Young people in the Western Area Urban and Rural districts converged at Dwarzack community and discussed issues affecting them amid COVID-19, including its impact on their education and their colleagues who are yet to commence schooling. The panel discussion brought together young people from Waterloo, Kanikay, Goderich, Central Freetown and Dwarzack communities.
Western Area Rural District Youth Council Chairperson Marie Bangura told her colleagues that since the country recorded its index cases of coronavirus to date, they have engaged youth, stakeholders, women and young girls in over 230 villages in the district in one-on-one engagements and radio discussions on compliance with and adherence to all COVID-19 precautionary measures.
Bangura said they were able to engage and support locals of the four zones in the district with face masks, hand washing facilities and the mounting of mobile checkpoints to ensure compliance and proper use of face masks by all in the district. She revealed that despite their involvement in the fight against COVID-19, there is an increase in reported Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) cases in the district doing the pandemic, especially when schools were closed.
Augustine Kambo from Education for All Coalition said the COVID-19 outbreak has negatively affected young people especially the closure of schools, which he said led to the loss of an academic year. He said that further led to many girls sitting at home though the new school calendar had commenced, as a result pregnancy and other forms of abuse including rape. But despite the challenges, he said more young people are aware of COVID-19 now than before as a result of their involvement/inclusion in national activities.
Timothy Sam from Plan International Youth Panel said the mere fact that young people in the Western Area can converge to discuss their challenges amid COVID-19 and it impacts on their progress, is one of the most important thing that has ever happened to the country especially now that the global topic of discussion is COVID-19.
Sam said the hope that no Sierra Leonean should die as a result of coronavirus, when there are high numbers of deaths round the world, should be reason enough for all to come together and chart the way forward towards the containment of the disease and returning the country to normalcy and development. He said young people were trained and empowered to engage their peers and communities on adherence, which is all they can do at the moment.
The panel discussion was moderated by Plan International Youth Ambassador Yeanor Ruko Bai Kamara, who said the closure of schools affected them greatly, saying there is a record increase in abuse of young girls especially during lockdowns than any other time. She said with the reopening of schools, they expect stakeholders to engage school children on adherence in school buses and during school hours; and also ensure that those yet to commence schooling are engaged psychologically, as they brace for returning to their respective schools.
The Youth Accountability Forum 2020 was funded by OXFAM and implemented by the Youth and Child Advocacy Network (YACAN).
By Mohamed Kabba