Taiama Town, Kori Chiefdom, Moyamba District – Friday, 9 January 2025 The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), has officially launched an ECOWAS-supported humanitarian project aimed at improving the welfare of Persons of Concern (POCs) in Sierra Leone. The project was formally launched on Thursday, 8 January 2025, at the Taiama Community Resource Center in Taiama Town, Kori Chiefdom, Moyamba District, by the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Kenyeh Ballay.
The ECOWAS-funded project was jointly developed by NDMA and NaCSA and is specifically designed to support Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees, returnees, stateless persons, asylum seekers, and host communities across the country. Key interventions under the project include direct cash transfers to IDPs and flood-affected victims, as well as the construction of four solar-powered boreholes in selected host communities to improve access to safe drinking water.
Delivering the welcome address, the Chiefdom Speaker of Kori Chiefdom, Mr. Kamanda, warmly welcomed government officials, development partners, and community stakeholders to Taiama. He described the project as timely and life-changing, noting that the community had suffered severe losses due to flooding and displacement. He thanked ECOWAS and the Government of Sierra Leone for prioritising vulnerable people at the grassroots level and assured stakeholders of the chiefdom’s full cooperation for the successful implementation of the project.
Providing an overview of the project, Ms. Memuna Lamina, National Coordinator of Achievers Foundation, the service provider implementing the project outlined the project objectives, targeted beneficiaries, and key activities. She explained that the intervention prioritises the most vulnerable households among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), flood-affected victims, and host communities, noting that the direct cash transfers will target beneficiaries across five districts – Moyamba, Bonthe, Pujehun, Port Loko, and Kambia. Ms. Lamina further disclosed that ECOWAS has so far disbursed 50 percent of the total approved project funds, which will support the first phase of implementation. She therefore encouraged patience among community members, assuring them that those who may not benefit during the first phase will be duly considered once the second tranche of funding is released. She also noted that the solar-powered boreholes will address critical water challenges in four selected refugee host communities.
Speaking on behalf of NaCSA, the Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Susan Roberts, reaffirmed the Commission’s mandate to protect vulnerable populations and ensure equitable access to social protection interventions. She emphasized that NaCSA’s partnership with NDMA and ECOWAS demonstrates government’s commitment to coordinated, accountable, and people-centred humanitarian response and recovery efforts.
The ECOWAS Resident Representative to Sierra Leone, Mr. John Azumah, commended the Government of Sierra Leone for its strong collaboration with ECOWAS in addressing humanitarian and social vulnerabilities. He stated that ECOWAS remains committed to supporting member states affected by disasters and displacement. “This project reflects ECOWAS’ unwavering commitment to regional solidarity and to improving the lives of vulnerable people through practical, community based interventions,” he said.
In his statement, the Director General of the National Disaster Management Agency, Mr. John Vandy Rogers, highlighted NDMA’s role in developing the project proposal in line with its statutory mandate to mobilise resources for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. He noted that the Agency continues to work closely with national and regional partners to secure timely funding to support disaster-affected populations, stressing that cash-based assistance and access to safe water are critical pillars of effective emergency response.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Kenyeh Ballay, said the project aligns with the Government of Sierra Leone’s commitment to inclusive development and leaving no one behind. She noted that, as Sierra Leone’s representative to ECOWAS, she had the honour of signing the grant agreement on behalf of the Government, a demonstration of ECOWAS’ confidence in the country’s institutions. “This project is about restoring hope, dignity, and resilience to people whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted by displacement and flooding,” she stated.
Dr. Ballay further emphasized that the use of direct cash transfers empowers beneficiaries to make informed choices that best meet their household needs, while the solar-powered boreholes will provide sustainable access to clean and safe drinking water. She officially declared the project launched and urged implementing partners and community leaders to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective service delivery.
As part of the launch ceremony, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, the ECOWAS Resident Representative, the Deputy Commissioner of NaCSA, and the Director General of NDMA jointly conducted a symbolic handover of direct cash assistance to selected beneficiaries.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Momoh Ndadema, who lost his entire farm to the recent flooding, expressed profound gratitude while receiving his cash support from the Minister. “This support has given me hope again. The flood destroyed my farm and left my family with nothing, but today I feel encouraged to start again. I thank ECOWAS and the Government for remembering us,” he said.
The project marks the second ECOWAS-supported intervention in Sierra Leone, following an earlier ECOWAS project that provided support to victims of the 2022 floods and food and nutrition assistance through the Humanitarian and Social Affairs Directorate of ECOWAS.
