FGHR Recognizes SiLNoRF for Its Dedication to Defending Human Rights

By SiLNoRF Communications Unit

In recognition of the relentless effort exerted in the area of human rights advocacy, the Funds for Global Human Rights (FGHR) on Thursday 15th June 2017 presented a Plaque in appreciation of the tremendous contributions of the Sierra Leone Network on the Right Food (SiLNoRF).

It could be recalled that the FGHR funds after working in West Africa for almost 13 years decided to focus on other themes in other parts of the world. Therefore, its presence and activities in West Africa is to be reduced. Throughout its presence in West Africa, SiLNoRF is one of the most outstanding organizations that have contributed in no uncertain terms to the actualization of FGHR Vision and Mission. It is on that note that FGHR decided to honor SiLNoRF among few other organizations in West Africa. Last week, a two man delegation from the Head Office in Washington DC visited SiLNoRF to express their appreciation for what they described as the wonderful partnership between the two organizations. 

Presenting the plague to SiLNoRF, the Programmes Officer for West African Programmes for FGHR; Dr. John Kabia said it was a pleasure to have come in contact and working with SiLNoRF. He said that since SiLNoRF started its advocacies on the Right to Food concept in Sierra Leone, women's land Rights etc, it has left an indelible footprint in the world of advocacy in not just Sierra Leone, but the world over. 

According to Dr. Kabia, through the advocacy of SiLNoRF and other NGOs, the country now has what he described as 'tangibles' to point at like the existence for the first time the National Land Policy of 2015 in Sierra Leone. He recalled that SiLNoRF and few others started the debate for the enactment of a National Land Policy and after some years, there is one presently. Adding that strides were also made to influence the Constitutional Review Committee to including issues of land and rights into the reviewed constitution, all these were successes to which SiLNoRF contributed through the partnership of FGHR. 

The National Coordinator of SiLNoRF; Mohamed S. Conteh said it will take some time before SiLNoRF would recover from the shock that FGHR was leaving west Africa adding that it would also take a long time for SiLNoRF to stabilize. He disclosed that SiLNoRF in 2016 and 2017 suffered two shocks as 2 of our partners CORDAID and FGHR changed thematic focus and left West Africa respectively. He however promised that SiLNoRF will work very hard to sustain the gains made with FGHR in promoting women's land rights in Sierra Leone.