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.
