New mothers at the health centre in Benduma, Bo ... - SABIsabi-sl.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/J115275_SABI_Brochure_WEB.… · In 2017, SABI partner BBC Media Action trained 47

New mothers at the health centre in Benduma, Bo District. Improving health facilities was a top priority in Benduma’s community action plan, drawn up with support from SABI.

WelcomeCommunities have the power to drive sustainable change.

Since 2016, SABI has been helping Sierra Leoneans to become more active and informed citizens – better able to speak up, claim their rights, and engage with their elected representatives and service providers.

Even in this short time, we have seen changes in how society is working. These reflect greater agency on the part of citizens, enhanced social capital with SABI as a catalyst for communities working together, and improved relationships between citizens and government at every level.

As a result, people are seeing changes in the quality of basic services in their communities. Schools and health clinics are being renovated, more teachers are being deployed, drugs are more available in health centres.

SABI’s profile, reputation and acceptance by government have grown hugely from programme inception. Following national elections in early 2018, which brought about a change in administration, we quickly established relationships with relevant ministries and continued to forge a reputation as a trusted partner to government. For example, the

Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education engaged SABI in the roll out of its headline policy initiative, the Free Quality School Education programme, which we supported by adapting our citizen perception survey to monitor the re-opening of schools (see case study overleaf).

As we approach the end of the implementation phase of the programme, our focus turns to sustaining the gains that have been made. Our goal is for SABI to lay the foundations for continued productive relationships between citizens and state, which lead to lasting change.

We are beginning to see community people taking leadership for improvement in services. We will not be able to reach out to all the grassroot communities, but if communities take ownership and meet us half way, we will take action to solve problems.’’

Dr David Bome, Deputy Manager for Health Systems Strengthening

people reached350,000

communities surveyed

610

community action plans completed

and more than 260 in progress

303

SABI in numbers

SABI is helping Sierra Leonean people and communities to be more informed and empowered, by effectively working alongside and talking to government to ensure they are more accountable for providing essential services.

What we do

• We support the strengthening of national, district and local governance structures for effective state–citizen engagement.

• We gather and generate evidence of citizens’ experiences of accessing state services to inform plans to address service delivery issues.

• We strengthen the delivery of the Local Government Act by supporting and establishing community accountability networks.

• We work with media to raise citizens’ awareness about their rights and entitlement to services.

• We promote the participation and leadership of women, young people, people with disabilities and other marginalised groups in decision making.

• We address the numerous barriers that prevent citizens from effectively engaging with service providers and decision makers.

• We share success stories to help shift negative attitudes on engaging with the state.

• We share lessons and knowledge with service providers and other development partners.

SABI is like a flashlight and shows us the way.’’

Hassan Koroma, community member, Bo District

SABI encourages wider dialogue

SABI supports state service providers to be more engaged and accountable to citizens.

The Ministry of Basic Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has previously provided information on the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) programme, mainly at district level. But data from SABI’s citizen perception survey, by providing a national picture of views on education, has prompted wider dialogue.

The MBSSE is now placing greater emphasis on rights

School rehabilitated in Masumana Community

In Masumana, Port Loko district, a collapsed building had served as a school for many years, while the community waited for the government to build a new one. Principal Douda Lamin Bangura said, ‘There was a brain drain because children used to leave this community to go to school in bigger towns.’

After taking part in a citizen perception survey, conducted by SABI partner Restless Development, the people in Masumana developed an action plan, which ranked ‘unsafe school building’ as the most urgent issue.

They secured resources to make bricks and set up a

and accountability and has acknowledged that communities need more information on the packages of the FQSE programme. The Ministry put plans in place to model SABI’s inclusive approach to citizen engagement.

working group of young people including young women, led by the village headman. The working group presented their plans to a local politician, who provided cement and financial support, while a local contractor Abdul Kandoh volunteered his expertise to rebuild the school.

Today, a three-classroom school has successfully been built and is operating. It has been commissioned as the Feredugu Junior Secondary School.

SABI has created responsive platforms where we have clarified a lot of the misconceptions.’’

Joseph Lamin, FQSE programme officer

SABI gave us the knowledge and skills we needed. We then sat down as a community, and did the practical aspects.’’

Principal Douda Lamin BanguraFQSE programme officer Joseph Lamin speaks to community members about the government's plan.

A nationwide citizen surveyBetween 2017 and 2019, young volunteers trained by partner Restless Development surveyed citizens in 610 communities across the country, asking people about their views and experiences of accessing services.

The resulting dataset was unprecedented in scale and scope in Sierra Leone. It made a compelling case for evidence-based decision-making by service providers and policy makers at all levels of society.

Key findings were shared back with the communities in an accessible manner using low-literate infographics. Communities used them to develop community action plans to address the key obstacles to services affecting their population.

Infographics make data meaningful

Finding ways to share the data with people who had contributed was a challenge – especially in areas where people have low literacy skills.

SABI and our partners had to create an easy and effective way to feed data back to communities – and to enable them to share it with service providers. We used images and illustrations to represent the issue, and circles of differing sizes to depict the scale of certain challenges. In 2017 alone, we created more than 3,600 infographics.

National health report

We also use data from the survey to produce a National CPS report on an annual basis. The reports analyse who is and who is not using services, such as visiting health clinics and attending schools, and why.

The reports also present findings from questions asked to service providers, and management committees of local schools and health posts. Responses to questions asked to all citizen respondents are provided, and

Citizens need to hold providers of services to account. This can only happen when the information used by such providers is easily accessible. The simple fact that the information in the report has come directly from the people on the ground, it is bound to have an impact.’’

Lara Taylor-Pearce, Sierra Leone’s Auditor General, at the launch of the citizen perception survey report in 2017.

New nurse comes after community request

Pregnant women in Vawahun Kayimba community, Pujehun District, used to travel three miles to Pujehun Town for maternal health services, and often further for other care.

The lack of a clinic was the major problem identified by the community in SABI’s citizen perception survey.

After developing an action plan with SABI volunteers and taking the issue to the District Medical Officer with support from SABI staff and local councillors, the community identified and renovated a building which could be used as a health centre.

The infographics presented on health and education are factual existing problems affecting our people. We will use our voices and level of influence to engage ministries, departments and agencies, district councils and NGOs operating within the chiefdom for their intervention to redress some of these problems.’’

Paramount Chief Emmanuel Ganawa, Kailahun District

I was sent to work here purely because the community people asked for the service. I could not have mobilised support for the health centre without the involvement of SABI. The volunteers have been at the top of everything.’’

Christiana Sawaneh, nurse-in-charge

A nurse was posted from a nearby community to help run the facility, the first quota of drugs was supplied and the centre was formally opened and approved by the District Medical Officer.

disaggregated by gender, age group and disability status. For example, in 2018 issues with paying for health care were highlighted for pregnant women, parents of under-5 children and people with disabilities.

Nurse-in-charge Christiana Sawaneh checks the drugs supply at the health centre in Vawahun Kayimba.

The media as a force for changeThe media play a vital role in society – shining a light on issues and helping to create pressure for change.

In 2017, SABI partner BBC Media Action trained 47 journalists in four week-long workshops in Bo, Makeni, Kenema and Freetown. The workshops covered SABI and

Journalists working hard to be a force for good

In Bo District, SABI-trained media picked up the story of Ngelehun Badjia – a community in dire need of a new health centre. Kiss 104 Radio and SLBC TV both sent journalists to the remote chiefdom.

‘We found they had two health centres but lacked staff and drugs,’ says Solomon Joe, Kiss 104 news director. ‘We spoke to the chiefdom speaker and women who are recipients of healthcare and noted the challenges of the road network, and the need to ferry patients including pregnant women on motorbikes and in hammocks.’

A feature about Ngelehun Badjia was broadcast on the popular SLBC radio show Morning Coffee.

our survey data, the government’s priorities for education, health and social protection, and the role of the media in facilitating local solutions to problems.

SABI-trained journalists across the country have made an important contribution to getting community priorities addressed.

We are all doing a service to the nation. We are looking at the same thing – to improve the lives of people and we look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership with SABI.’’

Nasiru Dinn Koroma, station head, SLBC Radio, Makeni.

Radio journalist Prosper Bannister works at SLBC Makeni, which received training through SABI.

Gender equality and social inclusionSABI has firmly put social inclusion on the agenda. With a core commitment to the meaningful participation of women, young people and people with disabilities, we are demonstrating a sensitive approach to gender, equality and social inclusion.

A high proportion of marginalised individuals are not only taking part in SABI activities, but also taking on leadership roles. 48% of the people taking the lead on actions identified in Ward Action Plans are women, young people or people with disabilities. This is changing attitudes – within state organisations and society – to the roles that women and people with disabilities can and should play in development.

In December 2018, we completed our second ‘Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Scan’. Through surveys, interviews, workshops and discussions, we gained an insight into how far we are fulfilling our objective of being consistently GESI sensitive, while laying the foundations for GESI transformative change.

• 78% of SABI staff and partner respondents stated that they feel clear about how GESI relates to their work (up from 57% in 2017).

• Three-quarters of staff believe that SABI’s senior leadership demonstrates a commitment to GESI ‘to a great extent’.

When SABI calls us for meetings, they ask for all of us to join. This is different to other NGOs who just ask for 12 community members, not caring who they are. Now because of SABI youth are talking to elders and women are becoming bolder.’’

Community member, Gbendembu, Western Area Rural District

• Many community members expressed how SABI was helping to challenge the social norms that drive exclusion.

Of course, this is a work in progress. Respondents mentioned wanting SABI to do more to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities, and on creating feedback channels.

Through SABI, people with disabilities are playing more prominent roles in development.

What have we achieved?

Better services Motivated officials and service providers

Engagement for all

District officials and MDAs have become more aware of citizens’ needs and priorities. They have started to include community actions in their plans or refer issues which cannot be solved at local level.

Ward Development Committees understand their roles and responsibilities better and have started to lobby actively for their ward.

Frontline service providers are friendlier, take their jobs more seriously, and fulfil their duties more professionally.

Relationships between citizens, frontline service providers and local authorities have improved.

Services in healthcare and education have improved.

Some schools have been able to improve their facilities, for example improving water supply, getting furniture and constructing additional classrooms.

Citizens have better understanding of their rights and responsibilities and show confidence in demanding improved services.

Participation of parents at quarterly meetings with teachers has increased.

Citizens have changed their behaviour such as as practising better hygiene. Antenatal clinic attendance and school enrolment have increased.

Participation of youth, women and people with disabilities has increased and there is less stigmatisation of people with disabilities.

More women are actively participating in governance.

SABI is bringing about real changes in the lives of people and communities. The reported changes include:

A new way of working in Sierra Leone

SABI represents a new way of working in Sierra Leone. We are shifting the focus from CSOs and NGOs working as direct service providers to supporting the state to improve its own service delivery. We have also moved away from traditional approaches which have often focused on criticising the state rather than recognising the systematic challenges faced by all individuals and institutions in a resource-constrained setting.

SABI recognises that power relationships need to be addressed to bring about change. It demonstrates strategic, evidence-based action planning for improved service delivery. This is a complicated approach in a complex, constantly shifting environment. Overall, citizens have improved public services either by themselves or by lobbying their government at different levels.

SABI has surveyed more than 12,000 citizens to assess programme progress. The findings clearly evidence increased demand for improved services, a greater level of cordial and accountable working relationships between citizens and state, and tangible improvements in service provision.

Moving towards strategic, evidence-based, action planning.

With the support of SABI, community members are encouraged and empowered to speak out about issues affecting their lives.

Looking forwardSABI is currently due to end in June 2020.

Going forward, we will focus on sustaining the gains that have been made in citizens’ engagement with the state. We will invest in ensuring that SABI’s successes and learning continue to influence the wider development sector. We will share evidence of what has worked, and what has not.

Our goal is that following the end of the SABI programme, citizens – men, women, young people, people with disabilities and others – will continue to raise concerns relating to service delivery, and work together with their elected representatives and state service providers, to find gender-equal and socially inclusive solutions to service delivery problems.

SABI has established a strong cadre of highly trained, critically thinking, experienced staff within all partners who are breaking the boundaries of traditional NGO operations in the country.

SABI is a four-year citizen-led accountability programme working across Sierra Leone to increase awareness of, and demand for, the delivery of basic services – including health, education and social protection. SABI supports the building of relationships between citizens and state.

We aim to:

• contribute towards improvements in basic services

• build relationships between citizens and the state

• support the Government’s development plan

• promote gender equality and social inclusion.

Contact us:sabi-sl.org

+232 (0) 79758730 / +232 (0) 33 349744

2 Sesay Drive, Cockerill South Off Wilkinson RoadFreetown Sierra Leone

[email protected]

facebook.com/SABI-Sierra-Leone

Cover photo: Young students in Logbereh, where the community has rallied together to construct a new school building.

Photo credits: SABI/Uzodima Ulasi (cover, pages 2, 3, 5 [right], 8, 11, 12, 13); SABI/Prince Kenneh (pages 5 [left], 7); SABI/Amanda Bangura (page 6); SABI/Tom Dixon (page 9).

SABI is funded by UK aid. It is managed by a consortium of leading international and Sierra Leonean partners, led by international development agency Christian Aid.