On May 17, 2024, Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina, Commissioner of the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), engaged with the Irish Embassy to enhance social protection initiatives aimed at promoting development in Sierra Leone. The primary goal of the visit was to establish a partnership to bolster social protection efforts for Sierra Leoneans, with both parties agreeing to deepen cooperation and devise a practical approach to support social protection in the country.
Earlier, the Commissioner and his team of experts met with the Irish Embassy to discuss a strategic roadmap for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of social protection impacts. This meeting was reported to be fruitful. Commissioner Ndomahina stressed the importance of social protection interventions that help lift the poor out of poverty and enable sustainable livelihoods, thus preventing them from falling back into poverty. He highlighted that the Government of Sierra Leone, through its national development plan, has outlined numerous interventions to eradicate poverty as part of the existing National Social Protection Strategy.
The Commissioner reiterated the transformative agenda of President Bio, which focuses on food security, human capital development, and job creation. This agenda aims to build on the progress of the previous plan and address emerging challenges with a renewed commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
He emphasised that NaCSA is well-prepared to fulfil its social protection mandate and underscored the importance of advancing discussions and learning from other countries. He added that expert discussions on potential social protection collaborations could strengthen efforts to reach the most vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, including persons with disabilities, as swiftly as possible.
