By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
Women’s Support and Development Organisation-Sierra Leone (WESOFOD-SL) has strengthened its efforts to promote youth empowerment, participation and accountability through refresher intergenerational dialogue sessions.
The engagement brought together young people from youth mentorship networks, community leaders and district stakeholders to review progress made since an earlier training and identify practical steps for strengthening collaboration between young people, communities and local governance structures.
The session provided an opportunity for participants to assess what had been achieved since last year’s intergenerational engagement, identify outstanding commitments and reflect on the challenges that had affected the implementation of agreed actions.
The dialogue also served as a reminder of commitments made by stakeholders during the previous engagement, while encouraging participants to renew their responsibilities towards youth development and community advancement.
A major focus of the session was experience sharing, during which participants examined the existing relationship between young people and local governance structures. Discussions also highlighted key challenges affecting youth development and participation, as well as opportunities for stronger cooperation between youth networks, community leaders and district authorities.
Participants further received findings from recent engagements and followed up on specific commitments made during last year’s intergenerational dialogue.
The discussions emphasised the importance of creating meaningful platforms where young people can engage local authorities, community leaders and other decision-makers on issues directly affecting their development.
According to the approach adopted during the sessions, youth participation was not treated merely as attendance at community meetings but as an avenue for young people to contribute ideas, identify challenges, participate in decision-making and take responsibility for initiatives within their communities.
The programme also featured group work, with participants tasked with developing practical roadmaps aimed at strengthening partnerships, promoting youth empowerment and advancing community development initiatives across Pujehun District.
Each group was asked to identify between two and three priority issues affecting young people in their respective communities. They were also required to identify the local resources needed to address those challenges, name the key actors responsible for taking action, establish realistic timelines and define the expected results.
The exercise was designed to move the discussions beyond identifying problems and towards practical and measurable solutions that can be pursued jointly by youth networks and local stakeholders.
Participants were encouraged to make effective use of resources and opportunities available within their communities to strengthen and expand youth mentorship networks.
The engagement comes at a time when increased youth participation in local governance and community development remains important to ensuring that young people have a stronger voice in decisions affecting their lives and communities.
For Pujehun District, the dialogue provided a platform for stakeholders to reconnect, assess progress and establish clearer responsibilities for addressing challenges affecting young people.
The sessions concluded with a renewed emphasis on accountability, collaboration and commitment. Participants were encouraged to follow through on the agreed actions and continue working together to strengthen youth mentorship networks and promote sustainable community development.
WESOFOD-SL’s engagement demonstrates the importance of sustained intergenerational dialogue in bridging the gap between young people and community leadership, while creating opportunities for youths to become active contributors to local development.
The organisation is expected to continue supporting platforms that promote youth empowerment, mentorship, civic participation and stronger partnerships between communities and local governance stakeholders.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 9th September 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
