Speaking on the objectives of the conference, the Executive Director of Fambul Tok International, John Caulker charged that they want the lessons learnt from the post-war recovery to apply to the post-Ebola recovery and development, recognize the role of communities in the fight against Ebola; identify community roles in the recovery and ongoing development process, and understand what is required to give communities a central role. He recounted that the conference was also to catalyze the people’s planning process across the district; identify structures, and next steps to support community agency in the recovery and ongoing development for the district.
Mr. Caulker maintained that there were project that were implemented during the post-war era in the country that were not the needs of the people at the time. He claimed that many of those projects are white-elephant in those communities with the people benefiting nothing from them. John went on to state that the failure to include the people in those projects was also responsible for the lack of proper coordination in the implementation of them.
In his submission, Paramount Chief Gbawura Mansaray III from Wara Wara Yagala Chiefdom in Kabala said that the initiative of Fambul Tok was a great one that will tremendously help actualizing the dreams of the community people during this post-Ebola recovery program. He said inclusiveness is all that matters in governance. The paramount chief claimed that there are so many mishaps in various communities caused by the eradicated dreaded Ebola virus.
He said it takes good leadership to solve those problems in the communities which will foster rapid development. The dialogue conference was aimed solving the problems communities and among families so as to continue strengthening and consolidating the peace and democracy in the country. Fambul Tok is expected to launch a report known as the people’s plan. This document contains what the people want to see implemented in their communities.
