In a bold and proactive move to uphold the World Bank’s social safeguard standards, the Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP) has concluded a multi-phase training initiative to combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV), with a sharp focus on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Sexual Harassment (SH).
Rolled out across key tourism infrastructure sites, the initiative united project contractors, community stakeholders, and project staff in a shared effort to raise awareness, build resilience, and institutionalize accountability.
Communities and Contractors Step Up
From June to July 2025, two-day training sessions were conducted for the three major contractors: K5 Construction, SECON, and Absolute Barkee Industries, alongside residents of Leicester Peak, Bathurst, and Bureh Beach.
These sessions, facilitated by Rainbo Initiative, one of Sierra Leone’s foremost authorities in sexual violence response, blended legal education, ethical guidance, and practical community-based strategies to transform policy into daily practice.
Participants learned to identify SEA/SH risks, understand reporting mechanisms, and support survivors through a rights-based and survivor-centered approach. Crucially, focal point persons were identified in each community to serve as frontline monitors and liaisons with Rainbo Initiative, who will provide ongoing mentoring and support.
Training facilitator, Ibrahim Barrie from the Rainbo Initiative shares his expertise during the GBV sessions.
A cross-section of contractors participating in the training session
PCU Staff Take the Lead in Final Training
The final training took place on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at the SLEDP Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) in Freetown, bringing together both SLEDP and International Consulting Services (ICS) staff. This session reinforced the strategic role of the PCU in coordinating safeguarding compliance and setting institutional standards.
Acting Project Coordinator Saio Bobson Kuyateh, who represented the PCU leadership, praised the initiative’s intent and outcomes, stating:
“This goes beyond awareness; this is about setting a standard of accountability. As a team, we must lead by example in upholding these standards across every contractor, site, and stakeholder engagement.”
Staff of SLEDP and ICS at the training session – Saio Bobson Kuyateh, SLEDP SME Development Specialist and Acting Project Coordinator (in white shirt), alongside Saidu Conteh, SLEDP Project Engineer (in sky blue shirt).
The session culminated in the development and signing of an SEA/SH/GBV Prevention Action Plan, formalizing the PCU team’s commitment to safeguarding. The plan emphasizes:
- Strengthening the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM)
- Enforcing Codes of Conduct across all personnel
- Promoting individual responsibility to prevent abuse
- Distributing pocket guides with clear referral pathways
This blueprint is designed to foster a culture of prevention, vigilance, and survivor-centered support across all project components.
Henson Ven, SLEDP Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, signs the SEA/SH/GBV Prevention Action Plan, formalizing SLEDP’s commitment to safeguarding
Binta Jalloh, Procurement Officer at SLEDP, endorses the SEA/SH/GBV Prevention Action Plan to support a culture of safety and accountability
William Douda, SLEDP’s Social Safeguards Specialist, emphasized that staff must take an active role in field compliance:
“Field staff must be more than observers; they must be enforcers of safeguarding policies, ensuring that contractors, workers, and communities all operate within a framework of dignity and respect.”
William Dauda, SLEDP Social Safeguards Specialist calls on field staff to actively uphold safeguarding standards in all project activities.
The Road Ahead: From Training to Transformation
While the training series laid a strong foundation, participants and facilitators alike acknowledged the need for continued sensitization, periodic refresher sessions, and tighter oversight.
By initiating this GBV prevention campaign, SLEDP is investing in far more than physical infrastructure; it is investing in people.
The true legacy of the project will be measured not only in the tourism facilities it delivers but also in the safety, dignity, and empowerment it fosters across its intervention areas.
Members of the Leicester Community take part in the GBV training, fostering awareness and prevention efforts.