UNDP Global Environmental Facility funded Project empowers women in Moyamba District

December 21, 2022

Photo showing a view of the newly constructed Jetty in Shenge, courtesy of UNDP/Global Environmental Facility fund

Shenge, is a sand mining town and a fishing community in Kagboro Chiefdom, Moyamba District, with over 300000 residents prone to climate vulnerabilities.

Over the years, the rapid act of sand mining and deforestation have been major factors responsible for erosion and floods, seriously impacting climate change in the coastal areas across the country.

Through the United Nations Development Programme coastal risk project, women and the most vulnerable people have been placed at the heart of the project interventions within its environs.

“Shenge was left out in terms of development but through the Global Environmental Facility funded project, UNDP and partners came and revived our local economy predominantly managed by women, by constructing a jetty, cold-room, and ice plant. Through training on Village Saving Loans (VSLA) Associations, women have been able to realize increased access to finance and helped to revive their businesses and improve their livelihoods,” said Mr. Adikalie A. Bangura, Chairman of the Local Partnership Board.

Before now, life without a Jetty in a coastal community like Shenge was extremely difficult to move humans and commodities, and access by road is usually greeted by bumpy terrains and expensive transportation fares. The new jetty is saving women and youth more time knowing that they can now land safely through the jetty than spend more traveling time on the road compared to sea transportation.

Training on financial literacy and alternative livelihood opportunities has brought more income-generating activities to Shenge, consequently discouraging climate-prone economic activities such as sand mining and deforestation.

Photo showing a cross section of businesswomen in Shenge who have formed themselves into Village Saving Loans (VSLA) Associations

For Charles Mancy Barley, Public Relations Officer of the Chiefdom Development Committee who also represents the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, “the main source of traveling with goods from Shenge to Tombo in the Western Urban District is through the Jetty and most importantly it enhances the safe landing of goods from one point to another.”

Thanks to UNDP’s model of partnership, it also found enablers by collaborating with the Government of Sierra Leone through various lines of ministries such as Tourism, Environment, and Fisheries leading ground-level implementation of the GEF Funded project in these communities.

Women and youth in Shenge are grateful to the Government of Sierra Leone and UNDP/GEF for the immense transformation and developmental strides to protect the lives and properties of its citizen against the uncertainties of climate change.

UNDP/GEF intervention in Shenge also provided capacity on the following areas:

Women’s empowerment and gender mainstreaming
Waste Management
Cold rooms management and platform construction
Village Saving Loans (VSLA)
Life skills such as Hair Dressing, Make-up Kits, Art and Crafts, etc.

At the end of these capacity training, women and youth were provided with start-up kits to start their work and trade while feeling empowered also to lead community engagement and public awareness at community levels to educate residents on the importance of environmental sustainability, and how human activities do make coastal communities more vulnerable.

“Shenge was left out in terms of development but through the Global Environmental Facility funded project, UNDP and partners came and revived our local economy predominantly managed by women, by constructing a jetty, cold-room, and ice plant. Through training on Village Saving Loans (VSLA) Associations, women have been able to realize increased access to finance and helped to revive their businesses and improve their livelihoods.”

Adikalie A. Bangura, Chairman of the Local Partnership Board in Shenge