Post a comment
Street Child Sierra Leone, in partnership with World Vision International Sierra Leone, has initiated a significant effort to enhance children’s involvement in decision-making processes by facilitating their participation in local and national government planning and budgeting processes.
Held at Ndeleh Hall, Growth Center in Pujehun Town, the engagement brought together representatives from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Ministry of Social Welfare, Pujehun District Council, Children Support Groups, Children’s Forum Network, school pupils, and the media among others
Bai J. Conteh, the Acting Director of Program Delivery and Head of Advocacy at Street Child Sierra Leone, emphasized the organization’s dedication to partnering with World Vision International to involve children and stakeholders in the planning and budgeting processes at both local and national levels. He highlighted Street Child’s goal of strengthening systems to ensure child survival in Pujehun District, aiming for inclusive progress towards achieving sustainable development goals. Conteh reiterated the organization’s commitment to enabling children’s participation in decision-making processes.
Conteh called on the government, particularly the Pujehun District Council, and other partners to actively involve children in budget development to ensure accountability.
During his PowerPoint presentation, Sulaiman Kain, the Finance Officer of Pujehun District Council, explained that a budget is a plan of action expressed in quantitative or monetary terms for a future period. He noted that a budget could be planned for varying lengths of time, from days to years. Kain pledged the Council’s commitment to involving children in local-level budget development to enhance transparency and accountability.
Alice Koroma, representing the Children’s Forum Network in Pujehun District, expressed gratitude on behalf of her peers to Street Child of Sierra Leone for their enlightening engagement. She described the initiative as timely and essential for empowering children in the community.
The event marks a pivotal step towards fostering child participation in governance, ensuring that young voices contribute to shaping the future of their communities.
