Network Movement for Justice and Development

NMJD's board members, alongside the Regional Director for Vibrant Village Foundation(VVF), visited the Kargboray community in Karene District to interact with the project participants.

The visit focused on the Masidama participants and the Karene Women in Governance who shared interesting stories of how the project has impacted their lives and their communities.

NMJD Conducts 2025 Pace Strategy Testing in Kono District

NMJD with support from Irish Aid through Christian Aid Sierra Leone (CA-SL), yesterday, 20th November, 2025 conducted the Annual Strategy Testing Session for the Promoting Accountability and Citizens Engagement (PACE) project. The event took place at the Women in Development Sierra Leone (WIND-SL) Resource Centre in Koidu City, Kono District. It brought together partners from other organizations in the district and project participants from Gbense, Fiama and Lei chiefdoms.

This reflective engagement is part of CA-SL’s adaptive programme management approach, which seeks to ensure that project strategies remain relevant, responsive, and effective within the emerging socio-political and environmental context in the project communities.
The sessions aimed at reflecting on contextual changes taking place in the project communities, reviewing the effectiveness of existing strategies against programme outcomes, Identifying and building consensus around necessary adaptations to strengthen delivery, validate and triangulate outcomes reported by partners.

Key areas covered included: Mid-term outcome review; Reflection on programme objectives; Adaptive plannings; and partner capacity assessment. The overarching objective of this activity is to enhance an inclusive, transparent, accountable, and peaceful communities where citizens claim and enjoy their rights infettered.

Mosenessie Holds Local-Level Accountability Forum

With funds from the European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone, NMJD today, Thursday 13th November 2025, held a successful local-level accountability forum at Mosenessie Junction in Moyamba District for the Sierra Mineral Holdings Limited (SMHL) operational communities. The local-level accountability forums will be held for all mining companies in the six project districts who have signed the Community Development Agreement (CDA) with the host mining communities and have a functioning Community Development Committee (CDC). This activity aims at delivering on one of the three strands of the Civil Society Engagement for Enhancing Transparency and Participation in the Governance of the Mining Sector project, which is the promotion of accountable management of mining sector revenues and incentives through social accountability mechanisms to enhance community development and investment stability in mining communities.

The Community Affairs Manager of SMHL, Mr Joseph Amadu, presented details of the company’s contributions towards the development of the communities that are affected by their operations, which comprise five chiefdoms. He threw light at the agreement the company signed with the CDC leading to a special arrangement, which saw the establishment of a Special Account where the company deposits monies, meant for the CDC operations and for settling the arrears accrued during the eight months the company was not in operation. In line with this special agreement, the SMHL has paid into the CDF the total amount of US$530,416.55 for 2025. He responded to several questions and concerns raised with regards how the minimum 1% is calculated and he assured the forum of his company’s willingness to involve the CDC in the process of calculating the 1% going forward; public disclosures in which he said his company has already developed a plan for regular community engagements in 2026 starting in February and these engagements he said would be held in all of the five chiefdoms within their operations; Corporate Social Responsibility; deplorable conditions of the roads; dust pollution and health and environmental compliance; and compliance with their obligations generally. He concluded by highlighting the challenges faced by his company, including the non-compliance of road safety by other companies, encroachment on the mine operational facilities, assault and attacks on their security guards and community road blocks.

The representative of the CDC Chairman, Madam Stella B. Nicol, corroborated Mr Amadu on the amount of money the company deposited into the CDF for 2025. She explained how these monies have been utilized by the CDC, including maintenance of the scholarship scheme and how much of it is still in the account. Several questions and concerns were raised around the scholarship scheme, some with unpleasant experiences. After a critical analysis, it was realized that the Paramount Chiefs are apparently using their influence and authority and creating more problems for the CDC in the management of the scholarship scheme. Other key speakers included the Councilor in charge of mining in Moyamba district, Mr Isaac A. Wilson, landowner Mr Mohamed B. Sillah, Mr Sylvester Bob Carter, Madam Lucy Wright and youth leaders of Mosenessie and Mokanji.

As an outcome, a five-person committee was set up and tasked with the responsibility to follow-up on all the issues raised and further investigate them and report to the forum.

The forum unanimously agreed that the meeting was relevant and very important as it was very educative and interactive. In fact, the Councilor in charge of mining in the Moyamba district said this was the very first time he was hearing about the 20% contribution from the Surface Rent to the District Development Fund.

NMJD Supports VDCs in Karene District

As part of the ICSP-WALD project, NMJD with funds from Irish Aid through Trócaire supported the Village Development Committees (VDCs) to conduct community-level evidence-based monitoring across 15 operational communities in Karene district. The assessment focused specifically on the quality of public service provision, with specific preference on healthcare and the inclusion of women in healthcare governance structures.

It is against this background that NMJD Karene in collaboration with the VDCs, hosted a day-long Chiefdom-level interface meeting in Kamakwie, Sella Limba Chiefdom, to receive the findings of the social audit and evidence-based monitoring from the VDCs. The event brought together key district stakeholders, service providers, and community representatives, including the Ministry of Gender and Children Affairs, Ministry of Social Welfare, Karene District Council chairman, and the CSOs, among others.

In the ensuing interactive session, a joint action plan was developed aimed at strengthening the commitments of district stakeholders and community members to address existing gaps and ultimately promote gender-sensitive and community-centred service delivery.

Also, this initiative aims to enhance collaboration, build stronger relationships between duty bearers and right holders, and ensure community needs are effectively addressed.
NMJD remains committed towards empowering communities and holding service providers accountable for better healthcare outcomes in Karene district.

Local-Level Accountability Forums Underway in Lunsar

NMJD kicked off the local-level accountability forums on the subnational mining revenue transfers this morning, Tuesday 11th November 2025, at the Chiefdom Court Barray on Kanneh Drive in Lunsar. Except the Marampa Mines Limited who were conspicuously absent, the other community stakeholders availed themselves and participated actively. This activity is funded by the European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone under the “Civil Society Engagement for Enhancing Transparency and Participation in the Governance of the Mining Sector” project.

The objective of this activity is to promote transparency and accountability, as well as to enhance community development, increase community voice and space in decision-making and guarantee peaceful communities. Whilst addressing the meeting, a member of the Marampa CDC said the Marampa Mines Limited (MML) since 2022 paid the total amount of US$3.7 Million into the Community Development Fund. Of this, US$2Million has been used by the MML to support different community projects such as water wells and toilets in schools. However, he noted that the money paid into the CDF is solely managed by the company themselves who he said are the principal signatory to the account. This claim was corroborated by almost all the attendees, who added there was zero consultations on the part of the MML “who’re more concerned about what’s right for them and not what’s right for the community”.

Also, the MML was accused by participants of making themselves inaccessible by the community people and persistently refusing to attend community activities even where their presence is not only needed, but also relevant for them to be there.
On the Chiefdom Development Committee, the Marampa Chiefdom Speaker said he has been in office for five months now, and throughout this period he was not aware of any payment made by the MML in respect of the Chiefdom Development Fund. He made a strong commitment to raise the issue with the Paramount Chief and other chiefdom stakeholders.
The discussions were very engaging and most of the experiences of sufferings and neglect shared by participants were passionate and emotional. Participants did not mince their words when explaining their frustrations, confusion and lack of knowledge of how subnational mining revenues meant for community development are utilized by those entrusted with these resources. Specifically, they were concerned about the Constituency Development Fund in the absence of constituencies, Agricultural Development Fund, which they said they never benefitted anything from, and the District Development Fund.

Following the recommendation of the meeting, a three-person committee was formed to follow-up on and investigate some of the issues raised during the meeting and share the findings at the next forum meeting. The committee is headed by Mr Alusine B. Conteh. Other members of the committee include Mr Ibrahim Musa Kamara and Madam Rugie Conteh. The Port Loko District Project Lead and the Programmes Coordinator of NMJD are to develop a ToR to guide the work of the committee, together with a timeframe.