By Francis H. Murray
Save the Children Sierra Leone, a non-governmental organization that seeks solutions to the challenges faced by children in Sierra Leone has in partnership with other organizations concluded the training of 223 women in developing a culture of saving and its relevance to preventing teenage pregnancy among girls.
The training authorities say it is a three-year project titled “Gender Business” under its Village Savings and Loan Association activity (VSLA) and aimed at reducing teenage pregnancy and providing support to vulnerable youths in communities.
The project, co-sponsored by Irish Aid is implemented by Livelihood Development for Human Rights Promotion (LDHRP) in Lumley, Aberdeen, Murray Town and Waterloo and seeks to empower households economically in order to prevent negative coping strategies that place girls and boys at risk of adolescence pregnancy and parenthood.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 223 households from 12 VSLAs held at the Aberdeen Community Center on Friday 19 February 2021, lead consultant and founder of LDHRP Addulai Bangura said his organization won a bidding for implementing the project by Save the Children Sierra Leone in 2019 which was looking for an organization that had the capacity to undertake it.
He said the bidding process followed a research conducted by Save the Children on the reasons responsible for teenage pregnancy and found out that poverty remains a key factor, adding that a strategy was devised to provide a village savings training that would equip women on how to save from little finances and establish small businesses.
He added that on the 17th February 2021, the organization distributed a total of Le 94,831,000 among six groups in the Western Area Rural District which was invested into small businesses and later generated a profit of Le 20, 831,000.
“So today’s annual savings share-out and graduation ceremony is a replica of what had happened in the Waterloo community. From the total annual share-out of Le 177,094,000 distributed among twelve groups including Unique Family, Success Group, United Group, One Family, Rescue Group and United People, and those in the Western Area Rural, a total of Le73,980,000 annual savings was made with a total profit of Le 20,851,000,’’ he stated.
Representing Save the Children International, Project Officer for Gender issues, Alex Kargbo commended the graduates and described them as resilient enough to tackle the prevailing issue of teenage pregnancy.
He encouraged them to replicate the attitude of saving in all spheres of their lives even after the end of the project and ensure that their girl children who are most vulnerable benefit from the savings with financial support when needed.
Representing Irish Aid, Aminata Jalloh stated that among the programs they support which include education, nutrition and governance, they have put the issue of women and adolescents at the center of their activities because of their vulnerable state in society.
She said when they found out that the key driver of teenage pregnancy was poverty among parents, they came to the conclusion of devising a way to reduce poverty on households through women by giving financial reliefs that will engage them, and challenge them to be productive.
She encouraged the beneficiaries to continue in the right direction and ensure that the legacy of the project is sustained by imbibing the culture of saving for improved standards of living.
Letty Sandy, a beneficiary of the project from the Aberdeen United group, thanked Save the Children for the training and skills development in running a business and saving even under difficult situations.
Augusta Finnoh, another beneficiary of the project also commended Irish Aid and their implementing partners for positively changing their social status through financial support and skills training which she added had been helpful in the effective running of their homes.
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