Fambul Tok Blog | Dispatches from the front lines of peace

PPP Rolls out to more chiefdoms

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Solomon Yarjoh

The People’s Planning Process(PPP) is an inclusive process,leading to community-owned plans for recovery,peace building and development platforms. It has gained momentum especially in districts that have been piloted for the past five years.The process is participatory and involves community members and stakeholders to identify their needs and work towards achieving them through their own efforts.

After piloting the process in three districts(Kailahun,Koinadugu and Moyamba) for the past five years,it is prudent that communities could work together provided a space is created to achieve whatever they want for the development of their various areas

One of the outcomes of the PPP is the provision of chiefdom development plan which consists of all village activity plans aggregating into sectional and finally chiefdom activity plan.At the end of each chiefdom development plan,the document is presented to Local hHCouncil to popularize it and help advocate or lobby to partners for assistance as the case may be. Community members also do not sit and wait but work towards these plans by putting together their own little local resources

Peace Mothers in a meeting

Over the years,activity plans of most chiefdoms have been pursued.Activities of peace mothers and mediation services provided by the Community Welfare and Mediation Committees have added value to the peace building efforts in the country.

This year,more chiefdoms in Fambul Tok operational districts are part of the People’s Planning Process.

Kailahun stakeholders renew commitment

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Solomon Yarjoh

The Inclusive District Committee in Kailahun with support from the Office of Vice President,Catalyst for Peace and Fambul Tok last week called a meeting inviting all Paramount Chiefs,Councilors and community members to look at successes, challenges and the way forward since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on joint revenue collection last year.

Explaining the purpose of the gathering,Vice Chair, IDC Kailahun,Madam Satta Ndolleh Kaikai said stakeholders made commitment last year with regards joint revenue mobilization and the meeting was called to delve into what have been achieved since a year ago.She lamented over the poor cooperation,adding that not much has been done.

Daru meeting in progress

Executive Director of Fambul Tok International,Sierra Leone,John Caulker said the idea of forming the Inclusive District Committees in the pilot phase of the People’s Planning Process was to ensure that organizations interface with those structures for development aspirations.He said it was agreed that traditional leaders and community members should work with Council to jointly collect revenues in different forms and in return 40 percent will be allocated to chiefdoms and 60 percent to Council.He urged everyone to be committed once again since last year did not yield much dividend.

John Caulker addressing his audience

Chairman,Council of Paramount Chiefs in Kailahun District,PC Mohamed Sheriff Coker Jajua explained the importance of revenue collection.He said not much was achieved as there were so many challenges but assured that with all hands on deck this time round there will be progress.

Deputy Chief Administrator,Kailahun District Council,Henry Powell on behalf of Council threw his unflinching support towards the idea of joint revenue mobilization.He highlighted six key points in revenue generation such as Discovery,Asssesssment,Billing,Sensitization,Collection and Compliance.

However various speakers made significant contributions as to how all should work to improve revenue collection and promote sustainable peace and social cohesion in the district.

Local Government Minister requests peace dialogue sessions

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Solomon Yarjoh

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development,Tamba Lamina has requested politicians especially those that contested for positions in various political parties in 2018 elections to organize a one-day peace forum to embrace one another in the interest of peace,social cohesion and development of Kono District.

Local Government Minister addressing his audience in Kono

He was addressing a peace and social cohesion dialogue session for stakeholders at the Sahr Musa Sessie Gbenda hall last Thursday,September 19,2018 in Koidu city.The session was facilitated by Fambul Tok International-Sierra Leone in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone with support from UNDP.

Addressing the audience,he said elections are over but there are issues that need to be addressed,adding that the dialogue was timely especially at a time when the district is faced with many problems.

Minister Lamina requested Fambul Tok to take the lead in ensuring training lead community members and peace Ambassadors in every chiefdom in Kono so that they will embark on peace building. He extended gratitude to the Office of Vice President and held UNDP in high esteem for supporting post elections activities in the country but also suggested to cascade the process to every chiefdom,section and villages.

Executive Director,Fambul Tok International-Sierra Leone,John Caulker illustrated the ‘broken cup’ which has many cracks.He referred to the cracks as problems in communities that if not healed will lead to underdevelopment and other causes.

He gave a brief background of the People’s Planning Process,an initiative developed by Fambul Tok and Catalyst for Peace for organizations to involve communities in the post ebola recovery priorities.

‘We saw what happened to the post war resources ‘he said,adding we don’t want a repeat of wastage because communities were not involved and that is why we brought this idea immediately after the ebola scourge.

Mrs.Victoria Sandy from Office of Vice President speaks on the importance of social cohesion at the occasion

The Executive Director explained that the the session for Kono was aimed at promoting peace and social cohesion in that part of the country.

Stakeholders including Paramount Chiefs highlighted several problems and preferred solutions to them.

Posted in From the Ground: Program Updates from Sierra Leone, Kono District | Tagged peace and social cohesion session in Kono | Leave a comment

Peace returns to Galliness Chiefdom

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Solomon Yarjoh

The Paramount Chief elect for Galliness chiefdom,Pujehun district has called on her supporters to embrace peace and work with other community members for the development of the chiefdom

Madam Wokie Jonjo Massaquio was addressing a chiefdom meeting recently organized by Fambul Tok in collaboration with UNDP through the Office of the Vice President of Sierra Leone

She said elections are now over and has been declared winner but some people want to derail development aspirations and continue to undermine her.

Siaka(standing) shaking hands with PC

She called on indigenes to put political indifference aside as her developmental plans remain apolitical and in the interest of her chiefdom .

“If anyone irrespective of whether you supported me during my campaign causes any problem,I will not hesitate to allow the law to deal with the individual” She stressed,adding we are all one family now.

Her blood brother whom she contested with,Siaka Massaquio got a standing ovation when he openly embraced,PC Massaquoi and declared his support throughout her rule

“We were fighting for one goal to become Paramount Chief from the same ruling house but that does not mean someone has to die in the process”He said,adding now she has won and in my view I did not loss but won too.

All the section chiefs in the chiefdom threw their unwavering support behind the new chief for the development of the chiefdom.

Pujehun District Coordinator,Office of National Security,Usman Fornah called on the people to remain peaceful

He said any instability will affect not only Galliness but the entire district in particular and Sierra Leone as a whole.

Chiefdom Inclusive Committee in Galliness chiefdom

The PC and her former contestants embraced in the spirit of peace and social cohesion.Prayers were also offered to cleanse communities of any evil things and to bring good luck to the chiefdom.

To monitor the peace proper a Chiefdom Inclusive Committee has been been set up.

Posted in Pujehun District | Tagged peace and social cohesion in Galliness chiefdom | Leave a comment

“Community involvement is key to National Development” Fambul Tok boss

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Solomon Yarjoh

The Executive Director of Fambul Tok International-Sierra Leone,John Caulker says involvement of communities at every stage in project implementation is very vital to both community and national development.He was speaking during the restructuring of the Kasunko Kakelain chiefdom inclusive committee in Fadugu town,Koinadugu district,Wednesday,March 6,2019.

John takes interview from the press in Fadugu

He said the restructuring of the Committee was as a esult of the de-amalgamation of Kasunko which was originally one but is now divided into three chiefdoms and therefore there was need to restrucrure the entire committee.

John Caulker gave a brief background of the People’s Planning Process(PPP),an initiative developed by Fambul Tok in collaboration with Catalyst for Peace for organizations to work and involve communities in the post ebola recovery process.

“We saw what happened to the post war recovery resources”He said,adding,we dont a repeat of wastages and that is why we brought this initiative so that communities would be fully invloved in development activities”. We have worked and continue to operate in three pilot districts of Kailahun,Moyamba and Koinadugu to develop chiefdom plans which makes provision for development activities of every village,section and up to chiefdom levels.Over the past three years we have worked with communities to identify their own development aspirations”

A cross section of the new CIC members

He went on to state that the Government of Sierra Leone should take into consideration what various communities have proposed in the National Development plan,adding that newly developed chiefdom plans should be integrated into the bigger national plan.

He said the PPP gives people the opportunity to lead and come up with strategies on how they can fund raise and implement their intended purposes

Mohamed Mansaray of Madina Kamandi village explained how their community in Koinadugu district has benefited from the initiative of working together through community joint venture to build health facility

Councilor Ballay Mansaray of Ward 152 in Koinadugu district expressed gratitude to Fambul Tok,adding that development starts with communities

She said the committee will serve as a link and fills the vacuum that existed in the chiefdom,adding that it will also coordinate activities of community structures such as Community mediators and peace mothers.

The composition of the committee has traditional leaders,youth,women leaders,chiefdom administration etc.The executive chairman is Foday Moseray Kamara.

Meanwhile another new chiefdom,Gbonkoboh Kayaka has earlier restructured its Chiefdom Inclusive Committee.

Posted in From the Ground: Program Updates from Sierra Leone, Koinadugu District | Tagged Restruturing of CIC in Fadugu | Leave a comment