UNDP in Sierra Leone

The United Nation's Development Program (UNDP)is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. On the ground in 166 countries, UNDP works with governments and people to develop their own solutions to global and national challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners that can bring about results.

In Sierra Leone, UNDP's work focuses on Democratic Governance, Poverty Reduction, Crisis Prevention and Recovery, Energy and Environment, HIV/AIDS, and Women Empowerment.

Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Many countries are increasingly vulnerable to violent conflicts or natural disasters that can erase decades of development and further entrench poverty and inequality. Through UNDP's global network, UNDP seeks out and shares innovative approaches to crisis prevention, early warning, and conflict resolution, as they have done recently in Sierra Leone. And because UNDP is on the ground in almost every developing country, wherever the next crisis occurs, they will be there to help bridge the gap between emergency relief and long-term development.

[Disarmament] UNDP, Sierra Leone Government disarms and develops at the same time

Sierra Leone's civil war may have ended, but many villages remain armed due to the vast amounts of weaponry obtained during the conflict. In order to ensure security and lasting peace, the country needs to undergo an immense disarmament process.

Arms for Development is an activity, in collaboration with the Government of Sierra Leone, within the UNDP Peace and Recovery Unit. The project seeks to link security to sustainable development, empowering civilians to take the lead in the control of illicit arms in their communities. The main focus is to develop the understanding among people that development is better supported in an arms-free environment and get, as a result, voluntary disarmament of the communities. The project is also supporting the Government to put in place a suitable legal framework for subsequent procedures to acquire private firearms under the law. UNDP provides the sum of Le 40,000,000 to chiefdoms certified arms-free as incentive for voluntary surrender of weapons. The grant is used for a community project of the people's choice.

As a result, 19 chiefdoms have been declared arms-free, and the activities have been expanded to 25 more. A new legal framework for firearms control has also been created, thus enforcing the peace in Sierra Leone.

Successful development projects are consequently underway, with some already completed. In the Ribbi chiefdom, two primary schools were built and ready in time for the new school year. In the Kholifa Rowalla chiefdom, a sports/social center is almost complete, and will soon be able to host community games and activities. Other projects include the building of an indoor market, a health center, and the acquisition of four power tillers to promote agriculture.

[Border Strengthening] Sierra Leone Border Strengthening Program to go operational

Freetown, 31 August 2005 - The Government of Sierra Leone, with the aid of the UNDP, has set up a Border Strengthening Program with the aim of advancing its post-conflict peace building, reconstruction and socio-economic development. The Sierra Leone Border Strengthening Program is the outcome of a series of consultative and participatory assessment meetings and workshops, held at both border communities and District levels.

Sierra Leone's border territories are today exposed to a number of serious interrelated threats, which often transcend national boundaries. Such threats, have been identified to include increased illegal migration; the influx of illicit arms, small and light weapons; smuggling/illegal trade; increase in mercenaries and dissident movements; ill defined borders characterized by cross border raids; increase in drugs and human trafficking; poaching and piracy. Also noticed are activities related to money laundering, maritime insecurity and routine violation of rules and regulations relating to Sierra Leone's air space.

The program, within its strategic context, will focus on strengthening institutional capacities through policy and legislative reforms, training of personnel, provision of adequate logistics, and the establishment of an effective and coordinated inter-agency border security mechanism. Greater attention will also be paid on prevention, monitoring and construction of interagency border posts. The United Nations Development Program, through its Arms for Development Program, will be providing some resources and technical guidance to support the Government of Sierra Leone meet the objective of the Border Program. UNDP provided the sum of about US $30,000 for the pilot activities geared towards the collation of baseline information on border security.

Still in the area of security, UNDP is actively involved with the Government of Sierra Leone to develop a National Program of Action on Small Arms as part of preparatory activities to welcome the ECOWAS Small Arms Project (ECOSAP), initiative.

Poverty Reduction

Developing countries are working to create their own national poverty eradication strategies based on local needs and priorities. UNDP advocates for these nationally-owned solutions and helps ensure their effectiveness. They sponsor innovative pilot projects; connect countries to global best practices and resources; promote the role of women in development; encourage private sector involvement in development plans; and bring governments, civil society, and outside funders together to coordinate their efforts.

[Business dvpt] UNIDO and UNDP to boost Sierra Leone's Industrial Sector

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Development Program signed a cooperation agreement in displaying their support to the Government of Sierra Leone in the area of private sector development, trade capacity building, investment promotion, agro-industries, energy and cleaner sustainable industrial development.

A business plan is currently under design for the establishment of agricultural machinery training and production center in Freetown together with facilities for an industrial park for metal working enterprises on the same site. In addition, four smaller machinery production centers will soon be rehabilitated at five rural Growth Centers in Bo, Kenema, Kpandebu, Pejehun and Binkolo and linked to the agricultural machinery production centers through information exchange training and marketing activities. It will also address the shortage of non-farm employment opportunities in the rural communities, reducing the high level of post-harvest losses, improving the sanitary and phyto-sanitary levels for handling fish for export.

The Growth Centers were looted and training workshops in Pejehun were completely burnt down during the war. Prior to these incidents, the program had succeeded in developing community skills and providing self-employment and income-generating opportunities for many. These centers operated on a commercial basis for the purposes of sustainability with proceeds from their own production used to pay for the replacement of materials, warn-out tools and equipment. While the productivity of the trainers was enhanced using a piece rate agreement with each growth center management, UNIDO on its part, provided the trainees with tools kits after completion of training and encouragement to return and settle in their respective communities of origin.

[Microfinance] UNDP, Micro financing, and Sierra Leone

Micro financing has greatly helped most poor and economically destitute Sierra Leoneans over the years. Microfinance is one major poverty tool that enables its clients to increase the level of independence in their various businesses. The UNDP has been championing the microfinance project in Sierra Leone.

Microfinance is the provision of small scale financial services to the economically, actively poor/low level income people on a sustainable basis. Small-scale financial services involve micro credit/loan, micro savings, micro insurance and transfer payments. The economically active people comprise those with low income, who have no bank collaterals but have productive assets like land, skills, and engage in income-generating activities as vendors, shop keepers, petty traders, service providers, artisans etc.

Explaining why microfinance in Sierra Leone is a major tool in promoting economic growth, Mr. Bob Conteh, the UNDP's microfinance officer, said that microfinance resources are used to start, expand and diversify economic activities. According to him, "It is a savings used to provide social services against emergencies, smoothens consumption, or collateral for additional investment. It also creates jobs, incomes and improves quality of life for the poor; thereby reducing shocks/vulnerability and dependence".

The goals and objectives of the microfinance project are to contribute to the achievement of the millennium development goals, especially that of halving poverty by 2015 and achieving sustainable access to financial services by the poor.

The project period commenced in July 2004 and extends to December 31, 2009 with the title, "Development of a sustainable pro-poor financial sector in Sierra Leone", with a total cost of USD 9m. "The objectives are to develop political leaders in the microfinance industry and increase outreach to 90,000 clients by the end of the project period; establish strategic partnerships with other donors and the private sector to mobilize resources for development of the sector; establish a professional microfinance unit at the Bank of Sierra Leone; to ensure an enabling environment and access to finance services; and to disseminate and adopt sound microfinance practices through training and other progressive challenges," Conteh said.

On what they have so far achieved since the inception of the project, the microfinance officer said they have serviced a total of 40,000 clients with loans ranging from Le 300,000 to Le 5,000,000 per person. “In collaboration with the Ministry of Development and Economic Planning, UNDP has facilitated the formulation and publication of a National Microfinance Policy, and identified nine lending institutions that are currently providing financial services to the poor, including five NGOs and four community Banks,” Conteh further noted.

[Microfinance] UNCDF, UNDP, and Microfinance

UNCDF has identified microfinance as an effective means of contributing on a sustainable basis to poverty reduction and the achievement of the Commitments of the Brussels Program of Action for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and the Millennium Development Goals. In 2005, UNCDF strengthened its focus on building inclusive financial sectors as its main area of emphasis in the Microfinance Practice Area. UNCDF's sector development approach builds the capacity of national policy makers to develop national strategies for inclusive financial sectors. A constraints based approach to policy issues builds the capacity of policy makers to identify constraints to an inclusive financial sector and to then remove the most important ones.

The first country to start implementation was Sierra Leone. In late 2004, together with KfW (Germany), Cordaid (Netherlands) and UNDP, UNCDF launched a US $10.3 million program to build an inclusive financial sector in Sierra Leone. As part of this program, investments were made in a variety of financial service providers (FSPs). The FSPs supported by the program have already increased their number of active clients from 13,000 to 37,325. This surpasses the program target of 20,000 for 2005 by 87%.

The first sector program in Sierra Leone added 15,363 clients in its first year, 76 per cent of the total clients being female. The average loan size in Sierra Leone is 14 per cent of GDP per capita, reaching poorer people than the average among microfinance institutions around the world.

UNCDF's investments in inclusive financial sectors consist exclusively of countries at the start-up or emerging phase of financial sector development, including post-conflict countries. For example, in Sierra Leone, the first audit of an FSP according to CGAP recognized audit standards took place in 2005. This provided a learning experience both for the auditors and for the FSPs in Sierra Leone. Future audits for the whole sector will be based on this newly established standard.

[youth/career development] Sierra Leone National Youth Trade Fair goes operational soon

The Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Sierra Leone, Mr. Victor Angelo, has appealed to the Sierra Leone youths to consider themselves as a catalyst of governmental development. Mr. Angelo was addressing youths during a press briefing in Freetown, marking the pre-launching of Sierra Leone's first National Youth Trade Fair, which took place in March 2006.

The organization of a Youth Trade Fair is a window of opportunity for young people in Sierra Leone to display their talents and skills in different domains, as well as serve as an opportunity for youth career development.

The Sierra Leone Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Dennis Bright described the trade fair as "chanced moment" for the Sierra Leone youths to shine amongst their own sets and to display their prowess in different professions as musicians, artists, fashion designers, traders and entrepreneurs. Donors, UN and Government partners agreed on the need to create a forum, to adequately address the problems of youths in a post conflict situation. The upcoming Youth Trade Fair is expected to serve that purpose, for it will generate the right synergy for donors and other partners, to promote the entrepreneurial qualities of the Sierra Leone Youths.

[youth/unemployment] More jobs for youths in Pujehun

The youth engagement and job creation project funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through the Sierra Leone Ministry of Youths and Sports (MYS) has created more jobs for youths in the Pujehun district.

There are over 200 farms in four chiefdoms being cultivated by 1,200 youths. They are Kpanga Kabonde, Kpanga Krim, Sahn Malen and Masan Kpaka chiefdoms. The land acreage is 250 acres for vegetable and 25 acres for potatoes. The leaves from the cassava are being eaten, the stem would be replanted and the tuber would also be eaten and sold for the processing of garri and foofoo.

In his remarks, the DSRSG/UNDP Resident Representative, Victor Angelo said the objective is to develop skills and create job opportunities for over 15,000 youths throughout the country. He said what they saw in Pujehun during the visit, was impressive as people in that part of the country are hard working and committed, making reference to a school that was constructed by the people as part of their desire to invest in education.

In an exclusive interview with one of the beneficiaries, Ibrahim Pemagbi stated that the youths really appreciated the project, because it is one of the ways youths could be brought together for the development of their communities and to stop the hatred among themselves. “We started this project in March, we mobilized ourselves and did the brushing of the farms together and started the agricultural activity. He concluded by calling on all youths to be part of the project, because when the benefit comes it is for the whole district and not just for selected few.

[Communications] UNDP boosts National Communication Strategy project

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has continued efforts to enhance a functional National Communication Strategy in furtherance of national development in the country. Thursday (Feb. 8th), UNDP donated a Toyota Land Cruiser valued at US $30,000 to the project at a ceremony held at the UNDP offices in Freetown.

Handing over the vehicle to the project's chief national technical consultant, UNDP Governance Specialist, Edward Kamara, noted that the National Communication Strategy would provide a channel for the unhindered flow of accurate information from Government to the public and vice-versa, through a structured system of communications. Earlier, UNDP had hired the services of a foreign consultant and provided funds for the recruitment of the national consultant and information officers both at regional and district levels.

Energy and Environment

The poor are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and lack of access to clean, affordable energy. Energy and environmental issues are global, as climate change, loss of biodiversity, and ozone layer depletion cannot be addressed by countries acting alone. UNDPhelps counties strengthen their capacity to address these challenges at global, national and community levels, seeking out and sharing best practices, providing innovative policy advice, and linking partners through pilot projects.

[youth/food security] Bombali Youths Support Food Security

Reaffirming President Kabbah's pledge for food security by 2007, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has been engaged in a series of youth engagement and job creation projects in the agriculture sector with support from United Nations Development Program.

The youths of Sanda Loko, Gbanti Kamaranka, Gbendembu Ngowahun and Makari Gbanti chiefdoms recently vowed to support the food security. It has been realized that the issue of manual farming has been one of the impediments the young have been facing, but with engagements in the agricultural sector this could be a way of getting them out of poverty. This project will help reduce the rate of hunger in the communities.

The Sayenu Youth Group leader, Alimamy Sanu of Malikia and Kaimbor said they are encouraging women to be part of the project as they are doing the planting and weeding of grass, whilst they the men plan the heaps. “We are prepared to work very hard as we do not have money to buy imported food,” he said.

Mrs. Joyce Johnson, Gender Officer in the Ministry of Youth and Sports said they have been given a job to do to help the youths be self-reliant, especially the women. “We are targeting the whole community, not only the youths. The elders must also give their blessings”, she said and appealed for women to be allowed to take an active role in the project. The Bombali Youths are engaged in okra, garden eggs, pepper, beans, cassava and rice in the first cropping.

[health/sanitation] UNDP supports Waste Management

Following several field missions consisting of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and UNDP assessing environmental health and waste management situations in five towns and Freetown city in 2005, a project concept on ‘Sustainable Waste Management' has been designed by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, in cooperation with the UNDP Governance Unit. The Sustainable Waste Management program aims at reducing malaria and other diseases by collecting and disposing of waste appropriately.

An implementation plan with key milestones has been developed by a team led by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Town Councils, UN Transition Support Team and the UNDP. At the same time, the World Bank, as a key partner, agreed to fund the provision and preparation of landfill sites. To formally launch the project in the different towns 2-day Validation Workshops, called Write-Shops, have been organized in each of the six locations; Koidu, Bonthe, Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Freetown. Detailed implementation plans were constructed at these Write-Shops, and the local community was at the forefront of their formation; from paramount chiefs to religious leaders, to representatives from schools and local police.

At the Write-Shop in Bo town on 10 July 2006, the UNDP Decentralization Health Specialist, Dr. Alredo-Jabenitez Moosa emphasized that waste management is expensive, which is why the public will have to pay a small fee to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, which will be used to pay the garbage collectors. ‘The money will also serve as a means of managing the waste management project from which the country as a whole will benefit, as health is wealth', said Dr. Moosa.

[health/sanitation] UNDP and Resettlement and Reintegration Program Receive Support

The UNDP recently received funds from DFID for the upgrading of the Kingtom dumpsite. The measures will include the upgrading and reconstruction of a perimeter wall fence, sewage pond, weather roads, walkways, drainages, storage areas, sorting, platforms, incinerators, and compost pits. UNDP is currently accepting competitive bids from all contractors who meet qualification and eligibility requirements.

Democratic Governance

[Judicial] Seven Magistrates to boost Sierra Leone's Judiciary

A Certification ceremony for seven Magistrates (five males and two females), recently took place in Freetown, under the auspices of the Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone Honorable Dr. Ade Renner and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Frederick Carew. The new Magistrates were at the end of a three month induction course, which was led by the Honorable Chief Justice of the Gambia, Justice Bobbery, and coordinated by the Sierra Leone Law School.

The United Nations Development Program in Sierra Leone funded the training, under its Support to Justice, Rule of Law and Human Rights Program. The new Magistrates will be deployed to the districts, where they will henceforth serve.

With the arrival of the new recruits, Sierra Leone can now boast of 17 Magistrates nation wide. UNDP will be paying a top-up salary for all 17 serving Magistrates and also provide accommodation and transportion for them.

Addressing the new recruits, the honorable Chief Justice of Sierra Leone Ade Renner, registered his gratitude to UNDP for its immense contribution, towards the upgrading of the Sierra Leone Judiciary System.

HIV/AIDS

To prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and reduce its impact, countries need to mobilize all levels of government and society. UNDP advocates for placing HIV/AIDS at the centre of national planning and budgets; helps build national capacity to manage initiatives that include people and institutions not usually involved with public health; and promotes decentralized responses that support community level action. UNDP also supports these national efforts by offering knowledge, resources, and best practices from around the world.

Empowerment of Women

In each of these five areas, UNDP advocates for the protection of human rights and especially the empowerment of women. Through their global network, they seek out and share ways to promote gender equality as an essential dimension of ensuring political participation and accountability; economic empowerment and effective development planning; crisis prevention and conflict resolution; access to clean water, sanitation, and energy services; and society-wide mobilization against HIV/AIDS.

[youth/gender] Mulornya youths benefit from Le. 39m UNDP sponsored project

In a bid to meet the food security drive next year and provide employment opportunities, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the UNDP, the youths of Mulornya Community Development Organization (MCDO) in Baoma, Valunia Chiefdom have benefited from a UNDP funded project worth Le 39 million of palm kernel cracker and nut oil processing machines. The project beneficiaries are approximately 400 vulnerable women in the chiefdom, which is 30 miles north of Bo town, in the south.

At a launching ceremony for the machines on 5 May 2006, the Program Director of MCDO, Mr. Nabieu H. Allieu assured the UNDP that “the women of Mulornya will handle the project with utmost care and the money that has been entrusted on them will be used reasonably for the development of the Chiefdom. The Minister for Youth and Sports, Dr. Dennis Bright, who was also present at the ceremony, touched on gender equality, saying that by empowering a woman you have helped a whole household. "That is why we are making such projects to be championed by women."