NMJD COMMISSIONS YOUTH CENTRE IN KENEMA

The multi-purpose youth centre, constructed by the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) with support from the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (Cafod) in Kenema, eastern Sierra Leone, was on Thursday 23 September 2010 formally commissioned and handed over to the Kenema District Youth Coalition.

Front view of the centre

The event, which attracted cabinet ministers, councilors, City and District Council leaders, senior civil servants, women and youth group leaders, people with disability, the business community, NGOs and CBOs, took place in an atmosphere of peace, pomp and pageantry.

Constructed at a cost of Le187,286,248, the centre is sited at the Government Reservation Area, a safe and pleasant environment that is very close to the venerable Capitol Cinema in the central business district of Kenema.

The centre has a 500 seating capacity hall with a spacious stage, a kitchen, a bar and restaurant, an information and communication room that will house the internet café and offices for staff and leadership of the Kenema District Youth Coalition.

In his keynote address, the Deputy Minister 1, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Dr Algashim O. Jah, said the Government of President Ernest Bai Koroma had identified the promotion of enhanced employment and empowerment opportunities for youths as one of the major challenges the country was facing.

“The focus of Government, therefore, is to promote youth employment and empowerment as a key strategy to enhance social cohesion.

“Government’s overall objective in the short and medium terms is to promote the development of youths and create the environment for their full participation in social and economic measures that affect them,” Minister Jah said.

He said the commitment of the Government towards addressing the multi-faceted problems of youths in Sierra Leone was manifested by the establishment of the National Youth Commission to spearhead all youth development initiatives in the country.

He said the House of Parliament has passed the National Youth Commission Bill into law and President Ernest Bai Koroma had duly signed it.

PRAYER TIME: (l-r) Dr Algashim Jah (Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports), Mr. William Juana Smith (Resident Minister, East), Dr Denis Sandy (Minister of Lands and the Environment) and Chief Brima Kargbo (Mayor of the Kenema City Council)

“Presently, Parliament has approved most of the appointed Board members and preparations are underway to get the Commission fully operational in the coming weeks.

“Today in Kenema, we are witnessing yet another milestone in our collective efforts at fostering the needed change to turn around the challenges that youth are facing.

“What we are seeing here today is a demonstration of the conducive atmosphere that allows state and non-state actors to collaborate in promoting the development of our country. It is obvious that Government alone cannot do all it takes to develop our youths.

“Let me take this opportunity to thank NMJD and all those who, in diverse ways, contributed to the true story. Government and the local authorities and the youth themselves will ever be grateful for a job well done,” Minister Jah said.

Sierra Leone fought an 11 years civil war in which youths and young people were both victims and perpetrators. Recent studies by different institutions and organizations in Sierra Leone show that the 11 years civil war was fought “primarily by marginalized young people from especially rural areas lacking education and access to livelihood opportunities.”

“Given the recent history of Sierra Leone, the term youth in political terms often refers to young, ‘idle’ men or the ‘lost generation’, referring to predominantly men who are excluded, unable to provide for a family and are perceived as potential security threat,” the report of consultations carried out by ENCISS and the World Bank states.

The 500-seater hall

The challenges, which youths and young people faced before the war, still reared up after the war, thereby putting the youths, and indeed the entire country, in a precarious situation.

It was against this background that NMJD established the Youth Empowerment Programme in 2000 as one of its core programming interventions.

The youth programme of NMJD was geared towards addressing the problems of youth marginalization and lack of access, skills and opportunities.

The initial focus of the programme was to help youths to rediscover themselves and the potentials they had, and how they could utilize that to bring about a turn around in the lives. Several trainings and other capacity building events were organized across the country for youths and young people.

“All of these activities were geared towards making youths to know why they were being marginalized and what they should do about it, as well as to give them a stronger voice and more visibility at local and national levels.

“To make this happen, youths were mobilized and supported to establish strong youth coalitions at chiefdom, district and national levels, especially in Kenema, Kailahun and Kono districts.

“These coalitions have now become effective advocacy platforms for youths to influence policies and other decisions that affect their lives, as well as to seek more space in the governance of the country” one of the Animators of the programme said.

The bar

In his statement, Executive Director of NMJD, Mr. Abu A. Brima, referred to his organization as the “champion of youth empowerment in Sierra Leone and the architects of the construction of the youth centre in Kenema district.”

“The youth centre that is being commissioned today is a product of many years of engagement with the youth in this country, but Kenema district in particular. It is a product of great commitment and partnership with different development players.

“It is also an indication of the fact that youth empowerment is possible and can be done if designed, planned, implemented and monitored collectively in an empowering manner.

“Youths are not a problem. In fact, to a large extent, they’re our solution. Whether we like it or not, they’re our leaders in waiting. We cannot afford to make our leaders in waiting be a disgrace to us now.

“Let us invest in them. We’ve nothing to lose, but everything to gain,” Brima appealed.

Brima said NMJD was formed in 1988 to work towards creating a society where “justice is fostered, human rights are guaranteed and development is promoted for all, especially the poor and marginalized, including people with disabilities”.

Mayor of the Kenema City Council, Chief Brima Kargbo, thanked NMJD for the initiative to construct the youth centre and for its continued support in diverse ways towards the development of the district, especially their engagement with youths and women. He urged the youths to take full advantage of the opportunities offered to them by NMJD and its partners.

Executive Director of NMJD, Abu A. Brima, making a statement

“I urge all of you to take your education very serious. We’ve brought the university close to your doorstep. If you cannot go to school, please learn a trade. If you want to go to school but cannot afford to pay the fees, please come over to us (Kenema City Council), so that we can come in and help.

“We’re politicians. We may leave the scene today or tomorrow. But we want to make sure that we leave behind solid structures that we can point our fingers at as our legacy,” Mayor Kargbo.

Minister of Lands and the Environment, Dr. Denis Sandy, said youths formed a large proportion of the Sierra Leonean population and they must be adequately supported.

He used the opportunity to reiterate the devastating consequences of grabbing state lands by greedy individuals, thereby depriving those people with a genuine desire for development of land. He appealed to those people who were guilty of this to desist forthwith and embark on legal means to acquire state lands.

Dr Sandy commended NMJD and its Executive Director, who he said he’d known for several years, for their resilience in contributing towards the development of the country.

“Personally, I admire their resilience and their courage. I’m very much happy about their work because they believe that when it comes to the development of the country, there should not be any stumbling blocks and no compromises. The country should be put first,” Minister Sandy said.

Deputy Executive Director of NMJD, Mrs. Josephine Koroma, presenting the strategy

One of the highlights of the commissioning was the presentation of a three-year strategic development plan for the newly-constructed youth centre by Deputy Executive Director of NMJD, Mrs. Josephine Koroma. She gave an overview of the strategy.

“The goal of the strategy is to meaningfully manage and sustain the centre and facilitate the development of youths in Kenema district,” she said.

The presentation of the strategy was followed by the making of pledges to support the running and maintenance of the youth centre. Mrs. Marian Moijueh, a Board member of NMJD, led this aspect of the event.

Solomon Cooper (an amputee who says he’s benefited so much from NMJD) making a pledge as a demonstration of his appreciation whilst Mrs. Marian Muijueh (l) and Ms Shirley Simbo (r) look on

Pledges were made by different individuals, groups and institutions operating in and outside Kenema amounting to Le3.7 Million Leones. Three computers were also pledged to enhance the establishment of the information and communication centre.

“As part of our pledge, the Kenema City Council will take full responsibility to erect the perimeter fence around the youth centre,” the Mayor of the Kenema City Council pledged.

Traditional performances by youths with disabilities, a clear indication of their pride and joy

Statements were also made by Mrs. Suna Tucker on behalf of Cafod, Mrs. Norwoh K. Ali on behalf of Christian Aid, Anthony Koroma on behalf of the Directorate of Youths, Mr. Patrick Samu on behalf of the Kenema District Council, Emmanuel Farma on behalf of the Kenema District Youth Coalition and by a representative of UNIDO.

Earlier, Programme Manager of the Youth and Empowerment programme, Ms. Shirley Simbo, welcomed guests to the occasion. She gave a brief genesis of the youth centre construction project, and how it was taken through.

A cross-section of people at the commissioning

“The construction of the centre started in July 2009 and was completed exactly one year later. A management committee to ensure the proper use and regular upkeep of the centre has been established by all the stakeholders involved in the project including NMJD, Kenema City Council, Ministry of Education and youth coalitions,” she said.

Resident Minister, East, Mr. William Juana Smith, formally cut the tape to commission the centre. In his brief statement, he thanked NMJD for complementing Government in its development strides in the country. He appealed to other organizations and institutions to emulate their fine example.

Mr. Patrick Adu, Coordinator of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), chaired the ceremony.