Notes from the field work of Hands Empowering the Sierra Leone Sierra Leone News from Hands

Empowering the Less Privileged inLess Privileged inSeptember 2011 n

Hands Up!
(BDS), to alleviate Poverty
Table of Contents
Business Development Services (BDS)1 HELP-SL Youth enterprise & Livelihood development.2 Hygiene Promotion survey in Pujehun ..3 Natural Leaders Training..4 Another ODF Celebration in Tonkolili district5

Business Development Services

One of the main project activities includes the development of a Business Resource Centre, where all information on issues pertaining to business formation, management, training and mentorship As part of the Demand-Driven approach to reduce poverty in Sierra Leone, Hands Empowering the Less Privileged in Sierra Leone (HELP-SL) has started a six month Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) project entitled: Provision of Business Development Services to Small-Medium Enterprise with financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The main objective of the project is to promote income generation and reduce poverty through business development and financial services for 600 young people in Bo, Bonthe, Moyamba, Tonkolili and Pujehun districts. The BDS project will target six hundred young people between the ages of 15-35 in Bo, Moyamba, Bonthe, Pujehun and Tonkolili districts who have the desire and willingness to build small or medium enterprises to improve and sustain their livelihood. The HELP-BDS GIZ, will implement AFFORD the project in applicants. will be provided to prospective

Orientation for HELP- BDS staff

Another facility of the project is the creation and use of radio programmes to educate the general populace about the various services. According to HELP-SL Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O) Siaffa Jobson Momoh, this project will serve as a vehicle for change in terms of creating jobs and accessing financial support for small scale business holders in HELP-SLs operational districts across the country.

collaboration with some like-minded organizations including ICCO, and Restless Development as key partners.

HELP-SL YOUTH ENTERPRISE & LIVELIHOOD DEVELOPMENT

As skill-building forms the back bone of youth entrepreneurial development, HELP-SL has provided impact-oriented, innovative, and sustainable skills training in basic business development for roughly three thousand youth in Bo, Kenema, Kono, Makeni, and Freetown. Using the participatory approach of Street Kids Internationals Street Business Toolkit (SBTK), trainees learned basic business concepts, what it means to be an entrepreneur, and how to identify and create profitable business ventures.

Cross section of targeted beneficiaries in training session

One of the briefing sessions with the beneficiaries about the project

Addressing participants in Bo, SBTK Master Trainer, Abass Chernor Bah, stated that the goal of the training is not to transform all youth into entrepreneurs, but rather to expose participants to the knowledge and skills necessary for creating a solid business concept and turning that idea into a reality. This training formed part of the selection criteria for the first phase of the two years World Bank supported project: Provision of Skills Development and Employment Support to Urban Youth with some Secondary education.
One of the TEVECs in Freetown, capital city, Sierra Leone

Youth engaged in economic activity in one of the selected TEVECs in Bo, South of Sierra Leone

HYGIENE PROMOTION SURVEY IN PUJEHUN DISTRICT

People responding to their present sanitation status

One of the hand pumps to rehabilitate

In a stride to continue improving access to sustainable safe drinking water in Sierra Leone, Hands Empowering the Less Privileged in Sierra Leone (HELP-SL) has concluded a baseline survey in ten communities in the Sowa and Kpanga Karbondeh chiefdoms, Pujehun district. The purpose of the survey was to know the present status of water and sanitation facilities in selected communities that have already achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. With this information, HELP-SL will be able to ensure that the communities receive appropriate support through the Improving Sanitation and Decentralized Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project, funded by Water Aid.

The WASH project aims to construct and rehabilitate water wells and hand pumps where necessary. This is done in line with the general objective of promoting and increasing access to clean and safe drinking water, health and sanitation facilities across Sierra Leone. HELP-SL received the project based on its vast experience gained through implementing the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) in Communities and Schools, Sanitation and Hygiene One of the hand pumps to rehabilitate Education (SSHE) projects throughout the country.

Pointing to stream used for all domestic purposes including drinking

CLTS latrine in Baoma Timmi

CLTS INVOLVES MORE COMMUNITIES IN THE PUJEHUN DISTRICT

These Natural Leaders or community consultants are critical in the success and sustainability of CLTS. They can be identified during the triggering process by their enthusiasm and motivation to end open defecation in the community. Throughout the three-day training, participants discussed in detailed the following steps in community triggering; 1. Pre-triggering: as the first approach to trigger community for their involvement, 2. Triggering: the actual triggering exercise to create sanitation awareness 3. Post-triggering: the follow-up stage to ensure participatory and sustainability in positive sanitation practices. Other issues looked at are the dos and donts

Displayed of CLTS concept in brief

Hands Empowering the Less Privileged in Sierra Leone (HELP-SL) believes that community-led approaches have great potential to make a lasting, quality and sizeable impact on the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) project at both national and community levels. This statement was made by HELP-SL, Human Security Manager, Gassimu Mallah, at the threeday Natural Leaders Training. The training focused on CLTS concepts and the methodology in performing triggering exercises. In addition, CLTS is about making Open Defecation (OD) communities achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. Mr. Mallah maintained that CLTS uses a self-realization approach, through triggering exercises, to capture the communitys willingness and involvement to attain the safe sanitation environment. This can be achieved by people constructing their own latrines with hand washing facilities using local building materials in most cases he concluded.

Participants learning the techniques in doing effective triggering

According to the Human Security Assistant Programme Manager, Solomon Kassibo, Natural Leaders are self-motivated people who volunteer to help improve on sanitation in their different localities following triggering.

The aged and youth determined to change their Open Defecation communities

UNICEF/HELP-SL AGAIN CELEBRATED ODF IN TONKOLILI DISTRICT

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On April 26, 2012, HELP-SL celebrated the achievements of fifty-one communities that have attained Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. The celebration was held in Makona Village, Tane Chiefdom, Tonkolili district, North of Sierra Leone, and was attended by members of the local community, the health ministry, Tonkolili district council, and UNICEF. The celebration was also attended by other key stakeholders including the Medical Superintendent, North, Tane Chiefdom Speaker, Chief Dauda Gbla and Representative from Cotton Tree Foundation (CTF). The Community Led Total Sanitation project started by HELP-SL in 2010 with the support of UNICEF.HELP-SL Human Security Manager, Gassimu Mallah said the importance of the CLTS project is to inspire communities using an open defecation system to achieve ODF status by constructing their own latrines using local materials. The approach is largely based on community willingness and motivation after pre-triggering and triggering not on subsidies Mallah added. It is hope that the CLTS approach, backed with massive health and education interventions of how to maintain ODF status and access to safe drinking water, will help ensure good health, water and sanitation facilities. The official declaration was done by the Tonkolili district Council CLTS Taskforce Coordinator John LakohDuramanie.

Open Defecation Free (ODF) ceremony in Tane Chiefdom

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Children and adults celebrating their ODF achievement

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