Report of the National Consultative Workshop on Social Protection

In Sierra Leone

Organized By:

Current Evangelism Ministries (CEM)

In

Collaboration with HelpAge International andthe African Union

Sponsored By DFID

On Thursday 13th March, 2008.

Venue: Kimbima Hotel

Aberdeen, Freetown.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

  1. Executive Summary 3
  2. Recommendation 4
  3. Opening Session by Rev. Augustine Lansana 5
  4. Workshop Objectives 5
  5. Chairman’s Opening Statement 5
  6. Statement by Dr. Nhongo 6
  7. Statement by Mrs. Harding 6-7
  8. Statement by Mr. Conteh 8-10
  9. Interactive Session (1) by Adam Platt 10-11
  10. Statement by Mrs. Oya Sesay and the official launching of the 12

workshop.

  1. Chairman’s concluding remarks 12
  2. Business Session 13
  3. Group Activity 14
  4. Group Reporting 15
  5. Interactive Session (II) by Mrs.G.Taylor 15
  6. Intervention by Mr. Paul Sengeh 15
  7. Reflections by Mrs. Taylor 16
  8. Contributions by Dr. Nhongo 17
  9. Statement by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development –

Mr. Scott 17-18

  1. Vote of Thanks – Ms. Appleton. 18

21. Appendix. 19-20

Recommendations and Messages from the One Day Consultative Workshop on Social Protection in Sierra Leone at the Kimbima Hotel, Aberdeen, Freetown,

13th. March 2008.

Executive Summary:

The one day National Consultative Workshop on Social Protection in Sierra Leone was held at Kimbima Hotel Aberdeen on Thursday 13th March, 2008. The workshop was organized by Current Evangelism Ministries (CEM) and HelpAge International.

The main objectives of the National Consultative workshop were:

  • To carry out an overview of the status of social protection in the country.
  • To produce a document that spells out the status/policies/challenges/way forward in the country.
  • To contribute to the content of the regional meetings and conference of Ministers for Social Development.

70 participants drawn from civil society organizations, donor agencies- UNICEF, DFID, UNDP, WFP, Plan International , UNFPA, and CBO,s, Line Ministries, regional representatives attended the workshop. The workshop was declared opened by the Minister of Employment and Social Security deputized for H.E the President of Sierra Leone. At the opening ceremony, presentations were made by Rev. Lansana of CEM and Dr. Nhongo of HelpAge International. During the business sessions, presentations were made by representatives of Ministries of Employment and Social Security and Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs. Participants were put into groups to discuss the roles of stakeholders in relation to social protection in the country and the challenges and opportunities. Some challenges identified in the groups include; targeting of beneficiaries, difficulties in delivering social protection programmes due to poor road network, inadequate funding to mark the huge numbers of funding groups, high level of illiteracy among the groups and the lack of adequate policy and legal implications for the sustainability of social programmes.

Opportunities identified include; structures already in place like the NASSIT pension scheme, separate financial safety nets, organizations already working with vulnerable groups and TRC recommendations for addressing the needs of vulnerable groups.

The objectives of the workshops were largely achieved; understanding of social protection issues was deepened, consensus was reached on target groups, looking at the vulnerable groups in a holistic manner including older persons, disabled people, street children, widows and victims of gender based violence. It was emphasized that support programmes were necessary for families especially because many people were dying of AIDS and the older people were left to take care of their children

Monitoring of on-going mechanisms on social protection was deemed necessary to ensure accountability and efficiency. Also resource mobilization for, and greater community involvement in, the planned programmes were brought out. The workshop underscored the need to put in place policies and strategies on social protection.

Recommendations from the workshops and messages to the Dakar meeting were then formulated. The workshop was brought to a close after a speech delivered by Mr. Solomon Scott on behalf of the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.

Recommendations:

The Current Evangelism Ministries (CEM) and HelpAge International (HAI), held a multi-stakeholder Seminar at the Kimbima Hotel, Aberdeen, Freetown in the Republic of Sierra Leone at which the following recommendations and messages were agreed on:

1. Recommendations:

  • The formulation of a National Policy and Legal Framework on Social Protection in Sierra Leone.
  • A three year National Strategic Plan on Social Protection with lessons learnt from the Social Safety Net Programme in Sierra Leone and examples from other countries in Africa, including an information dissemination strategy
  • The setting up of National Task Force, Regional (West Africa) and Continental Coordinating Committees on Social Protection.
  • Support from the donors including but not limited to bilateral, multilateral institutions, Government of Sierra Leone, African Union, International NGOs and other interested stakeholders interested in Social Protection Issues.
  • The inclusion of Social Protection into Peace and Security and Service Delivery Mechanisms
  • An all inclusive, Rural Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Scheme set up to oversee the Social Protection implementation
  • Submit the report of the workshop for inclusion into the development of the second generation of the implementation of the PRSP in Sierra Leone.

2. Messages:

  • The Republic of Sierra Leone wants to share information on design and implementation of Social Protection with other countries in the West Africa Region
  • Include Social Protection in the AU Social Policy Framework
  • We want a cross-country learning process especially among the war affected and fragile countries.

Report of One-day National Consultative Workshop on Social Protection for Vulnerable Groups including Older People in Sierra Leone. Organized By Current Evangelism Ministries Outreach and HelpAge International. At Kimbima Hotel, Aberdeen on Thursday, 13th March, 2008.

1.0Opening Session.

The meeting was called to order by Mr. Falla Ensah Ndayma, Chairman designate. This was followed by a call for silent prayers by Rev. Augustine Lansana, Executive Director of Current Evangelism Ministries (CEM).

1.1Opening Remarks – Rev. Augustine Lansana.

Rev. Lansana extended a word of welcome to special guests and participants. He

opined that the meeting was of extreme importance because it heralded the much

needed visibility to older people and other vulnerable groups who needed to benefit

from social protection.

He went on to introduce two special guests from HelpAge International, Mr. Adam

Platt and Dr. Nhongo respectively.

1.2Workshop Objectives – Rev. Augustine Lansana.

The workshop objectives were outlined as follows:-

1.2.1To carry out an overview of the status of social protection in the country.

1.2.2To produce a document that spells out the status/ policies/challenges/way forward for Social Protection programmes in Sierra Leone.

1.2.3To contribute to the content of the regional consultations.

1.3Chairperson’s Opening Statement – Mr. Falla Ensah –Ndayma, Coordinator of Civil Society Alternative Process.

Mr. Ensah Ndayma started his statement by commending the organizers of the

meeting for giving other people the opportunity to add their voice to the discourse

on social protection in Sierra Leone. The speaker made reference to the need for

older peoples’ needs to be catered for; this was becoming increasingly important

because many young people were dying of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis leaving the

burden of caring for their own children to their parents.

He lauded the initiative by the AU to establish as citizens Directorate noting that this

deals with Civil Society activities and also caters for peoples’ needs and interest

Furthermore, he called for civil society to set up early warning mechanisms to

monitor the NASSIT funds so that contributors would benefit from their end-of-

service emoluments.

In conclusion, Mr. Ndayma encouraged participants to make full use of the

opportunity to be part of the workshop on social protection.

1.4Statement on the Background to Social Protection by Dr. Nhongo – HelpAge

International Representative in Africa.

Dr. Nhongo expressed delight to be in Sierra Leone and at the workshop. He thanked participants for their presence. He acknowledged the efforts of DFID and the African Union for funding the workshop. He gave a brief background to the workshop as follows:

  • 1999 – Beginning of AU and HelpAge partnership.
  • March, 2002 – Signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two parties on joint programming to pursue the aging process in Africa.
  • November, 2000 – First policy framework on Social Protection was drawn up.
  • July, 2002 – The policy framework was ratified.

In continuation, Dr. Nhongo dilated on the paradox of huge aid to Africa and the continued poverty of her citizens. In view of this, he said, the Livingstone call for action to end poverty in Africa was made with the following targets:-

  • Governments were to prepare costed strategies for social protection within three years.
  • Provision was to be made for collaboration with others.
  • There should be two – yearly reviews of the programme.
  • Mechanisms should be worked out for collaboration with partners and donors.

Dr. Nhongo made reference to several fora to be held on Social Protection as follows:-

  • Six national consultations including the current one in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone was selected mainly because she has just emerged from war.
  • Three regional meetings in Egypt, Uganda and Senegal. Recommendations from the Sierra Leone consultation will be tabled at the meeting in Senegal.
  • Conference of Ministers of Social Development organized by the African Union in Namibia in May, 2008. Social Protection issues will be high on the agenda of these meetings.

In conclusion, Dr. Nhongo opined that governments, with commitment and will, can afford cash transfers, especially if they teamed up with donors. Findings show that cash transfers address social issues adequately. He noted that social protection puts the poor at the centre; they should be provided with the tools to fight poverty because they are not irresponsible.

Finally, Dr. Nhongo revealed that UNFPA has also signed a memorandum of understanding with HELPAGE International for joint efforts to address social protection issues; in this connection, thorough data and census, like what is produced by Statistics (Sierra Leone), can reflect the status of older people and determine the exact number to be assisted by government and other agencies.

2.0Statements on Social Protection Issues.

2.1Mrs. Harding, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and

Children’s Affairs.

In her statement, Mrs. Harding confirmed that the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA) is mainly responsible for, and collaborates with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Faith –Based organizations such as the Sierra Leone Association for the Welfare of the Aged on, Social Protection programmes; this includes welfare of the Aged and provision of a protective environment for them.

In this vein, the speaker informed the meeting that the King George VI Home for the Aged had been established in the 1940’s in Freetown under the auspices of MSWGCA. She noted however that no commensurate facility for the Aged was established in the provinces. She opined that this lapse could have been based on the assumption that the prevailing traditional extended family system in the regions would take up this responsibility. She went on to say that this no longer holds true because of the exigencies of the war and increasing levels of poverty within families; this is mainly responsible for the large numbers of aged people begging on the streets in Freetown and in the main towns.

Furthermore, Mrs. Harding cited current government efforts to cater for the needs of the Aged through mainstreaming their concerns in a number of government/government related policy initiatives such as the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (P.R.S.P); the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT); and the Social Safety Net (SSN); these efforts have been crowned by the commencement by the Ministry (MSWGCA) and its partners to develop a policy for the Aged in 2005. The Speaker opined that the passage of the Gender Bills and the Child Rights Bill will serve as an impetus for the enactment of a Law for the Aged.

Dilating on the situation of the Aged, Mrs. Harding made reference to the challenges older people face in terms of deteriorating health and physical conditions, declining ability, unwillingness of the extended family to take care of them and inadequate care by government. The above, she said , call for older people’s needs to be catered for in a comprehensive manner; especially in the face of increasing life expectancy and equally higher numbers of older people who need food, shelter, medical and homely care as well as particular attention for their senility.

In conclusion, Mrs. Harding emphasized the following points:-

  • Political will is needed for amplifying provisions for the Aged.
  • The need for Government and its partners to provide adequate funding for the development and implementation of comprehensive and sustainable support services to both the Aged and those who care for them.
  • Collaborative efforts to be strengthened between the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, especially the Psychiatric Division. This would ensure that the welfare and protection of the Aged (especially those dealing with senility) are incorporated into the muliti – dimensional facets of the ageing process.
  • Community sensitization on social protection issues, especially those bordering on care by family members, should be stepped up.
  • Commitment by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs to work with other stakeholders for the promotion of the social protection process for the Aged.
  • The management of Geriatric homes is expensive and often undertaken by private sector. Therefore the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs supports the view that traditional family and community care for the Aged should be a cornerstone of the comprehensive policy that is being developed.

2.2Mr. Foday Conteh, Safety Net Officer, Ministry of Employment and Social

Security.

Mr. Conteh commenced his statement by making reference to Sierra Leone’s Law ranking in the latest Human Development Index Report by UNDP. This, he said, is partly due to the high numbers of destitute, poor and vulnerable persons in Sierra Leone. These include amputees (1000), people with disabilities (15000), war widows (5000), unaccompanied children (10000), former child conscripts (5000).

The speaker drew attention to the large population of the Aged who have no access to health care, no support from their family members thus making them totally dependent on food aid. He quoted figures from a report by the NGO- “Organization for the Homeless, Disabled and Rural Development” which identified between April and June 1999, 3,732 old persons in the Western Area and 1,827 in Makeni who were destitute.

Mr. Conteh singled out the National Social Safety Net, set up in 2004, as the programme that closely approximated a social protection programme in Sierra Leone.

2.2.1Characteristics of the Social Safety Net (SSN).

Mr. Conteh described the Social Safety Net (SSN) as a development oriented approach to social protection. It is a non-contributory scheme provided free of cost to the beneficiary by Sierra Leone Government. It is intended to provide social transfer of funds and /or food items to identifiable vulnerable groups in Sierra Leone starting with the Aged in particularly difficult circumstances. Later on, other identifiable groups like the disabled, widows, and separated children will be incorporated into the programme.

The SSN is consistent with various Government policy instruments like the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and the Global Millennium Development goals (MDG,s).

A National Safety Net Secretariat has been established by the Ministry of Employment and Social Security in order to fast track social protection programmes in Sierra Leone.

Other development partners like the World Bank and DFID are likely to come onboard to ensure that the programme is implemented nationwide. Already lessons are being drawn from a report on “Cash Transfers in Sierra Leone: Appropriate, Affordable, Feasible” commissioned by the British Overseas Development Institute, Collaborative efforts are envisaged with HelpAge International, the AU, USAID, EU, WFP, UNDP, China, Japan, Libya and the West.

2.2.2 Achievements of the SSN.

Mr. Conteh catalogued the achievements of the SSN as follows:

  • Nationwide Sensitization Exercise.

This was undertaken in all 149 chiefdoms in the regions and in 21 communities and 7 wards in the Western Area from 4th July – 12th August 2004.Social Safety net chiefdom and ward committees were set up. Their functions included identification and enlistment of old destitute people, maintenance of a data base for beneficiaries and determining the form of assistance for those identified.

  • Pilot Verification:

This was done in November, 2005 in parts of the Northern and Southern provinces on the Aged. A total of 11,982 identified persons were verified of which 5,988 were deemed qualified.

  • Official Launching of the Programme.

The programme was officially launched by H.E President Ahmed Tejan Kabba on 29th June, 2006 at the Miatta Conference Centre, YouyiBuilding.

  • Cash Transfer and Implementation.

In order to address some logistical problems associated with procurement and delivery of food aid and acting on recommendations of the NASSIT Task Force, it was decided that direct cash transfer should be adopted. The sum of Le 200,000 was to be paid to each beneficiary for a period of six months.

Pilot implementation was carried out from 3rd January to 28th February, 2007 in fifteen chiefdoms in the North with a total of 3,495 persons and two chiefdoms in the southern and Eastern regions with a total of 2,830 persons.

Further verification, registration and photo identification exercise conducted in other chiefdoms brought the total of beneficiaries to 16,890 from sixty-five chiefdoms in the provinces and twenty-one communities in seven wards in the Western Area. However, a large proportion of the country is yet to be targeted.

  • Major Strategies of SSN.

The following were outlined by Mr. Conteh:-

-Resource mobilization through development and submission of proposals to potential sponsors and donors.