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.
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.
posted by Vickylandys | 12:06 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home