OneVillage Partners2104 Stevens Avenue SouthMinneapolis, MN 55404

OneVillage Partners inspires and equips rural villagers to transform

their lives and communities. NEWS Fall

2017

We hear often from travelers to Sierra Leone that they are surprised by the happiness and joy in the communities in which we work. At OneVillage Partners, we have the privilege of witnessing this vibrancy each day. The stories you will read about - villagers innovating in Ngolahun and about Mariama Bockarie envisioning and setting five-year goals - illustrate how our work simply enhances the raw talent and enthusiasm that has been present from birth. Equipped with leadership skills and renewed effectiveness working together, communities charge ahead without external support.

At OneVillage Partners, we are also looking toward the future of our organization, engaging our partner communities to define success and to map out when and how communities graduate from our program. As we begin to outline our priorities for our next strategic planning cycle, we do so knowing that when communities thrive without our involvement, this is the ultimate measure of our success.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to OneVillage Partners and our motivated partners in Sierra Leone, who inspire us everyday.

Our Ultimate Measure of Success

Jill LaLonde, Executive DirectorJeff Hall, Board Chair

Every month our team in Sierra Leone submits photos for a themed photography contest. We are proud to share the winners from “Before the Rains” and

“Gender Roles.”

Be sure to follow OneVillage Partners to see next month’s

winner!

@OneVillageP

“Women showing high resilience against the rain by collecting gravels in their quest to

complete the skills training center project in Mamboma.”

Photo credit and winner: Brima Lansana

“A male community member transcending the traditional gender norms by preparing

the family meal.” Photo credit and winner: Abdulai Sesay

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Mariama Bockarie is a petty trader in the community of Grima, who participated in the Nurturing Opportunities for Women (NOW) program in 2016. Before joining the program, she was known for quarrelling with her neighbors, suing others in local court, and spending much money on alcohol and cigarettes. She stated that, “I didn’t mind taking a loan when it came to court cases, I had no plans for the future - not even considering my children’s education.”

Unable to pay the fees, her children dropped out of school and her daughter entered into an early marriage. Mariama’s friends encouraged her to put herself forward for the NOW program, as they felt she needed guidance in order to achieve her true potential.

Mariama was selected into the program. During the seven-month program, the goal setting session was a key turning point for her. When asked to envision where she would like to be in five years, Mariama realized that she was making many mistakes.

Mariama shared that during a hands-on activities in the family sessions, she acquired the “listening and

communication skills that enabled [her] to understand the need to have good communication with people.” Many participants like Mariama have cited the family sessions, which work with participants’ husbands to see value in their wives’ education, as particularly important to their personal growth and as a turning point for communication with their partners.

Mariama had two goals: one to improve her business, and the other to be able to pay for the education of her children. She has been able to achieve both of these goals, proudly watching her business grow and her children attending school. During the course of the NOW program, Mariama was able to save $28.80, a considerable sum given that 60% of Sierra Leoneans live on less than $1.25 a day. Community members were surprised with the rapid change in Mariama‘s life.

“I have a good relationship with my community. I am peaceful in my community due to the advice from my colleagues and NOW learning; I concentrate on saving money for my business.” - Marima Bockarie

Just as Jinnah Bockarie’s home of Ngolahun wanted to improve the health of their families, two of our partner communities, Makka and Madina, have designed projects to build new latrines and hand washing stations.

One Day’s Wages, a grassroots movement to alleviate extreme poverty, has awarded us with a matching grant to help these communities reach their goal! Right now every gift given through One Day’s Wages campaign page will be matched dollar for dollar by One Day’s Wages up to $15,000, which will allow us to construct 68 toilet facilities and hand washing stations in Makka and Madina.

Visit www.OneVillagePartners.org, click on the #OneDayOneVillage banner, and double your impact today!

There has not always been unity in Jinnah Bockarie’s community of Ngolahun. His home faced the civil war and Ebola virus outbreak, leaving many community members lacking in motivation for development. Since volunteering with OneVillage Partners, Jinnah has emerged as an inspirational leader within his community.

Jinnah, along with his fellow Community Action Group members, known as ‘Engineers of Change’ in Ngolahun, worked hard to unite their community and local authorities, and lead community projects to address their self-identified challenges.

After completing their first project with OneVillage Partners of constructing latrines, the community realized

they could improve their sanitation ever further on their own. They came together to commit to the removal of all livestock from the village, thus reducing the contamination from animal waste. Following this and in further demonstration of their unity, the Ngolahun villagers came together to build a bridge across the river that separates the villagers from their farms. This river has long been a problem for the community and has resulted in many disagreements and challenges. This year, the community came together to provide the resources and labor needed to construct a strong and safe bridge, independently. We believe this ability and drive to work together without external donor support is a crucial step towards a self-sustaining and thriving community.

“I have seen that development in my community has been motivated by a greater sense of collective responsibility. I have begun to feel the strength of unity, commitment,

and involvement, all of which has further built respect and recognition for each other.” - Jinnah Bockarie

The Engineers of Change in Ngolahun

Written by Musa Gangha,Senior Community Action

Coordinator

Both the initiative to remove the animals from the village and the construction of the bridge have been conducted without the direct involvement of OneVillage Partners. So many communities in Sierra Leone suffer from donor dependency and lasting division. However, the community of Ngolahun, guided by these Engineers of Change and ordinary community members like Jinnah Bockarie, has been able to overcome these challenges and unite for the purpose of their collective wellbeing.

NOW Financial Skills Empowered Me to Become Business Oriented

Written by Foday Sesay,Nurturing Opportunities

for Women (NOW) Supervisor

One Day, One Village

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