Caritas Sierra Leone, through their Justice for Peace Commission, on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, trained 30 animators from 15 slum communities on election violence, early warning signs and cyberbullying, and how to prevent violence against women and to promote women’s participation in the June 24, 2023, General election.

The two-day training session was held at Twin Hall Center in Hastings.

According to the Program Manager for Caritas Sierra Leone, Justice for Peace Commission, Eliza O. Sillah, a problem in a community is a problem for every household in that community.

She expressed however that the training of the 30 community animators selected from 15 communities in the rural and urban districts was to implement a project funded by Trócaire titled, Preventing Violence Against Women; and Promoting Women’s Participation in the Electoral Processes for 2023 general elections.

Meanwhile, she continued the 30 animators were selected from the 15 slum communities because those communities are highly populated with diverse kinds of people. Including youth, women, and people living with a disability.

She said there is a high rate of violence and drug abuse in those communities, noting that because of the vulnerability of those low-income and unemployed people living in the slum areas makes them easy to be used for violence during elections.

Furthermore, she stated that they will also ensure women’s participation during the elections, and ensure that people with disability access election facilities and participate fully in the electoral process.

She said the two-day training was to help capacitate the animator to be able to detect early signs of violence within communities and know how to report them.

According to one of the participants, Dominic Osman, a Community stakeholder in the Newton Community, the training will enable them to go back to their communities and sensitize their people and encourage them to stay out of election violence.

Also, he called on all Sierra Leoneans to deviate from election violence and promote peace before, during, and after the June 24 General election elections.