An NGO, A Word Institute for a Sustainable Humanity Sierra Leone (AWISH- SL) in collaboration with the Kenema District Council (KDC) have jointly commissioned finished projects in the Lower Bambara Chiefdom Kenema District.
Two bridges, storage facility, dry floor and a rice mill were commissioned and handed over to the people of Kamboma Old Town in the Korjei Ngeiya Section on the Kenema Tongo Field highway.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the national coordinator of (AWISH SL) Alpha Baritay said that the project activity in the community was a participatory community empowerment initiative which specifically targeted vulnerable rural women.
He disclosed that the rice mill, the storage facility and the drying floor projects in the Kamboma community were achieved with funding from First People World Wide USA. The coordinator reiterated that the venture came about as a parallel approach to the country’s food security drive using the right base rural approach.
Giving brief background of the organisation the co-coordinator explained that the organization started with eight (8) members in Freetown and was later registered with the Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA) and later opened a branch in Kenema where services were rendered to the people of Burma community in areas of agriculture. He said the organization is operating on a limited budget and therefore extend welcome hands to support organizations so that they can all work together to achieve their goal.
In his statement the programme Director AWISH-SL, Hinga Destin Demby said his organization decided to target rural community because of the level of poverty in the country especially among vulnerable women and persons with disability.
He added that their aim is to encourage peasant agricultural farmers and to create access to services that will satisfy rural community needs.
Highlighting some of its past activities Demby said that AWISH -SL has supplied 150 bushels of husk rice this year to farmers for cultivation and the proceeds would be used as a seed bank to supply other farmers.
Officially commissioning the completed projects the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) Member of Parliament for constituency 14 in the Lower Bambara Chiefdom Bernadette Lahai lauded the effort of AWISH SL and the Kenema District Council for bringing development to her constituency.
She promised the people of her constituency her support and urged them to take great care of everything.
She donated Le1m for the completion of a gari processing machine for the people of Kamboma community.
The commissioning ceremony attracted personalities including officials from NCDF/KDREP Councillors, members of Parliament and the media representatives.
By Saffa Moriba
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