SAMFU officially launched the Project “Strengthening Local Conflict Mediation and Resource Management Mechanisms”

-----Stressed the need for more cohesion amongst districts in Grand Gedeh and RiverGee Counties

On May 7, 2024, the Save my Future Foundation (SAMFU) with funding from Kinder MISSIONSWERK officially launched the project title “Strengthening Local Conflicts Mediation and Resource Management Mechanisms” in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.

The purpose of the project is to strengthen resource management particularly conflicts that exist in Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties and as well buttress the effort of local structures to enable them reinforce conflict mediation mechanisms in the communities.

“We understand that there are different structures in Grand Gedeh and River Gee counties that try to address conflict related issues but being a local structure; there are some lapses in the communities so we want to buttress some of these efforts of the different structures and be able to strengthen the conflict mediation mechanism and help the communities on how to govern properly the resources that they have” SAMFU Executive Director indicated.

The objective of the project according to SAMFU Executive Director Wynston Benda-Henries; is intended to work with local structures in reducing conflict that are existing at a very minimum level so that the community can have more cohesion within the different districts in Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties.

“The project is targeting the eight districts in Grand Gedeh and the six districts in River Gee and as such, we will make sure to have an impact in these areas” Mr. Benda-Henries said.It is also intended to strengthen the different structures ability to make sure that the resources they will be supervising have everybody within their scope to benefit.

The primary target of the project is to identify the existing structures around forest governance that will help enhance resource management in the counties.

The Key launcher of the project, Grand Gedeh County Assistant Superintendent Olaska W. Barh said that the project is a very good program for the people of Grand Gedeh County and the people of Liberia at large.

“You that are going to be trained to do your mediation, you should do it in consultation with the land authority and the county security council, once those people's names are mentioned as witness, it will have that legal backing thus making your work easier” Superintendent Barh noted.

He indicated that the local structure has the responsibility to bring people back together when a conflict emerges in any given situation.

“From the office of the Superintendent in Grand Gedeh County, I hereby officially launched this project that has come to benefit the people” Mr. Barh lamented.

Also remarking at the launch, Gender Hope Liberia Executive Director Madam Choma K. Williams said it is the duty of all women in the county to work with NGOs because women are mostly affected when it comes to conflict hence they need to strengthen their partners for the project to be implemented the right way.

“SAMFU is one of the oldest NGO in Grand Gedeh that have been working with the people therefore we pledged our fullest support towards the implementation of this project” Madam Williams asserted.

She however called on the participants not to focus on the sitting fees, something she said has been killing participants academically but rather on what they will gain after the training so that they will be able to save the county and the country at large.

Grand Gedeh County Commissioner Sobue Wulue thanked SAMFU for bringing the project to the county and also urged the local structures to focus on bringing peace in the county as land conflict is one of the major conflicts in the county.

“We as local community leaders promised to work with the plights presented by SAMFU so as to settle our local conflicts in our communities when it comes to land dispute” Youth leader Harris Tolbert noted.

The project brought together over forty individuals from the eight administrative districts in Grand Gedeh County including the Chief and Elder Council Chairperson Rhoda Gammue, the Assistant Superintendent and the Commissioner of the County.

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