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.
