New Brunswick, NJ -
A major
non-governmental
organization that
will send much
needed aids to the
less fortunate,
including victims of
the civil war and
children in Sierra
Leone has been
launched in the
United States.
Disclosing this to
ANDnews Friday, the
founder and the US
Coordinator, Mr.
Abdul Bubu Kamara
said the People's
Agenda for Poverty
Alleviation (PAPA)
was established in
his home country,
after he saw the
need to provide the
much needed care and
resources for his
people.
Mr. Kamara, who
recently returned
from his homeland
said, during his
visit to his
homeland back in
2002, "I saw my
people suffering. I
saw poverty in their
faces. I saw
hopelessness. The
people do not have
the necessary
resources to
survive. They have
lost hope, so I was
able to gather few
compatriots of like
minds and we formed
the PAPA, which I am
now lunching the USA
branch."
PAPA took off in
March 2002 as a non
profit organization.
According to Mr.
Kamara, though PAPA
is launched in the
USA, it will
mobilize resources
to send back to
Sierra Leone for the
needy. "Our people
back home need more
help, and whatever
we can get to send
to them, will make a
huge difference in
their lives."
The PAPA Executive
said the NGO
contributes to the
alleviation of
poverty by delivery
small scale programs
to address
hopelessness and
helplessness in
small communities
and to lead in
building their own
capacity for
sustainable
livelihood.
Mr. Kamara said PAPA
is committed to
improving the
quality of life of
people and to help
create a transformed
society. "We are
building a strong
relationship with
the communities to
increase the
awareness of the
importance of
self-development,"
Kamara told ANDnews.
He furthered, "We
are also working to
explore possible
areas to acquire
means of providing
basic education
especially for the
girl child and seek
proper health care
facilities for women
and the aged."
PAPA is also
involved in sex
education to combat
HIV/AIDS and other
communicable
diseases in the
various communities.
"We are also
involved in
sensitizing the
children and the
youth in human
rights violation."
PAPA, according to
the US Coordinator
is a member of a
forum of national
NGO's in Sierra
Leone. He said the
NGO is registered
with the Ministry of
Development and
Economic Planning.
"We are also
collaborating with
other organizations
to implement our
projects. We also
work with the
government and
partners to improve
the socio-economic
development of
Sierra Leone."
Since its
establishment, PAPA
has rehabilitated
the palm oil
plantation at Newton
Village in the Koya
District, which was
funded by the
European Commission
and Sierra Leone
Rehabilitation and
Resettlement
program. The NGO has
also provided husk
rice for one
thousand farm
families in the
villages of Sella
Limba Chiefdom,
Bombali District and
it also rebuilt the
Court barray in
Rotifunk in the
Bumpeh Chiefdom.
"We have also
provided micro
credit loans in the
Moyamba District in
the Southern Region,
which was supported
by SAPA. We also
provided school
support by making
available text books
and other school
materials for poor
children in Bumpeh
and RIbbi Chiefdoms
in the Moyamba
District in the
Lumley community.
This program is
funded by St. Paul
United Methodist
Church in Grank
Park, Georgia USA."
Mr. Kamara said his
NGO is currently
building some
water-wells in both
Ribbi & Bumpeh
Chiefdoms, which is
being funded by
SALWACO and GOSL.
PAPA's Program
Manager and Fund
Mobiliser is Mr.
Salifu Kamara of
Sayriville, New
Jersey and Mr.
Albert Demby is the
BGO's UK
Coordinator.
