The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sierra Leone has handed over a set of items to Kambia District Council for women traders with support from the UNDP Africa Borderland Centre. The items included 15 Solar Freezers (which were handed over o the women traders in 2022), three hundred solar lights for the beneficiaries in the locality that UNDP implemented the borderland project: five Motorbikes (two for the Family Support Unit, two for the Military Personnel and one for the Gender Officer Council).   

The donation of the items is part of UNDP’s post COVID-19 recovery support to businesswomen in borderline Communities. 

Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Resident Representative of UNDP, Pa Lamin Bayie, reiterated the fact that UNDP is committed to gender empower and undertake different interventions including economic, safety, and political empowerment

Pa Lamin explained the solar lights are intended to be distributed to vulnerable women who live in remote areas and do not have access to any form of energy. He was hopeful having the lights will help reduce the incidence of sexual violence.

The President of the Kambia District Women Network, Suad Woobay, pledged their commitment to ensure the interventions undertaken are sustainable. “On behalf of women of Kambia, I want to assure UNDP, your efforts will not go in vain, whatever need to be done to sustain their projects in this district, we will make sure that happens,” she said.

The Acting Deputy Chief Administrator, Mani Pessima, extended the appreciation of the district for the continuous support they have received from UNDP. He was particularly excited about the donation of the motorbikes to the various agencies in the district to aid their monitoring and outreach to communities. 

UNDP's support to women in borderland communities in Kambia District

Since 2020, UNDP has supported borderland communities as part of its post COVID-19 support. The supported included the award of $150 dollar grant each to over three hundred women traders in Magbema Samu, Tonko, and Bramaya Chiefdoms to restart their business affected by the pandemic. They were also supported to form Village Savings and Loans Associations to strengthen their access to finance. 

Two milling machines were also donated to women in Kassierie and Kukuna. In addition, the women were also supplied with agricultural tools .15 solar Freezers to were also supplied to the women to enhance their businesses.