New Year Message from ED
Dear Members, Esteemed donors & well-wishers,
This year 2017 has been considered a successful year for KISDO in terms of implementing its objectives and related operational issues. Now that we’re a few days into the New Year, it’s good to evaluate our activities during 2017 and plan for 2018 by looking ahead and think about what key activities could be highlighted and embark on implementing them accordingly.
But first, a quick evaluation of what activities were implemented in 2017.
In 2017, in spite of financial constraints and other challenges, KISDO managed to implement and achieved a number of developmental, humanitarian and social development activities. Starting from a social group, KISDO succeeded in uniting kissi families and thousands of the kissi people and well-wishers all over the world who have been out of touch with friends and relatives for many years.
KISDO was formally registered with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs. (MSWGCA).
In terms of national achievements, KISDO succeeded in re-instating the KOINDU market on Sundays which was closed since 2013 during the Ebola outbreak and was initially allowed to temporary operate on Thursdays instead of the usual and well known Sunday for the Koindu market.
Moreover, KISDO succeeded after hard and difficult negotiations with the concerned Government authorities i.e the Police Inspector General (IG), Ministries of Interior, Defense, Security, ……….etc….. in convincing the Government to detonate the massive weapons that were buried and left behind by the RUF rebels in Buedu town, kissi Tongi Chiefdom in Kailahun district about 15 years after the end of the civil war that endangered lives of children, women and inhabitants of the town. Children used to play with RPG bombs and shells as if they were toys.
During the mudslide disaster in Freetown, through voluntary donations, KISDO members contributed voluntarily in cash and kind to support the victims during their desperate and difficult times of need.
Furthermore, KISDO have already rented a house in Koindu, kissi Teng which is centrally located and it is expected to be used as KISDO Sub- Regional Office serving Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
One of our cherished dreams was to host the KISDO INTERNATIONAL state of the art launching which was put on hold due to the current political state of affairs and developments in Sierra Leone. Noting that such event has never been witnessed or held in Kissidom within the Mano River Basin. Notwithstanding the above mentioned developments, KISDO is still bent and determined to host and implement the launching preferably after the planned 2018 general elections in Sierra Leone. We, KISDO ED will keep all members posted as and when a new date has been decided and agreed upon by all concerned.
As we start the New Year, we should relish and profile the challenges/ activities that lie ahead. Noting the road of transforming the kissi kingdom’s high level of illiteracy and unemployment is a rocky one that requires serious commitment, dedication and prioritization of activities with focal person(s) to ensure that assigned tasks are implemented within a given time frame. The provision of skills training to the unemployed youths and women empowerment are among KISDO key challenges that require utmost attention to ensure that they start their own trade that are sustainable. This is one of the major challenges of KISDO and if successfully implemented will go a long way in assisting KISDO in developing the Mano River Basin.
One of KISDO major projects aimed at combating this situation of illiteracy and unemployment is to open the Koindu Office in January 2018. With the understanding and expectation that this Office will be providing facilities such as a library that can serve both primary and secondary schools not only Sierra Leone but the neighbouring Liberia and Guinea. This will help to complement the constraints faced by many parents who cannot provide learning materials for their children. University students and other readers will also benefit from it. The complex will also be a center for the young and old to relax and exchange ideas, skills and experience. Furthermore, the office is expected to be the venue for the soon to be launched soap making and other developmental projects.
It is worth mentioning that some well wishes have already started donating books to the library but KISDO still pleading and requesting for more learning resources, materials and equipment like those listed below.
BOOKS, COMPUTERS, SOLAR SYSTEM, TELEVISIONS, GAMES AND MOVIES, PROJECTORS & SCREENS’, PA (PUBLIC ADDRESS) SYSTEM, PRINTER, PHOTOCOPIRES, STATIONARY, FRIDGES AND FREEZERS
All these measures are of course not without cost. PLEASE DONATE TO THIS JUST CAUSE
No matter what the circumstances are, we must not lose vision of our priority: to be robust and sustainable organization that put the future generation at the heart of everything we do. That will only be possible with your continued dedication, commitments and teamwork. Let us all roll-up our sleeves and please go to work! It’s important for us to use our time wisely and move forward as decisively and swiftly as we can in 2018. I am sure by working together and keeping focused we will realize our ambitions and dreams.
I would personally like to thank all our esteemed members and well-wishers for their continuous support, commitment and dedication. We couldn’t have been where we are now without such a tremendous level of enthusiasm from all of you.
Wishing everybody a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018.
Mr. Michael Sallu Mansaray
Executive Director.
KISDO INTERNATIONAL
This year 2017 has been considered a successful year for KISDO in terms of implementing its objectives and related operational issues. Now that we’re a few days into the New Year, it’s good to evaluate our activities during 2017 and plan for 2018 by looking ahead and think about what key activities could be highlighted and embark on implementing them accordingly.
But first, a quick evaluation of what activities were implemented in 2017.
In 2017, in spite of financial constraints and other challenges, KISDO managed to implement and achieved a number of developmental, humanitarian and social development activities. Starting from a social group, KISDO succeeded in uniting kissi families and thousands of the kissi people and well-wishers all over the world who have been out of touch with friends and relatives for many years.
KISDO was formally registered with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs. (MSWGCA).
In terms of national achievements, KISDO succeeded in re-instating the KOINDU market on Sundays which was closed since 2013 during the Ebola outbreak and was initially allowed to temporary operate on Thursdays instead of the usual and well known Sunday for the Koindu market.
Moreover, KISDO succeeded after hard and difficult negotiations with the concerned Government authorities i.e the Police Inspector General (IG), Ministries of Interior, Defense, Security, ……….etc….. in convincing the Government to detonate the massive weapons that were buried and left behind by the RUF rebels in Buedu town, kissi Tongi Chiefdom in Kailahun district about 15 years after the end of the civil war that endangered lives of children, women and inhabitants of the town. Children used to play with RPG bombs and shells as if they were toys.
During the mudslide disaster in Freetown, through voluntary donations, KISDO members contributed voluntarily in cash and kind to support the victims during their desperate and difficult times of need.
Furthermore, KISDO have already rented a house in Koindu, kissi Teng which is centrally located and it is expected to be used as KISDO Sub- Regional Office serving Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
One of our cherished dreams was to host the KISDO INTERNATIONAL state of the art launching which was put on hold due to the current political state of affairs and developments in Sierra Leone. Noting that such event has never been witnessed or held in Kissidom within the Mano River Basin. Notwithstanding the above mentioned developments, KISDO is still bent and determined to host and implement the launching preferably after the planned 2018 general elections in Sierra Leone. We, KISDO ED will keep all members posted as and when a new date has been decided and agreed upon by all concerned.
As we start the New Year, we should relish and profile the challenges/ activities that lie ahead. Noting the road of transforming the kissi kingdom’s high level of illiteracy and unemployment is a rocky one that requires serious commitment, dedication and prioritization of activities with focal person(s) to ensure that assigned tasks are implemented within a given time frame. The provision of skills training to the unemployed youths and women empowerment are among KISDO key challenges that require utmost attention to ensure that they start their own trade that are sustainable. This is one of the major challenges of KISDO and if successfully implemented will go a long way in assisting KISDO in developing the Mano River Basin.
One of KISDO major projects aimed at combating this situation of illiteracy and unemployment is to open the Koindu Office in January 2018. With the understanding and expectation that this Office will be providing facilities such as a library that can serve both primary and secondary schools not only Sierra Leone but the neighbouring Liberia and Guinea. This will help to complement the constraints faced by many parents who cannot provide learning materials for their children. University students and other readers will also benefit from it. The complex will also be a center for the young and old to relax and exchange ideas, skills and experience. Furthermore, the office is expected to be the venue for the soon to be launched soap making and other developmental projects.
It is worth mentioning that some well wishes have already started donating books to the library but KISDO still pleading and requesting for more learning resources, materials and equipment like those listed below.
BOOKS, COMPUTERS, SOLAR SYSTEM, TELEVISIONS, GAMES AND MOVIES, PROJECTORS & SCREENS’, PA (PUBLIC ADDRESS) SYSTEM, PRINTER, PHOTOCOPIRES, STATIONARY, FRIDGES AND FREEZERS
All these measures are of course not without cost. PLEASE DONATE TO THIS JUST CAUSE
No matter what the circumstances are, we must not lose vision of our priority: to be robust and sustainable organization that put the future generation at the heart of everything we do. That will only be possible with your continued dedication, commitments and teamwork. Let us all roll-up our sleeves and please go to work! It’s important for us to use our time wisely and move forward as decisively and swiftly as we can in 2018. I am sure by working together and keeping focused we will realize our ambitions and dreams.
I would personally like to thank all our esteemed members and well-wishers for their continuous support, commitment and dedication. We couldn’t have been where we are now without such a tremendous level of enthusiasm from all of you.
Wishing everybody a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018.
Mr. Michael Sallu Mansaray
Executive Director.
KISDO INTERNATIONAL
BUEDU WEAPONS
KOINDU MARKET