21 February, 2008

Sierra Express Media

YMCA held Slums Interactive Meeting

The Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) in Sierra Leone in collaboration with People's Dialogue on Human Settlement, based in Ghana, held their international meeting for slum areas at the Kroobay Community in Freetown.

The meeting attracted members from different slum communities in Freetown and also councilors, teachers and dignitaries from the general public.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Director for the People's Dialogue on Human Settlement, Braimah K. Farouk, said that the purpose of coming to Sierra Leone is on an invitation from the YMCA/SL to come and share his experience with people living in slum areas in the country.

He said that over the years, most of the urban poor people across cities have had it very difficult to access basic services in the slum communities, not to talk of reducing poverty. He added that People's Dialogue was formed as an advocacy group to bring together all slum dwellers of the world to have a common voice and a common platform to be able to partner with authorities so that the slum communities can be improved. He said that the only way slum dwellers can improve their communities is to partner with their various governments. 

Mr. Farouk called upon all residents of Kroobay, to organize themselves into groups and start putting money into those organizations so that they can improve their communities. He advised that such monies will also help the community members in various other social things.

The Executive Director promised that People's Dialogue will continue to support their partner which is the YMCA/SL to make sure that people living in slum communities in Sierra Leone will be able to access facilities due them. Mr. Farouk observed that slums in Sierra Leone are very vibrant areas where women play a leading role and confirmed that if this continues, the community will be a changed place in a very near future. According to Mr. Farouk, the acting Mayor of the Freetown City Council has shown a keen interest in improving the lives of people of slum areas. He said that the acting Mayor has sincerely promised to take the improvement of slum communities as one of his first priorities.

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