UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL COUNCIL
Distr.
LIMIOED
27 March 1969 Originals, ENGliSH
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOK AFRICA
Regional Meeting on the Role of Women in National Development
Addis Afcaba, 17-26 March 1969
COUNTRY REPORT - SIERRA LEONE
M69-IO76
COUUTRT" PAPiiR - SIERRA LEONE
Community Development and Social Services are "both under the Ministry of Social Welfare in Sierra Leone, .The Professional.head of this Ministry is .a woman, called Mrs. Amelia G. Ben Davis.
The Ministry'of Social "Welfare1 runs "Basic Training. P-purse^1 yearly for newly employed workers -in ::C6mmunity :and "Social Development work. The Course lasts for' -three -months'.'- - Subjects taught within:, the Course ares Nutrition, Home Development such asr:''Handicrafts,; sewing and ..embroidery? Village Sanitation, building of plate racks',1 'hanging"of\clothes",lines,,.•improved' kitohens, building and repairing local "Bath "rooms, digging of latrines etc.
etc. | home gardeningss Literacy^ Child care, juvenile ,delinquency, family
case work, laundry and Red Cross. Af ■'the end. of... the'.Course, an examination ■ is undertaken Try students? and certificates are awarded according to merits.
Community Development and Social Workers when they return to their various stations after the course, go to villages.for.t^eir "field work",
to impart all that has been taught to them through lectures'and1 practical demonstration. These demonstrations are being .sponsored.by UNICES- and FAO through domestic and- garden utensils'.and materials' supplied for such .-.-; ('■;'■<.
demonstrations.■•-■: ■' -■■ ■*■ ■ ' •■"- ■' ■■■l-; '■ .■■.■■■_*■-■ ' ..' . " . ■■ ■ ", :. .
■:.:h. .■..■■.Voluntary leaders ar;e trained every'yeair, provincially, by the
Ministry .of Social Welfare. Emphasis in this Training is based- o,n Family Nutrition, childcare ahc£ hariiiicfaf ts." 'Handicraf f is encouraged, .because w
the need to-.toow. ,the. gr&a-f-use ■ of :local raw materials is "esg^ntial/ TheSs-'' local,ra.w materials'..when -made,-- will be sold9 and its .proceeds'! .will' co-ntribute a lot in paying school fees of children whose mothers have made them.
,■- VoXutttary -Leaders'" areJ-chosen'fr'om'every 'chiefdom .&f a District.- -The-' ■'
■ fytiea..o£_t Voluntary -Leaders are to continue' with, village, women's gro.ups-,o:' - : inj.he. absence-.of^a..Community Bevelo'pmfnt"arid'-SopiaiVVorker. ■ Follow-ups ;' .are; ©oiitinu'ed b^Cssimunity^Development^and Social "Workers "after a while,,- ...'
•to see if voluntary workers are imparting to their fellow-village women
what has been taught to them. . ... .
-.Senior, Social ■Workers1 are awarded Scholarships overseas, to broaden :■:.
their knowledge and-qualifications and. thereby, on i'iheir return after their period of training, are .eligible^'for prbmot'iqn to. .Social Development ©fficers after gaming Diplomas/'and- Degrees. Certificates'.and Diploma holders are .started as "Social Development Assistants", grades I. and II.. - ■ ;■ ;,. ■
.-.,., Community.;&evelopme-nf Workers are awarded Fellowships to observe.-- '-■-■■■
Community Development work in Ghana! " V ' '.
T- ^ j Training Courses are held yearly for Ministry of Social Welfare Staff. Yearly reports of work done in the previous year are read in this1 Course, and Workers learn from one another through the changing of ideas. Problems and Successes are discussed thoroughly. ■ '
