By Saio Marrah
With support from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development or (BMZ), SEND Sierra Leone has supported fishermen and fishmongers in Bonthe district for improved and sustainable fishing.
The support include access to mechanized fishing, establishment of micro- grants to support business development in fisheries, processing and storage facilities, training on the management of fishing enterprises in order to create improved and sustainable fishing enterprises and creation of new income generation streams through financial services such as Village Savings and Loan Association.
The project according to officials is targeting 17,367 beneficiaries including persons with disabilities and is said to work with 30 community clusters, mobilizing about 20 households per cluster and aims to provide 600 households with improved fishing opportunities and skills.
The program officer of SEND SL Bonthe district, Joseph Mohamed Jalloh in his power point presentation on Tuesday the 2nd October 2021, noted that the report of the Fisheries Committee for West Central Africa indicated that seafood is crucial to economic activity, as well as food security in Sierra Leone.
He added that the fishery sector is one of the main contributors to the national economy and accounts for about 12 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
He however pointed out that the nation under- produces seafood even in fishing districts like Bonthe.
He observed that because it is cut off from the rest of the main land, the inhabitants of the Island face extremities of food insecurity and low fishing productivity.
Jalloh said due to their lack of storage facilities, they are forced to sell at extremely low prices to international and local buyers. That he said has created a vicious cycle of low income, leading to food insecurity and other socio- economic issues.
He said the project is working to improve the skills of the target groups in fish processing, management and marketing and that it will promote livelihood diversification through agricultural and non-agricultural income generating activities and improve the financial literacy and business management skills of small scale traders including women, as well as improving access to finance through VSLA and other self-sufficiency initiatives.
The Bonthe women staged a play that depicts their suffering in fish storage and appreciation for the help provided by the Bonthe Island Fish Trading (BIFT).
The deputy Mayor of Bonthe Municipality, Mohamed M. Robinson, highlighted the level of openness and accountability Send SL has displayed by having traditional leaders and local people always involved in their projects. He also described the project as selfless, and one that ensures self-reliance.
He said that the fishermen had not been benefiting enough. He also called for monitoring of project and pleaded for SEND SL to stay.
The Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Jonathan Titus Williams, in his keynote address, noted that they as a ministry will be monitoring projects of all NGOs to make sure that they deliver their promises to the people.
He said as a ministry, they want to ensure more women are in entrepreneurship than before. He also called on the people to take ownership of the projects for sustainability while calling on the local government, MPs, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to monitor the implementation of the project. He added that they should ask relevant questions if the project is not going according to plan and report to the appropriate authorities.
Copyright © Politico Online (05/11/21)
