Annual Reports

May PEACE Prevail in Sierra Leone!
May PEACE Prevail on Earth!

DEVELOPMENT -- As Perceived by the Center for Alternative Development Strategies (CADS) Sierra Leone

As a research and development organization, we always tend to focus attention to identifying socio-economic and political issues of national importance that require urgent solution, and through dispassionate and objective analysis, try to come up with suggestions for reform in order to bring about a lasting solution to our country's problems. For too long we have evaded the real issues and problems that plague this nation, in other words we have been scratching for too long where it does not itch. Unless and until we are prepared to approach our problems with the utmost honesty, solutions to them will remain elusive. This message will therefore serve as dialogue on national issues and suggesting to government alternative ideas and affording solutions to policy makers and to all political party leaders who are at this time preparing for the upcoming presidential and general elections determined to lead the country.

We have realized that there is an apparent political apathy on the part of the majority of the people of this country. They seem to have lost faith and confidence in any political system. This journal therefore seeks to rekindle a sense of awareness and impress on all Sierra Leoneans that all is not lost and that Sierra Leone belongs to all of us and not just to a particular group, section or tribe and that we will only be able to forge ahead as a nation and uplift ourselves through our own bootstraps. That will be the only way out of our socio-political and economic malaise. No country or international organization will do that for us. Regimes will come and go, political actors will come and go, but our beloved Sierra Leone will remain forever.

We must not forget easily that the majority of the people of this country have suffered for too long. They were marginalized and compelled to live in sub-human conditions for nearly twenty-three years under the infamous APC regime - a regime that was dominated by a good number of mercenary politicians with misguided priorities and whose devout mission was to enrich themselves at the expense of the people they claimed to serve.

They taught very bad examples which have grown very firm roots that will take some amount of time to uproot, and which octopus-like embraced and polluted every facet of our national life. We are talking about a time when vice was virtue, a time of economic plundering and sabotage almost with religious fervor, a time when indiscipline was the order of the day, we meana time of political lawlessness. We believe as Sierra Leoneans, we have a positive role to play to ensure that this ugly chapter in our national history does not repeat itself.

Please send us your remarks after reading our perspective.
Please Read On!

PERSPECTIVE: Development in Sierra Leone as perceived
by the Center for Alternative Development Strategies (CADS) Sierra Leone!

Sierra Leone has been plagued by a bloody armed conflict, which has predominantly contributed to the disruption of social order and its economic growth. And there is the need to re-establish a firm economic and social foundation through the design and implementation of desired and realistic action-oriented development program. To urgently and systematically provide the right advocacy for the international community to be more supportive to the millions of Sierra Leoneans at risk from war, disease and hunger in Sierra Leone.

The establishment of CADS Sierra Leone is therefore a crucial strategy to contributing towards the stable and peaceful development of Sierra Leone and to lead Sierra Leoneans out of the deprivation and despair that cloud their troubled lives -- and guiding them toward brighter, dignified and happier lives.

CADS Sierra Leone is therefore a people's local action for development. CADS exists to successfully make the poor to overcome bondage, misery and suffering using practical alternative development strategies as instruments of social change. CADS helps people to organize themselves and ascertain their rights and train people to utilize development infrastructure, overcoming the impediments, and CADS seeks to make Government function where there is indifference towards suffering of the weaker sections of society.

Developing the Human Resource of Sierra Leone!

If you ask us our views with regards to development in Sierra Leone we would like to state that the established order needs to prioritize the development of our country's human resource. That should be the number one priority, to achieve the desired goal of concrete development in Sierra Leone. The resources that we have at our disposal - the diamonds, gold, rutile as well as the agricultural resources are not enough in themselves to develop a nation.

The development of the human resource should start at the lowest level, the primary school. Government should do its best to get the children out of the streets, improve health care facilities, and ensure that they are well fed. These are prerequisites for the development of the human resource of Sierra Leone. As far as we in CADS are concerned, there are a lot of deficiencies in elementary schools which need redressing. For instance you cannot expect children to do well in school when they are malnourished. With this in view, the primary level should be well equipped and the welfare of the children adequately catered for to properly groom them as successful future leaders.

We can then move to the secondary level which should similarly be well developed for the proper harnessing of the intellectualism of our teenagers.

The University of course is expected to play a dominant role in development. It is it's exclusive responsibility to develop needs of commitment.

The primary mission for the University is not to replicate the ideas of other societies but to study the problems of its own society and come up with solutions to those problems. The University should promote research on the burning issues affecting the development of Sierra Leone. The University of Colorado for instance, has as its mission to study how Colorado can be developed. The curriculum of the University reflects its priority to tie up with this mission.

We must say that we tend to study at the University of Sierra Leone too much about what has happened or is happening in other countries. We must try to make Sierra Leone a priority study. No University in the world would make the study of Sierra Leone a priority.

In fact, it is now the trend among several international organizations working in developing countries to encourage governments to develop their nationals instead of relying so much on foreign expatriates. So the University of Sierra Leone has to play a key function in such circumstances.

The Role of the Private Sector!

Talking about experiences in America, we noticed that the Private Sector in this world power is playing a key role in development. Therefore, if we may draw parallels in Sierra Leone as well, the Private Sector should play this key role. To successfully achieve this there should be a partnership between the University and the Private Sector. If the University is fully equipped to produce skilled people, the business sector will utilize their resources to increase their profit margin and facilitate development. Government should not be expected to solely concern itself with the issue of development because it will never achieve that objective alone.

The private sector can thus practice the concept of volunteerism out of patriotism to upgrade vital institutions like Schools, Colleges and the University. The Private Sector should learn to practice the idea of giving instead of expecting from government all the time.

The American people, for instance, are so patriotic that they are always willing to volunteer. We should inculcate that kind of attitude. For example people with skills and indigenous non-governmental organizations can come together and move to remote and backward parts of our country to teach basic skills such as carpentry, masonry, agricultural techniques, etc. etc. to less fortunate fellow Sierra Leoneans living in those areas.

The Concept of Integration!

It is a pity that we still do not regard ourselves as Sierra Leoneans. National integration is lacking. There are key institutions that can perform the role of national integration. Institutions like the Military, the University, Religious Groups, the Civil Service, etc.

But again, if the leadership is not good, problems will always be present. There is always the tendency for the leadership to ethnicize institutions like the Military and politicizing it as well. The same thing goes for other institutions like the Police and the Civil Service expected to perform these integrative functions. But the University, however, is supposed to foster the idea of integration because no government in power can ethnicize or politicize it. So it can effectively groom Sierra Leoneans to forget about ethnic differences so that the human resources produced can consciously guard against these tendencies when they are utilized in institutions like
the Police, and the Civil Service.

Leadership!

On the issue of leadership there are two qualities we reckon a leader should have.

One is VISION: A leader should be a person with a game plan, a strategist who achieves results. The American populace will not just vote for X because he hails from a particular state. He must have a platform and must drive towards a particular goal. The leader therefore should channel the energies and abilities of his people for the overall development of the country.

But also critically essential for leadership is INTEGRITY. This addressed the moral issue of leadership. Absence of this will not create a good leader. Vision should be backed by integrity.

Symbolism!

What is our National Identity? This is lacking in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leoneans should try to develop a sober sense of identity. People die for symbols, like the American will die for the American flag notwithstanding his background.

What do we have as a nation that distinguish us from other countries? Like in Ghana, the Ghanaians have the Kente Cloth. The United Kingdom has the Monarchy.

Perhaps the only thing that we notice that integrates people in our country is soccer. But the problem is we cannot get every Sierra Leonean to identify himself with soccer as a national symbol. We need to have a national symbol that will bring people together in this country to think as Sierra Leoneans and not as Temnes, Mendes, Krios, Limbas, or Fullahs. This is one of the reasons why communism failed. We must be prepared to accommodate various national interests.

The political system therefore should be inclusive to stimulate patriotism in individuals. And politics of consultation should be effectively and fairly practiced. Democratic elections for example are part of consultation.

Westernization and Development!

People tend to confuse these two concepts and feel that they cannot be divorced. These are two different concepts. There is empirical evidence to show that a country can develop without being westernized. We can get development from the west and Africanization at the same time. For example in Japan, the Marshall Plan tried to westernize that country in the process of assisting her to develop, but Japan ended up developed without being westernized. The problem, however, with Sierra Leoneans we have noticed, they lack self confidence. We have succeeded to create sub-standards for ourselves. We look up to the white man for paradigms and as models. This should not be the case. We should copy the examples of the Nigerians who
have so much confidence in their abilities to forge ahead as a nation.

Conclusion!

So all beautifully explained and problems identified, to witness a developed Sierra Leone, Sierra Leoneans have to critically examine the recruitment of leaders who will manage state affairs. But as we highlighted before this is presently a difficult task because the human resource in this country is not developed. To address this problem and other problems mentioned above however, people in this country should learn to practice less politics and engage in more businesses at the local as well as the international level, to develop a strong economy that will allow people of independent livelihood independent of government jobs; and that ugly system of patron-clientage should be discouraged. Indigenes of Sierra Leone should be assessed and rewarded according to merit and not patron-clientage. Museveni in Uganda for instance has succeeded to some extent to encourage people to look for
alternative sources of livelihood. This will also eradicate negative traditional norms.

Another aspect of the development incentives is to practice the system of decentralization. Decision making should be decentralized. Government is taking too much of the burden of running the country. It is not everything that should emanate from State House. Let's take a look at the provinces for instance, the government is not expected to determine solely the needs of the people in the provinces. The people in those areas know their priorities more than anybody else. Like in America, the Federal Government does not determine the priorities of the various states. Government will be wasting its time if it tries to solve single handedly all the problems of the people. The people should be encouraged in decision making to make them feel that they are part of the state.

Government should also begin to think seriously to keep a small but efficient and competent Civil Service so that they can be well paid to get the best out of them. We will never get committed workers in this country if the present ridiculous salary structure remains the same.

And revenue collectors must be reasonably compensated to rid corruption in the process. There must be financial incentives to facilitate this most important process and it is high time Sierra Leone computerizes the entire revenue collection process in order to reduce embezzlement and ensure accountability. With a computerized system of revenue collection, the central data bank will not accommodate excuses like loss of files. Government should also try to keep proper and reliable social statistics . This is an area critical to our development. Economic planners cannot be
expected to do a good job if reliable social statistics are lacking. The government should therefore take immediate steps to resuscitate this most vital institution. Information as well for the public to be abreast with national trends is a valuable asset.

Furthermore, the promotion of principles is very important to foster development in Sierra Leone. Though however, it is commonly said that poverty leads to perversion of values, people in Sierra Leone should be fully aware that politics is not a money making affair. People in this country should now learn not to copy the examples of politicians in the APC regime who embraced and dignified corruption instead of promoting principles. If any Sierra Leonean wants to make money, he should engage
himself in legitimate business, that is the art of making money. If he wants to be a public figure with integrity, he should then pursue a political career.

Finally, notwithstanding the above recommendations, Sierra Leone will better survive if it integrates its economy with neighboring countries. Historically, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and even Liberia were one country. The Mano River Union (MRU) which was established to foster economic integration should be made more effective to facilitate the free movement of goods and people in the sub-region. Sierra Leone also needs to develop its strategies to lobby key congress men in the United States and other developed countries, and donor agencies, to get aid for its development projects. Government should always be in a position to furnish potential investors with national statistics. Sierra Leone should endeavor to get developed countries and international financial institutions to be interested in our development efforts.

Do you like what we are doing?

I hope very much you do. But even more, I hope you'll act on that belief by sending CADS a contribution of $100, $200 or even $500. We support programs like the Communal Farming Systems (CFS) Strategy in Agricultural Sector Development, CADS Micro Enterprise Administration's Trickle-Up Aid to Artisans Project, CADS Project for the Disabled, Volunteers for Humanity Project, The Sierra Leone Digest Project, CADS Women's Development Program, CADS Information Databank Project: Connecting Local NGOs Globally, CADS Global Refugees and Adoption Assistance Program, and Training in the Field of Small Business Development.

Please mail any donation in MONEY ORDER payable to CADS Sierra Leone you can generously afford to:
CADS Sierra Leone
61 Sackville Street
PMB 1290
Freetown, Sierra Leone.
You can also reach us by email at CadsIntlPrograms@aol.com

We are planting the seeds of change - nurturing them with hope. Please act now. Our work sowing hope as an antidote to hatred has never been more important.

To further update on our on going programs, it pleases me to inform you that the centre is currently host to Mr. Chad Simmons, an American volunteer, from Wisconsin, USA who is visiting Sierra Leone to help CADS in its effort to facilitate national development initiatives. Mr. Simmons has proven his unflinching resolve to volunteer in Sierra Leone by arriving at Lungi airport on January 15, 2002 and is now a most honored guest of CADS. The center's national co-ordinator Mr. Brima Kamara and its Agricultural and Projects Co-ordinator, Mr. Ingham B. Carew safely received Mr. Simmons from Lungi.

And the Center believes working with Mr. Simmons and other volunteers from the developed world is simply the thing to do if NGOs in developing countries like CADS are to succeed in pursuing their development objectives. He is a cherished volunteer from the United States who will share with us his knowledge and expertise about community development and to build a supportive relationship as there is always strength in working together as a team, and together we are not going to fail at all in pursuing our program objectives. If you would like to talk to Mr. Simmons to appreciate his sacrifice to be in Sierra Leone to help us in this diffiocult time of our nation's history, please call our CADS headquarter at (232 22) 224839.

Thank you.
For the Development of Sierra Leone!
Kenday S. Kamara
President and Chief Development Strategist
CADS Sierra Leone / Global Network
Website: <http://www.geocities.com/cadsglobalnet>

"Learning how to create financial independence for oneself, whether it be a
US citizen or a citizen of Sierra Leone, I think is both essential as well
as a blessing to any society of people; a position in which I myself
endeavor to create ..." - Kyrna Ball, Arizona, USA

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