community Welfare and Mediation Committee members from 23 villages in Vaama, Mani section in Bagruwa chiefdom, southern #SierraLeone. Participants include Section chief, mammy queens, youth leaders, religious leaders (pastors and imams), town chief and village chiefs. Mani Section Chief Abdul Rahman Molai welcomed all and thanked Fambul Tok for responding to their need for a vibrant CWMC to help resolve minor disputes, foster transitional justice and

Role Play in Mediation and Reconciliation

keep the peace in the section. Fambul Tok’s Abdul Rashid represents Executive Director John Caulker said Fambul Tok’s role is to support communities gain what they want with the belief that the people of Mani have all what it takes to keep the peace and develop their communities using best traditional practices that have withstand the test of times over the years.

 

Fambul Tok’s Joseph Benji, Sadiatu Pessima and Joseph Kargbo facilitated sessions on mediation, community reconciliation, communication and listening skills and a host of viable topics relating to peace building. In interactive sessions, participants did role plays on mediation, communication and the values of Fambul Tok. The learnt that they must not handle cases of rape, robbery, murder and high level crimes that are the competencies of the law enforcement agencies and ministry of Social Welfare and cases of fines that are within the purview of the chiefs. The Participants by the close of the training elected their new CWMC executive members.

Posted by Abdul Rashid

Konio Community Welfare & Mediation Committee Holds Refresher Training

Section Chief of Konio Poses with CWMC Executive

Fambul Tok  staff add value to previous training given to Community Welfare and Mediation Committee (CWMC) nominees in lower Konio section, Buedu town, in the Kissi Tongi chiefdom eastern Sierra Leone with a refresher training on the 25th February 2022.

CWMC members were trained in various topics ranging from communication, mediation, reconciliation, and leadership. Members did role plays to show scenarios of the various topics facilitated by Fambul Tok’s Field Officers James Fallah and Fatim Sesay

 All CWMC nominees attended the session including the section chief Fallah Bundu.  In his welcome statement thanked Fambul Tok for not neglecting his section. He went on to say that it has taken a long time since their last activity in the section. Fambul Tok’s first intervention into the chiefdom and creation of the CWMC structure was in 2015.

He however expressed hope that Fambul Tok will now be regular in both the section and chiefdom as a whole. During the training, CWMC nominees demonstrated competencies in the training disciplines which proved that they can live up to the task. At the end of the training, CWMC nominees voted in their new executive and agreed on a date and venue for their first rotational meeting.