The Sierra Leone Red Cross Society

Newsletters from the SG's Desk

Newsletter vol 1 no 1 - Cooperation

Newsletter vol 1 no 2 - Comm & Fundraising

Newsletter vol 1 no 3 - A Learning Cafe

Newsletter vol 1 no 4 - Strategy for Africa

Newsletter vol 1 no 5 - New Year

Newsletter Vol 1 no 6 - Partnership

"The Partners are committed to working together collectively to achieve shared goals rather than operating on an individual project basis."

From the draft Memorandum of Understanding between SLRCS and the Partners

The Calendar

Last Quarter 2009

We will inform you of our events shortly!

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How to make a Donation

You can make a donation to your local Red Cross branch or to the Headquarters of the National Red Cross Society in your country!

Thank you for your contribution!

Get First Aid Training now!!

At SLRCS we offer friendly and easy to follow First Aid training at the work place

You can stop severe bleeding, perform life saving and stabilisation techniques and lots more

We also offer tailor made courses to meet your specific needs

Call at the nearest SLRCS office any where in Sierra Leone or send an email to mdumbuya@sierraleoneredcross.org

Reasonable discounts are also available

SLRCS concluded its Managing and Central Committee meetings in Bo, 14-15 December 2011; A total of 450 childred have graduated in various skills in three CAR centres in Kambia, Port Loko and Kailahun on 12 November, 19 November and 10 December 2011 respect

Participants at the partnership – Freetown (October 2010)	SLRCS moves celebration of World Red Cross Day, May 8 to the Provincial city of Bo as it gears up to mark 50 years of existence as a National Society Every year SLRCS joins other Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies all over the world to remember the story of the idea of the Red Cross and to celebrate volunteering and Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross Movement. SLRCS forms part of the basic units and constitutes a vital force of the Movement, carrying out its humanitarian activities in line with its own statutes and the national legislation, in pursuance of the mission of the International Red Cross Movement, and in accordance with the Fundamental Principles. The celebration of World Red Cross Day in Sierra Leone also serves as an opportunity for the Society of profiling its image and programmes with particular accent on development in the SLRCS regarding its strategic programming and vision for Sierra Leone. This year like the previous ones SLRCS in collaboration with local stakeholders and partners, and with support from partners, including the ICRC Delegation in Conakry, celebrated the event in Bo, southern Sierra Leone, in line with the global theme: ‘‘Volunteerism’’. Scores of thousands of SLRCS volunteers nationwide work around the clock to do free voluntary community service such as to help old people in the Saint George’s Home, cleaning Government Hospitals in Freetown and other parts of the country. SLRCS normally uses this memorable event to recognise and commend these volunteers for their efforts in life saving. Furthermore, SLRC had a stretch of other activities which are normally carried out as part of its celebration of the World Red Cross Day; for instance, the Western Area Branch teamed up with one of the country’s biggest Mobile GSM Telecommunications Companies to organize a sponsored walk from the Branch head office on 6 Liverpool Street to the SLRCS First Aid Post on the Aberdeen-Lumley beach. At such events, the organization’s promotional items and information communication materials are given out to selected members of the public, school clubs as gifts and prizes for a raffle draw organized that day for them. The proceeds to the raffle tickets are normally used to provide one day meal for disadvantaged street children, first aid kits, among others. Our volunteers have been at the forefront of humanitarian action during recent national disasters, including the Shenge sea accident, the floods at Daru and Pujehun; the storms in Bonthe, Kamakwe, Kono and Koinadugu, among others providing help to the victims of those disasters. The Society’s active First Aid and Community Development volunteers have provided psycho-social support, activated early warning systems, worked in emergency response and long-term recovery, helped reunite separated family members and continued to be a driving force for change at the community level.

Jenkins Johnston Esq., served as chairman of the opening ceremony of the partnership meeting this year	Bristish Red Cross and Sierra Leone Red Cross have ended a three days Measurable Partnership Chart Meeting in Freetown from 27-29 June 2011 British Red Cross (BRC) and Sierra Leone Red Cross Societies (SLRCS) have a long standing partnership history spanning from the colonial days to date. This year, on 27, 28 and 29 June 2011, the FABS conference centre on 14 Liverpool Street, Freetown was the venue where both partners discussed and evaluated their partnership in a meeting convened by SLRCS management using the Measurable Partnership tool The purpose of this MPC review meeting was to take a snapshot of the effectiveness of programmes developed and carried out by the partners within the 8NS Initiative. In the case of SLRCS and BRCS, this was the second time the partnership has been assessed using the MPC tool. In 2009 the first MPC review was conducted and since then, formal and informal evaluations and reviews of programmes and/or projects have taken place but not of the partnership itself. The Measurable Partnership Chart (MPC) was designed around seven core principles of cooperation that are considered to be important for good partnership within the 8NS framework. These include: equality and respect; integrity; relevance; transparency; mutual responsibilities; achieving expectations and harmonization. The MPC tool comprises: an explanation of the principles, different application methods for users, indicators to assess practices under each principle, and suggests scoring and rating systems to determine the progress of the partnership under the different principles. From the discussions and the findings, the pairs then develop a plan of action or way forward to improve their partnership under each principle. The meeting was attended by Paul Jenkins and Christine Tokar, the Head of International and Manager for West and Central Africa respectively; and Emmanuel H-Tommy, Mohamed Sanusie Manasaray, Victoria Smith and other senior staff and the members of Governance of SLRCS. ‘I am pleased that the 8NS was developed to facilitate the processes of developing the capacities of African National Societies, SLRCS has in particular benefited greatly from this initiative...’ said the SLRCS National President, Mr. Edward T. Ngandi when making a statement in the meeting. He added that this also underscores the good work of NEPARC as records show that the 8NS was one of the initiatives of NEPARC. This initiative has greatly improved on the capacity of the SLRCS HR department, financial management and Resource Mobilisation and Communication and in many other important ways. The Secretary General noted in his contribution that in the past the relationships between SLRCS and its partners had been donor-recipients agreements. With the 8NS and with the development of the MPC the partnership creates mutual responsibilities and promotes understanding between the partners. Paul Jenkins stressed the importance of the process which, he said, goes beyond the relationship between SLRCS and BRCS but helps them understand their partnership in a context of changing economic environments and contexts both in Sierra Leone and in the UK. ‘...We come from very dynamic organizations and things are changing rapidly and so I think it would be essential to measure the partnership in the face of these changing contexts and to reflect together on the challenge of developing meaningful relationships.’

Youth Brass Band	Sierra Leone Red Cross Society Press Release – 04 July 2011 Misuse of the Red Cross emblem The Red Cross in Sierra Leone takes note of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) seizure of an outboard at a wharf around Wellington, in the East end of Freetown, on Saturday 11 June 2011. This boat believed to be used for transporting sand was seen flying an ICRC emblem/flag on the river Rokel. The Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS) is extremely concerned by the repeated misuse of the Red Cross emblem by unauthorised persons and, wishes to inform the general public that the said boat bears no relation to the Red Cross, and as such is not authorised to use the Red Cross emblem. There have been other incidents in Sierra Leone in the past where signs similar in shape, design or colour to the Red Cross emblem were used for non humanitarian purposes and with apparent fraudulent intent, including crossing borders and check points, seeking to confuse authorities and the public at large. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols, to which Sierra Leone is a State party, establish the Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Crystal as internationally recognised emblems and clearly stipulate provisions for their lawful use for identification and protection of authorised armed forces, medical personnel and medical infrastructure and of authorised Red Cross and Red Crescent personnel in charge of delivering humanitarian assistance. The misuse of the Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Crystal emblems diminishes the protective value of these signs and undermines humanitarian protection it grants to people in need. The Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, on its part, and in line with its mandate, will continue to promote the proper use of the Red Cross emblem, and educate the public on its misuse which has to be avoided in all circumstances. For further information or media interview, please contact Mr. Abu Bakar Tarawallie, Communications Coordinator, Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, National Headquarters, 6 Liverpool Street, Freetown Mobile phone +232 76 624 511

Secretary General of SLRCS	The distinct role of the SLRCS as an auxiliary to the government of Sierra Leone What becomes known as the auxiliary role of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies was globally adopted by statute by all states party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols stayed with the Army Medical Units. Over the years, this auxiliary role has been domesticated by the government of Sierra Leone, giving it the unique and legal authority that developed into engaging in humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities and contributing to national development through community livelihood, disaster management and community based health programmes among others across Sierra Leone. This auxiliary status remains a permanent feature and commitment of SLRCS consistent with the criteria for recognition as a National Red Cross Society by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).

Police First Aid Trainers trained by SLRCS Trainers	Making the Red Cross known in the Sierra Leone Police Force A total of 21 personnel of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) have benefited from standard first aid training of trainers course carried out by the commercial first aid division of the SLRCS. These officers would be charged with the responsibility to train the rank and files of police officers in order for them to be able to render first aid services in the police force and their operational communities. The training took place at the Sierra Leone Police Academy in Hastings from 8 and 9 October. Similar training was organised for 30 personnel of Sierra Rutile on 25 - 20 October 21 personnel of African Minerals on 11 and 12 November at Bumbuna village. The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of training confidently stated that First Aid training is in line with professional police requirements and personnel development objectives of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP). It is expected that First Aid becomes an integral aspect in all junior and middle management training of the SLP and the trainers would henceforth take charge of teaching the rank and file standard first aid skills. Similarly, SLRCS continues to support the SLP to strengthen its capacity in humanitarian principles and considerations. This activity also stimulates the awareness of police officers through routine SLRCS information dissemination sessions on the mandates and activities of the Red Cross both in peace time and as well as in situations of armed conflict to recruits, junior and middle management officers, including pre-deployment training for Africa Union and United Nations Missions abroad and regular police officers at police stations/units and posts across the country while maintaining contact with the directorates of Training and Peace Keeping.

Winning team 2011 National International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Moot Court competition	Institute of Public Administration and Management wins the 7th National International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Moot Court Competition SALMATA C.M. BAH, GIBRILLA SESAY AND WILLIAM MOIWO JIMMY from Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) emerged as winners of this year's National Moot Court competition on International Humanitarian Law (IHL), organised under the auspices of SLRCS and with the support of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (Outreach Section) in Freetown. The winning team will represent Sierra Leone at the forthcoming 11th Pan-African Moot Court Competition in Arusha, Tanzania, in November this year. As in previous years, six University Colleges (Njala University, Fourah Bay College, Milton Margai College of Education and Technology, Freetown Teachers College, Institute of Public Administration and Management and LICCSAL Business College) participated in this year’s national Moot Court contest held at the facility of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. The National IHL Moot Court Competition is an annual training event on humanitarian law and principles intended for students and aimed at "taking law out of the books". During the competition, which started on Tuesday 21June 2011 culminating in a ‘grande finale’ at Trial Chamber II of the Special Court for Sierra Leone on 24 June 2011, students were placed in an imaginary armed conflict situation; assuming the roles of prosecution and defence lawyers, they dealt with allegations of violations of IHL and argued their case before a panel of judges, which included the President of the Special Court, Justice John Kamanda, two Legal Interns from the Special Court, a Legal Personnel from the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces and the Legal Advisor of the SLRCS. The exercise allows students to acquire knowledge of this body of laws while at the same time appreciating its practical relevance. The event is funded by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).

photo later	As part of their usual move for networking with partners and scaling up humanitarian diplomacy, the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the SLRCS were guests at the General Assembly of the Finish Red Cross Society from 10-11 June this 2011.

Read about the floods in Sierra Leone under Emergency Appeals