RESPECT is growing everyday, everywhere!
PPEN-SL 2004 Annual Public Summary of Activities (APSA)
Dear Reader,
Sierra Leone is recovering from one of recent history's most brutal conflicts. During the war, thousands of people were maimed, killed or displaced. The country's human right situation worsened, the economy wrecked and for several years now, the country is being classified as the least according to the United Nations Human Development Index.
PPEN-SL with support from donors has been helping rural communities foster peace and reconciliation through education and child right advocacy. Considering the trauma these communities have gone through, it has not been really easy bringing people on board the boat of peace and reconciliation. PPEN-SL identified children and youth who were actively involved in the conflict and provided educational opportunities for them. Through its dance drama and school peace club initiatives, PPEN-SL has been successful in imparting knowledge on the right of the child to target communities.
With HIV/AIDS becoming a global issue, PPEN-SL with funding from SHARP conducted a massive sensitization campaign in its communities of operation in Southern Sierra Leone on the causes of, prevention of, and how to live with HIV/AIDS. Considering the high level of illiteracy in Sierra Leone and the stigma attached to the disease, the task was daunting but with the expertise of our field staff, the project was successful.
In the area of fostering sustainable development as Sierra Leone is transitioning from emergency to development, PPEN-SL, using its private funds, is embarking in implementing an agricultural program in Moyamba District by establishing farmer field schools, supplying seed to farm families and providing education to cash crop farmers on how to market their produce. In 2004, PPEN-SL handled a caseload of 500 arable and cash crop farmers. It is expected that this number will increase in 2005 considering the enthusiasm with which farmers want to embark on agricultural production.
2005 as a new year, it is hopeful that PPEN-SL staff, in collaboration with partners, will continue their commitment working in the interest of the people to ensure that project objectives are met.
We are profoundly grateful to our donors in helping us realize our vision in our drive to foster peace and reconciliation and sustainable development in order to realize our dream to build the capacities of Sierra Leoneans and to realize their full potential through implementation of our peacebuilding, agriculture and HIV/AIDS programs.
Alex P. Columbus
National Coordinator
Acknowledgements
PPEN-SL wishes to extend special thanks to its donors/partners, including:
- The Government of Sierra Leone
- PPEN International
- RESPECT International
- Plan Sierra Leone
Mission Statement
- To drive to achieve by engaging the minds of children/youth through counseling and advice.
- Facilitating programs and initiatives geared towards the development of children/youth in Sierra Leone.
- Enhancing youth involvement in community development programs such as Agriculture, Construction, etc.
- To promote National Culture and to facilitate better culture understanding among the people of Sierra Leone
- Utilizing every opportunity in an effort to foster reconciliation, reintegration and National Unity among children in all schools and youth in communities in Sierra Leone.
- Creation of Pals (Friendship) exchange through information sharing, academic excellence, sensitization and awareness in the area of children's rights and responsibilities that would help to create a peaceful environment.
- Enhancing the development and destiny of the children/youth of the future and the Nation as a whole.
Country Description
Sierra Leone is a small coastal West African nation with an area of about 72,000 Km2 and a population of about 5 million, with most of its population living in urban centers. Its major towns are Freetown (the capital), Bo and Kenema. The country is bounded to the north by Guinea Conakry, to the south and south-east by Liberia and to the west by the Atlantic.
The country is blessed with an abundance of mineral resources including diamonds, iron ore, bauxite, gold, titanium ore, chromite, favourable agro-ecological and climatic conditions, picturesque beaches and landscapes, fertile fishing grounds and a natural harbor. The major agricultural products are rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernel, peanut, poultry, cattle, sheep and pigs.
Regardless of the fact that the country's natural endowment, the country remains one of the poorest in the world. Between 1991 and 2001, the country was struck by a dreadful civil conflict, which resulted to thousands of deaths and a lot of devastation. During the conflict, living conditions for the average Sierra Leonean deteriorated such that for several years the country acquired the reputation of occupying the very bottom of the United Nations Human Development Index including the most recent. With the closure of disarmament at the end of 2001, the war was declared over in January 2002.
In these post years, the Government of Sierra Leone and humanitarian agencies have been faced with the daunting task of restoring the country's glory. These institutions have been working round the clock to consolidate the hard-earned peace.
PPEN Operation in Sierra Leone
PPEN-SL is a local non-governmental agency, which started operation in Sierra Leone in 1998. It is affiliated to PPEN International, an agency mainly concerned about the meeting the needs of children and youth. The operations of PPEN-SL are geared towards:
- Establishing community-to-community tutorials, and fostering peaceful environments through local and international Pen-pals exchange.
- Establishing children's conflict resolution council in schools to compliment the effort of teachers in Sierra Leone.
- Formation of recreational facilities to enhance cordial relationship among schools.
- Assisting in the construction of schools where necessary.
- Engaging in agricultural activities in order to assist in promoting food security nation-wide.
- Promoting human rights activities in Sierra Leone.
Since its inception, PPEN-SL has been working in partnership with donor agencies. Such agencies include Plan Sierra Leone, RESPECT Sierra Leone, RESPECT International and the National HIV/AIDS Secretariat. With support from these agencies, PPEN-SL has been able to implement programs.
As PPEN-SL's strategy is geared towards fostering peace in the country, the agency has been working in that direction. It is implementing child-youth-related activities in many schools in the south and western part of the country. Also, it is engaged in implementing an agricultural program in the south of the country.
Over the years, PPEN-SL has employed 28 staff. In the meantime, the agency concentrates its activities in the Western Rural District and Moyamba District in the south of the country of Sierra Leone. However, there are hopes that in the future, with the availability of more funds, the agency would spread its operations to other districts. The organization's head office is in Freetown, the capital with a branch office in Moyamba Town. The Freetown office oversees activities of the Western Rural District directly.
