NAYD Sierra Leone

NAYD AND DEVELOPMENT IN SIERRA LEONE

Sierra Leone is emerging from a period of post conflict reconstruction following a decade of civil war that began in 1991 and destroyed most of the country’s social economic, and physical infrastructure. The war led to the displacement of two million people almost half the country’s population the death of over 20,000 people un measurable suffering. At the conflict lay class of marginalized young people, especially from rural areas, lacking education and access to livelihood opportunities. Because of the involvement of youths in the conflict, the situation of today’s youths is a major concern for policy makers. Furthermore, according to the Government Of Sierra Leone(GOSL) and the Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) the high number of idle youths could undermine development interventions and ultimately has the potentilial to create a threat to recent stability of the country. Many under- unemployed youths are illiterate, have no employable skills, and little working experience in good part due to the conflict, which affected the formative years of todays youths.

Sierra Leone has a very young population. The country has a population of 4.9 million, 34 percent which live in urban areas, 42 percent of the population are below 15 years old and around 34 percent are between 15 and 35 years old, which is the definition of youths in the country. It was due to this grim realities that NAYD-SIERRA LEONE was established to encourage peace, justice, hard work, patriotism and human rights, fighting against HIV/AIDS, creating awareness on the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs), youth participation, capacity building for young people and other positive social values through workshops, conferences, trainings and seminars in order to have sustainable development in Sierra Leone.

Since the inception of NAYD in Sierra Leone, the organization has been organizing several meetings in order to disseminate the concept of its activities to young people and the wider population in Sierra Leone.Among our meetings, below is one of the minute of a meeting held on the 18th December, 2007 at 1A Hanna Benker Coker Street Brook Fields, Freetown:

ATTENDANCE LIST Team in discussion

1. Alpha Beretay –AWISH-SIERRA LEONE
2. Abdulai AbuBakarr Sesay- AWISH-SIERRA LEONE
3. Momodu Wurrie Tamba Barrie-Action for Social Rights(AFSOR)
4. Yeanoh Conteh-Youth Action International-Sierra Leone
5. Ibraham Bah-National Youth for Democracy(NYD)

AGENDA

Opening prayer
Chairman’s remarks
Update/recap of the last meeting
Matters Arising
The way forward
Closing prayers

Opening prayers was done individually. The meeting was chaired by the Acting Secretary General for NAYD-SIERRA LEONE Mr. Abdulai AbuBakarr Sesay. He welcomed the attendees for their effort made to attend this meeting and expressed that there have been some lapses due to an unavoidable circumstances as he asked for update of the organization.

UPDATE
The country representative for NAYD-S/L Mr. Alpha Beretay informed members that he received an email from the CEO of NAYD International and asked the chairman to read the email for members. The following are what contained in the email:

CEO acknowledged the constrains face in establishing NAYD-country offices and take in to consideration the financial handicap. She added that, ‘’ I hope that together our effort will not go in vein, but will change positively the fate of our dear continent and make our collective lives much better’’.

In her email, she highlighted two significant issues:

1. The first is the NAYD Value Shares Programme
-Names of NAYD Sierra Leone’s resource persons
-Possible month that NAYD hope to host the first workshop
List of possible partners that NAYD wish to contact.
2. The involvement of individual members that have joined through the web. The CEO stressed that all country coordinators should ensure that these members are involve in NAYD’s activities.

MATTERS ARISING
The country Representative for YAI Ms Yeanoh Conteh expressed concern with regard the web chatting wether any of the members of NAYD took part?. In a very responsive manner, Mr. Alpha Beretay said no, but an apology email was sent to the CEO for not participating on the web conference but however, they hope to participate on the next web conference.

Mr. Abdulai AbuBakarr Sesay informed members that he has through with the letter head as members agreed to send the letter head to the CEO for approval. The proposed month for NAYD Value Shares Programme has scheduled for March 2008 by members

THE WAY FORWARD
Members agreed that we hold a radio programme on Cotton Tree News (CTN) with the programme ‘’CTN Youth Club’’ and radio UN wether with DJ Base or any other programme on radio UN. As this will serve as recipy in explaining the concept of NAYD to the Youth and the people of Sierra Leone.

Ms. Yeanoh Conteh has agreed to provide NAYD with files to put their documents in order to be properly handled. Members are requesting that they make provision for contact address and mobile number with regard the web registration so that they not find it difficult to contact members that have joined through the web as this has been a problem for NAYD-SIERRA LEONE or NAYD-INTERNATIONAL.

After a lengthy deliberation of who and who should serve as resource persons for the NAYD Value Shares Programme, the following persons were engaged and chosed as resource persons:

Mss. Jamesina King-Chairperson –HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Mr. N’ golo Katta –National Coordinator-Centre for the coordination of Youth Activities
Mr. Evans Lyndon Baise Johnson-Lecturer-Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone
Mr. James Mathew-Coordinator Network Movement for Democracy and Human Rights
Mr. Alpha Beretay -Country Rep- NAYD-SIERRA LEONE
Mr. Abdulai AbuBakarr Sesay-NAYD
Ms. Yeanoh Conteh- NAYD
However, members agreed to contact Embassies, local and International organizations in connection with the NVSP-programme. The following were the institutions that should be contacted:

USAID-SIERRA LEONE
DFID
IRISH AID
GERMANY EMBASSY
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION
AMERICAN EMBASSY
CONCERN WORLD WIDE
TALKING DRUM STUDIO
UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
OXFAM
CHRISTIAN AID
WORLD VISION
HOPE SIERRA LEONE
ENCISS
MINISTERY OF EDUCATION YOUTH AND SPORTS

In respect of the above, the organization has proposed to undertake various activities among them, is to do a national risk assessment focused on the high levels of extreme poverty and youths unemployment.
Abdulai AbuBakarr Sesay, Acting Secretary General, NAYD SIERRA LEONE, +232-77-273135

Second meeting of NAYD Sierra Leone
Alpha BERETAY: A World Institute for a sustainable humanity in Sierra Leone(AWISH-S/L): +23233515183 alphaberetey@yahoo.com and awishsl@yahoo.com
Abdulai A.B. SESAY: AWISH-S/L: +23277273135 abdulai_88@yahoo.com
Yeanoh CONTEH: Youth Action International: +23233345498/23276692135 ykonteh@yahoo.com and yaisl@yahoo.com
Alieu B. SESAY: Tangible Academic Youth Forum(TAYFO): +23277519772 tayfo_2002@yahoo.com
Musa ANSUMANA SOKO: Youth Partnership for Peace and Development(YPPD): +23277438989 Socratesothemovetopeace@wagon.com
Wurie MAMDU TAMBA BARRIE: Action for Social Rights (AFSOR): a.socialrights@yahoo.com: exedirector_afsor@yahoo.com

Welcome address and opening prayers. Team at NAYD Sierra Leone
The meeting started with an individual silent prayers. The chairperson Mis Yeanoh Conteh welcomed members present for their effort in attending the last meeting and those who attended this meeting. She thanked the country Rep. Mr. Alpha Beretay for the effort he has taken in ensuring that we have NAYD branch in Sierra Leone. The country Rep expressed thanks and appreciation to the Chair person for giving her support to NAYD-Sierra Leone.

Recap/Updates.
The Acting Secretary general Mr.Abdulai AbuBakarrSesay gave a brief recap of the previous meeting. In his recap,the following was mentioned:
1. Communication strategy for members of the network to have access to information relating to NAYD Sierra Leone.
2. Members of the network raised concern about office space and the issue of registration.
3. The Country Rep for Youth Action International(YAI) pledged her support to NAYD-Sierra Leone for using their office temporarily.
4. Mean while, a letter from Miss Pochi Tamba(PT) the Chief Executive Officer of NAYD-International was also read by The Acting secretary general. This was what he briefly read to the members:

NAYD-Sierra Leone was congratulated by the Chief Executive Officer-NAYD-International. She confirmed that Mr. Alpha Beretay is the contact person for anything concerns NAYD-SIERRA LEONE. She strongly advised that youth-led organisations should be represented or involved in any of our activities as she promised to sign a MOU with all country offices when she got the okay from her country-Cameroon which is the head quarter of NAYD-INTERNATIONAL.

The Way Forward
1) Members agreed to be registered with the Ministery of Education, Youth and Sports for NAYD-SIERRA LEONE to have a legal Status as they also concern about the trend of registration whether NAYD-INTERNATIONAL will facilitate the registration process for NAYD-SIERRA LEONE.

2) Further more, members agreed that, in accordance with the Chief Executive Officer response to NAYD-Sierra Leone last minutes with regard the involvement of Youth-Led organisation, members unanimously agreed that a database collection of youth Led organisation should be conducted to know the number of youth organizations in the country and to know their area of operation/ focus but to realize this dream, members asked that NAYD-INTERNATIONAL help them to raise funds in order to realize this dream.

Members agreed that NAYD-SIERRA LEONE have a letter head in concert with that of NAYD International with a slight change of address and of which a draft copy will be sent to the Head Quarter. More over, members also agreed /suggested that NAYD-International set-up a profile of NAYD-Sierra Leone network members where a brief profile of who they are and what they are doing and will be put on NAYD-Sierra Leone web page as this will help to have an effective and strong networking and collaboration relationship between members of NAYD-Sierra Leone and other part of Africa.

Closing Prayers
Closing prayer was done individually and the meeting was adjourned on the 20th November, 2007 by the Acting Secretary General and seconded by Wurrie Mamadu Tamba Barrie. Faithfully compiled and submitted by Mr. Abdulai A.B. Sesay: Acting Secretary General- NAYD Approved by: Mr. Alpha Beretay Country Rep-NAYD-Sierra Leone

Youth Action International(YAI), today (November 1st) awarded sixteen scholarships to students at the Milton Margai School for the Blind, Wilkinson Road, Freetown. YAI, an American-Based organization provided full scholarships to cover the cost of full tuition and ensure that the students continue their regular junior and senior high school. With the strong belief in education and allowing children to reach their full potential, YAI awarded these scholarships to children who lost their sight who would otherwise not have this kind of opportunity. YAI’s Country Representative, Ms. Yeanoh Conteh said "it is an honor to team up with Milton Margai School for the Blind to support and encourage people with disabilities to reach their full potential.”

So far, Blind students have benefited from this scholarship program since its inception in 2005. Making this disclosure, Ms. Yeanoh Conteh said, “this scholarship program is an annual award from YAI. Our organization decided to prioritize assistance for blind children because they are the most vulnerable in the society. We want to support them in becoming productive citizens despite their disability.” Yeanoh Conteh Tel: +23233345498 /+23276692135