August 31, 2015 By Hassan Gbassay Koroma
As part of efforts to empower women in developing counties, Right Sharing of World Resources, a Christian Organisation based in the United State of America, through Young Men Christian Association Sierra Leone, has doled the sum of Le220 million to nine women’s groups across the country.
At the presentation ceremony last Friday, 28 August, at the YMCA Hall on Fort Street, YMCA National General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Christian Martyn Kamara said the donor organisation raises money on behalf of women in developing countries to empower them.
He said despite being a Christian body the organisation nonetheless does not use religious background as a criterion to choose beneficiaries, adding that what they loath is recipients’ failure to use the money for the right purpose. He said if the money is used for the right purpose it would help empower other women.
Thus, he encouraged the recipients to stand firm and make good use of the opportunity in order to be able to change their status as well as help other women.
He disclosed that the donors would be coming to Sierra Leone in January 2016 and that they shall be visiting the various women’s groups to monitor whether they have utilised the monies given to them properly.
Sallian Sankoh, Country Monitor for Right Sharing of World Resources, said the initiative started in Sierra Leone in 1994 when the war was raging and at the time women found it very difficult to farm.
She said Right Sharing of World Resources supports grassroots income-generating projects in developing countries, led by women, many of whom are making less than a dollar a day
She said over 300 proposals were sent but the donors selected only nine, adding that her work was to monitor recipients to ensure they are using the money for the right purpose.
She said the money would not be given back to the donor or the YMCA, but remain with the recipients, adding that each of the nine groups would receive US$5,500.
Betty Sesay, a beneficiary representing Destitute Women Association in Tonkolili District, said she was elated that their proposal was accepted and promised to use the money for the right purpose to benefit other women in her area.
She said they had received training from the YMCA on how to use the money for the benefit of others.