The Language of Social Change for Rural Sierra Leone

The dawdling social development or the virtual lack thereof, in contemporary human society, Africa, especially, Sierra Leone, in particular, has been a constant feature on the development schema of national and international social and economic organizations. How honest these organizations and national governments are to effect authentic social change and development is up to their consciences. But from my observation and observations done by many, who view development in Africa, from a critical lens, would attest that development in Africa, Sierra Leone, in particular, in the last sixty years, has been measured at best.

As a result, the use of language as an alternate approach to rural social change and development can be of great utility because language has a constituting ad organizing power, which suggests it can develop and manage social change and social development efforts, in a complementary manner, to improve the lives of the rural people, who are my primary concern, as I advance in age and in knowledge. Social change is a relative concept and a process to social development (building infrastructures and putting in place sound social policies) applicable to who wants it, where, when, how, why and what kinds of change one wants to achieve; it can be done through negotiation, consultation, active political, planning and executing, and other forms of societal participation (women in particular); sometimes change is peaceful, other times is violently. But the former is preferable.

From a critical lens, the sluggish pace of development, notably in the rural areas of Sierra Leone has been ascribed to countless socio-economic, political and cultural problems, since independence. Unfortunately, one of the least areas of theoretic or at least, programmatic exploration has been the role of language in national development and social change. This scholarly commentary will attempt to examine some theoretical applications of language, and make recommendations, that would hopefully appeal to nonprofit organizations and the national government. This piece may enhance the current rural development thinking of organizations and the national government of Sierra Leone.

In her doctoral dissertation (2008) on sociolinguistics and interaction discourse, an African colleague, Phyllis Dako-Gyeke, argues that language plays a key role in national development through culture, since culture, a loaded term, has the ability of bringing together people to address national and community need(s). She says beyond the diversity of indigenous languages in a society, and beyond the legacy of colonialism, which suppressed and foisted the use of local languages in development, a single language can unite a community and a society because of its power to connect different regions in Africa. Her assumption is that because of the rapid increase in human population, coupled with incredibly massive geographic human movement within Africa and outside, the potential of speaking a common language creates easiness, understanding, but above all, the willingness to conduct business and start a relationship, especially as the world becomes more global today. Although globalization transcends borders, she argues, speaking and understanding a single language that is germane to others eases tension, creates trust and produces an atmosphere of interaction, which creates the unintended structure for development and social change.

The editor of the International Journal of Sociology of Language, Dr. Joshua Fishman, once said, since the sociology of language is concerned with the effect of language on society, language therefore, helps us gain trust, mobilize resources and develop communities. Language use should be done through meticulous speaking, phrasing and structuring to make the case for rural development. This argument goes to the core of one of the totemic figures in Western social criticism, Kenneth Burke, who, in his Grammar of Motives (1969) said language is larger than us humans, of which the reverse can be true, too, it is possible when we speak or play with language we are in control and because we are in control, we have the power to create possibilities?in this case rural social change; because if we have the process of change in motion, then the outcome (s), which is social development would be inevitable.

In the last 30 years, Africa?s development has been a constant theme for the United Nations, in the areas of climate change, agriculture, poverty, women and land and drought. These are very important themes to Sierra Leone, a country where 60% of the population is based in the rural areas and heavily dependent on limited natural rural resources. But how, what for and when should we use language to address these urgencies of the moment? Sadly, the theoretical paradigm employed to accomplish these social change processes and social development in the past and to a large extent today, has been dependent on the now infamous modernization model, which is scientifically based, and discount, to some extent, the role of language, rural participation and other non-scientific aspects of development. It is a prescriptive rather than participatory development experience, critics have suggested. My suggestion is to modify and use the participatory model of development to meet local context.

In sum, language (words, communication, metaphor, speech etc.) functions as a composing element in rural social change and national development, therefore, the use of one language (Krio) or multiple languages (Themne, Mende, Fullah etc.) to facilitate modern development efforts in Sierra Leone should be explored as an alternative approach to social development. It is unfortunate this is a short piece, and because of space, I can not go into the details of the step-by-step operations of language in national development.

My Thoughts: The 21st Tegloma Organization
By Victor A. Massaquoi
March 30, 2008

Looking at Tegloma International, Inc., from an impartial posture, one is tempted to raise many questions as to its purpose in our contemporary world, hence the central question becomes, strategically, where does one see Tegloma in the next five years?
Tegloma International, Inc., as an organization, faces multiple socio-economic and political challenges just like other non-profit organizations in the United States and across the globe: financial resources are fast becoming finite, differences in political views are becoming nasty, social needs are increasing lips and bounce, human daily living is becoming desperate, bedeviled by HIV/AIDS and poor educational standards, massive poverty, increased violence against women, explosive child homelessness/labor, rampant street begging in the motherland, and incredible increase in crime rates and more. All these issues need swift and adequate response, from organizations like Tegloma, which has a social mission to: “…plan and implement programs that have the potential of positively impacting the quality of life of its members and the community in which they serve…promote and support the charitable, social, educational and cultural welfare…”(Tegloma Constitution, 2007).
This mission of Tegloma is loaded and timely (although, it can be improved) to help reduce or erase the social challenges of the 21st century, but how prepared are we? The trajectory (in the last 30 years) of Teglom’s history, the evolution of its philosophy and social principles, can be described as impressive, to some extent, but still in serious need of additional and ceaseless flow of resources from its members and communities, to help meet the social demands of our country and our members. Tegloma can only be a viable, productive, competitive and useful entity in Sierra Leone, and to its members in the Diaspora, only when its members work as a unit, devoid of unnecessary, hate-filled political vendetta that is dangerously and surreptitiously damaging the central fabric of this fine organization.
This short but relevant piece is for our members and supporters, designed to showcase the potential of this organization, its current activities, to make the case for more honest and open dialogue, galvanize membership participation in current and future projects, and set aside petty differences and personal egos for the common good of the organization.

My recent visit to my homeland, Sierra Leone, was phenomenal, though private, yet I spent huge amount of time doing Tegloma’s work (successful scholarship presentation, ongoing registration of Tegloma as an NGO and initiating partnership discussion with NGOs), because I believe in the central thesis of volunteering for positive social change, and also, trust the philosophical ideals of Tegloma. My experiences during my four-week stay were unparalleled, because of what I saw and did to help make a difference in the lives of those with little opportunity (or none at all) and privilege. So, as we move ahead in the next five years, and to help address some of the above problems in Sierra Leone, Tegloma would be grounding itself in firm footing if we re-align our strategic social objectives by doing the following:
1) Partnering with other non-profit organizations, with similar objectives and missions to address pertinent social issues that befall our people, since we are yet to gain full NGO status (the process is on). If done, we would be executing our social responsibilities, while at the same time, lifting a fraction of our people from the grips of poverty.
2) Moving fast to develop the land in Bo with diverse (e.g. health and educational facilities) built on it.
3) Running Tegloma as a competitive non-profit organization, with offices and officers with administrative and program development duties, that way, we will be increasing our visibility, wile at the same time developing new programs that meet our mission statement and philosophical principles that under-gird our existence as an organization.
4) Investing part of our money in Sierra Leone, on low risk financial ventures, rather than having the money in the bank yielding virtually nothing for us.
5) Opening new Tegloma branch in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone, to demonstrate and solidify our claim of national diversity.

These are bold recommendations designed to stir-up conversation; we may not agree with all or some, but please make your voices heard at this crucial period in the life of Tegloma. Posterity will hold some of us responsible should we fail in our attempt to address critical social challenges in Sierra Leone, and remove our people from the dungeons of abject poverty. The odds are stacked against us, but with fortitude, constructive criticism, hard work and unity, the sky would be our limit; failure is not an option, but we should prepare for it. Remember, “Those who never fail are those who never try”-Og Madingo. It may be rough, but remember the ultimate prize—helping our people obtain a better life.

What do you think?

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YMCA FACTS ON THE YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (YMCA)
SIERRA LEONE.


The Sierra Leone chapter of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was established in 1912. Our core competences include providing opportunities that enhances the holistic development of youths physically, through the mind and spiritually.

The YMCA’s stated mission is to promote the development and growth of young people, through:
· Civic education including human rights and peace education;
· Sports and recreation;
· Health like HIV and AIDS awareness raising programmes;
· Technical and vocational education;
· Gender awareness raising initiatives;

In pursuit of its mission, YMCA collaborates with institutions or organizations that share similar aims and objectives and with women and young people as their primary constituency.

The YMCA’s vision is to help build stronger communities to enhance self-reliance and sustainability for five years (2003-2008)

OUR VALUES ON PROJECT AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION.

· Our credibility lies in making astute strategic interventions for the promotion and welfare of women and young people;

· The YMCA-SL is selective in the nature and number of projects it seeks to take on for implementing;

· YMCA-SL puts premium on adding value to existing projects rather than churning out projects for projects’ sake.

· The YMCA-SL seeks for partnership or funding only where its staff and volunteers form a consensus that the best results for its beneficiaries will be achieved;

· In the same vein, the YMCA is tolerant as to how its staff and volunteers can best improve the overall long-term capacity of women and young people in Sierra Leone;

In pursuance of its strategic thinking, the YMCA-SL reconstituted a strong team of professional staff in 2005 with background and experiences in environmental issues, development, peace, agriculture, economics, education and accounting. The staff takes the lead in seeking solutions to the most imperative and urgent need of children, women and young people.

KEY STAFF BIOGRAPHIES

CHRISTIAN MARTYN KAMARA is the National General Secretary (NGS) and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA in Sierra Leone. He is a trained environmentalist and a community development practitioner. Christian has researched with environmental protection organizations in Sierra Leone and championed the cause of young people in the YMCA nationally and internationally. Christian has designed and implemented several community development programmes for kindergarten, youths and women through out Sierra Leone. Before his appointment to this post of NGS of the YMCA, he served in the capacity as the Development Secretary.

ABRAHAM JOHN has educational background in Peace, development and politics. Abraham presently serves as the Development and Fundraising Secretary of the YMCA-SL. He has implemented programmes on adult literacy, voter, human rights and peace education respectively. Abraham has advised youths, community leaders and the military on approaches to reconciliation and conflict resolution.

DAVID N. KAINESSIE serves as the Senior Finance and Administrative officer of the YMCA-SL. He is a successful teacher and a professional in accounting and human resource management. David has an eye for details. He is responsible for the accounting systems and procedure in the YMCA-SL. Before his elevation to this national post, David was the Southern Finance officer of the YMCA.

EDWIN MASSAQUOI is the Regional Coordinator of the YMCA-SL southern region. He has a background in Economics and has worked on development programmes in the south and eastern regions of Sierra Leone. Edwin serves as the Chief Executive of the YMCA in the Southern region.

CLAUDIUS OLA TAYLOR has the mantle of responsibility for coordinating the Western Region of the YMCA-SL. Claudius has a background in administration with a long standing experience in the operations of the YMCA. He has championed major fundraising activities of the YMCA and has special interest in street children.

ALOSIOUS ANSUMANA BOCKARIE serves as the Regional Coordinator for the eastern region. As a community worker and Agriculturist by profession, Alosious has worked assiduously in designing and implementing programmes for youths, ex-combatants, the military and women in the eastern region.

ON-GOING PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS.

1. EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
a. The YMCA Freetown commercial School
This institute provides commercial education to the less privileged youths in Freetown. Courses offered include accounting, Book-keeping, Economics, English Language, Computer studies, and Business Calculations.

b. YMCA Bo Business Training centre
This Training Centre offers occupational training for youths relevant to their communities. The school enrolls 60 youth students at a time with a fair gender balance. Courses offered include commercial arithmetic, English Language, Computer studies, Office Practice, Accounting and Catering. The school has 7 trained and qualified staff.

c. YMCA Kenema Skill Training Centre
Youths are the beneficiaries of the Kenema skills training centre. Courses provided include brick laying, Agriculture, Tailoring and Carpentry. The school has 40 students on roll.

d. YMCA Kissy Nursery and Primary School
This project provides educational services for children from low income earning families in the Kissy community. The school has nursery and primary school facilities.

e. YMCA Freetown Branch Tailoring Project
The Freetown Branch Tailoring project provides training for young girls who had never had the opportunity to go to school or dropped off school at childhood. They are provided with basic literacy and Numeracy courses to enhance their effectiveness in dress making.

2. HEALTH PROGRAMMES
a. Joint YMCA/YWCA initiative project on HIV & AIDS.
This project is implemented in Waterloo and Gloucester and Regent Communities for youths. Peer educators have been trained and provided with manuals for their activities.


b. YMCA HIV/AIDS project in Port Loko.
This is a project on breaking the silence and finding solution to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Mafoki chiefdom, Port Loko District. The project had the specific objective of informing beneficiaries on HIV/AIDS. Sensitization activities were informed by a survey on knowledge, attitudes and practice carried out in the form of sensitizing activities.


c. Adolescence Reproductive Health, HIV and AIDS Project
The target beneficiaries of this project are 12,500 youths in the Hastings and Lumley communities in the Western Area of Freetown. The peculiarity of this project is that it seeks to engage adults and young people talk sex in their communities.

3. CIVIC EDUCATION
a. Y’s Men / YMCA joint committee on the building of a culture of peace.
The project was collaboration between the YMCA and Y’s Men Club in Sierra Leone. This project trained fifty (50) peace motivators and community development workers. To bolster peace building initiatives, micro credit grants were given to the six (6) communities where the project existed.

b. Institutional development, democracy and good governance initiative project
This project is funded by the YMCA of Simcoe/ Muskoka in Canada. Trainings were carried for 40 youths aged 10-25 years on good Governance, Democracy, advocacy, human right and youth and women empowerment. The training helped youths to replicate ideas learnt in their local YMCA’s.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Environmental degradation is of concern to the YMCA. In response to this threat, the YMCA is about to implement a pilot project on tree planting on the hill tops at Kamanda Farm, Moyiba and Kissy Brook. The approach will be to involve households to protect a number of trees in their communities and rewards will be provided for the best maintained trees.

PROGRAMME/PROJECT FOCUS FOR 2006 & 2007.
· Public education of youths on the findings and recommendations of the TRC report: The youths were pivotal in the conflict in Sierra Leone. The YMCA seeks to undertake a nation wide sensitization of youths about key findings and recommendations of the report. In addition, youths will be trained in advocacy and lobbying skills that will help them hold local and national authorities accountable for a faithful and timely implementation of the recommendations.

· Child protection and welfare:
The protection and nurturing of children is a priority in the YMCA-SL. Child rights violations is common and easily noticeable in Sierra Leonean communities. The YMCA seeks to design and community based programmes that would minimize the abuse of the rights of children. This will be followed by prompting the setting up of community-watch groups to monitor child rights violations and take community actions as appropriate.

· Enhancing women’s participation in governance processes:
Negative cultural beliefs and political socialization has for long excluded women from participation meaningfully in governance processes that affect their lives. Hence, the axiom, “women are to be seen and not to be heard.” This notion is to be challenged if women are to be given the opportunity to grow and equal rights in decision making and other issues that affect their lives.

· Environmental/Ecological education
Environmental issues are of great challenge to Sierra Leone. This is evidenced by the alarming deforestation and environmental pollution that is equally threatening to Sierra Leoneans and the International community present in Sierra Leone. The project will involve:
- Establishment of wood-lots in severely threatened communities;
- Training on the construction of mud stoves for women. This energy saving devise will help in the reduction of fuel wood for cooking and for other domestic purposes.

· Adult Literacy/continuing programmes
Illiteracy is pervasive among young people who constitute 45% of Sierra Leone’s population. The YMCA seeks to engage in literacy programmes especially for female youths.



EXISTING PARTNERS/FUNDERS
Y Care International – UK;
Comic Relief – UK;
CVJM – West Bund, Germany;
YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka;
SHARP/NAS – Sierra Leone;
Ministry of Education – Sierra Leone;

AVAILABLE STRUCTURES AND ASSETS TO SUPPORT PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

Infrastructure
The YMCA has landed property and buildings in:
· Bo – Southern Region
· Kenema – Eastern Region
· Kailahun – Eastern Region
· Freetown – Western Area

Vehicles and motorbikes
The organization has at its disposal two old but road worthy vehicles:
· 1 Toyota Hilux;
· 1 used Four wheel drive Nissan Pathfinder;
· 1 Honda XL on loan from GTZ;
· 1 Honda CG

Staff and volunteers
Staff and volunteers remain at the heart of YMCA-SL. The Association has a battery of volunteers with diverse expertise who have complimented programme and project implementation.

Contact address/information

National Headquarters: Young Men’s Christian Association
32 Fort Street
Freetown
Tel. (land-line): 223608
Cell: 076-615-598 - Christian Martyn Kamara (National Gen. Secretary.)
076-823-955 – Abraham John – Dev. & Fundraising Secretary;
033-343-862 – David Kainessie – Snr. Finance & Admin. Officer;
E-mail: ymcasl@yahoo.co.uk

Regional Headquarters (South): Young Men’s Christian Association
92 Tikonko Road
Bo.
Tel.: 033-472-537 – Edwin Massaquoi – Regional Coordinator;

Regional Headquarters (East): Young Men’s Christian Association
82 Blama Road
Kenema
Tel.: 076-641-489 – Alosious Ansumans Bockarie
Landline: (042) 679.

Regional Headquarters (West): Young Men’s Christian Association
Wellington Street
Tel.: 030-203-887.
55 Wellington Street
Freetown.