According to the Communications Specialist of the Skills Development Fund (SDF) project, June Rose Johnson, 8,000 youths have been targeted across the country to benefit from the project. The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education project aimed at increasing access to demand-led skills training and building the foundation for a demand-led skills development system in Sierra Leone, is funded by the Government of Sierra Leone and World Bank.
The Communications Specialist said in order for such a number of youths to benefit from the project, there must be a Grievance Redress Mechanism Committee in the Western Area Urban, as per the World Bank’s criteria. The setting up of such a committee is on the way in the Western Area Urban as a meeting was held on 4th November 2020 at the Office of the Deputy Chief Administrator at the Freetown City Council (FCC), she said.
June Rose disclosed that the project includes five key areas, among them; construction, tourism and fishery, as the institutions meeting the requirements after presenting their proposal will have to train youths as per their proposals. The big technical institutions that will win the grant will receive up to Le7.4 billion, and the smaller ones will receive up to Le1.9 billion.
The project is a $22 million one slated to run for three years.
According to the Grievance Redress Mechanism Specialist of the project, Mariama Khai Fornah, the committee is one of the accountability requirements of the project set up by the World Bank. It is a seven man committee that will comprise of reputable individuals, including representatives from civil society organisations, religious leaders, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Deputy Chief Administrator among others, who will receive complaints from the people in the district.
She urged those members that will form part of it to be highly confidential and committed to the process. She said suggestion boxes will be placed at FCC and a toll free line will also be established, adding that they want every part of the project to be transparent and purely local in content. FCC’s Deputy Chief Administrator Bangali F. Marrah demonstrated his commitment to the project by promising his full support, saying such projects are necessary for changing the narrative of youths in Sierra Leone. MJB/5/11/20
By Mohamed J. Bah