E-Women Launches Innovative Action Project

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson – (AR-WILSON)

During the festive season on 18th December, E-Women has officially launched its innovative action project title: “Using Innovative Products to fight against the Exclusion of Marginalized Groups, Poverty and Pollution” an extract from the 2019 United Nations world celebration’s Theme: “Leaving no one behind”.

The launching which was hosted at the Ralim Leisure Club situated at Magbenteh, along the Makeni-Freetown highway, in Bombali District, North-eastern part of Sierra Leone, was chaired by Foday Augustine Bangura, who also doubles as a lecturer at the University of Makeni, ushered in the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of E-Women, Madam Beatrice Edwina Komara traced the genesis, successes and challenges of E-Women. 

In her statement, she narrated to invitees that E-Women means Empower Women, and that it is an organization established in Bombali district to work with marginalized groups within the country, especially women, children, vulnerable and disable persons to partake in E-Women activities of turning wastes into wealth, a vision which she said is gradually been actualized based on the progresses the organization has recorded so far as an energetic team that is open up to both governmental and non-governmental organizations and donors.

Going further, Madam Beatrice stressed that most of their work has been categorized into various components ranging from their latest products such as: trash bins, plastic pavers, plastic bricks, beads, bead sandals, bags among others. All of which she said has sold out and has also help E-Women to be able to compete and have won international competitions on behalf of Sierra Leone which is now helping some of  the organization’s staff  to benefit from human capacity building trainings.

“Despite all these successes, our organization has also been faced with enormous challenges prominent among is lack of sufficient funding to carry out our already lined up numerous innovation projects, but we will relent not to strive to make headways and for sure we will continue to stick to our organization’s vision and mission to ensure that women and girls including the marginalized, vulnerable and disable persons are well capacitated and involved fully in our quest to beatify and protect our environs, our country, and to continue to fight against deforestation, poverty and global pollution” said E-Women CEO. 

UNDP Small Grants Program officer, Desmond Luseni, gave an exclusive account of an earlier call for proposal in August 2019, from his department that aims to promote cluster 5.3 and 6.1 of UNDP: (Promoting Youths and Disable Women Empowerment), which he said E-Women was among the 16 organizations that bided in a highly competitive and transparent bidding process which at it end saw E-Women standing out tall along with three other organizations among other bidders that have received a funding amounted to Le 25,000 Dollars to implements their various projects.

He further revealed that E-Women has already received the first trench of the funding from UNDP to implement their project titled: “Using Innovative Products to fight against the Exclusion of Marginalized Groups, Poverty and Pollution” that will focus on E-waste, E-trees and other waste reduction and production services to promote trash bins, soap, slippers, flower pots making and more that will help to eradicate extreme poverty, marginalization and global pollution in Bombali Shebora and the District as a whole by October, 2020 with hopes from UNDP tied to see E-Women establishing stronger ties and network with other organisations to help accelerate their relationships.

“Both the City and District Councils and CSOs are expected to monitor and manage this project which will provide job for five trainers that will help transform the ideas to would be project beneficiaries at the E-Women innovation hub and four other organisations they will be set up and registered to allow skill transfer between youths especially disables, women within the age bracket of 18-30years their children for an enabling accurate ecosystem in the Bombali Shebora Chiefdom and the entire Bombali District” UNDP’s Desmond Luseni said conclusively while addressing invitees at the occasion.

“We have much more innovations to be introduced to beautify our environs, converting wastes into wealth, all that is needed is the acceptance culture from us as locals to be willing to use what we produce and for Governments and I-NGOs to support our work” said Kaylemasa Kamara, the Chief Innovation Officer at E-Women while updating attendees about the implementation of the Innovative project and previous activities E-Women has carried on.

His reflection also captured names and success stories of development private business owners globally, and further stated reasons to the need for entrepreneurship which he urged others to go into.

The Makeni City Council Mayor, Sunkarie Kabba Kamara, renowned stakeholder, Mr. Philip Kamara, PoPDA Vice Chairman, Sulaiman Sixties Kamara, the LUC Rogbaneh Division, Francis Joe Songu, were among those that responded with complementary messages and assurances on behalf of their institutions to work hand in gloves with E-Women.

Drumming and singing led by the Northern Jolly, photographs taking, presentation of Christmas and New Year cards and a tour around the many tables that displayed various E-Women and partners locally produced products climaxed the occasion.