Humanist Watch Salone (HUWASAL) is an indigenous human rights and development organisation established in 2003.
Humanist watch Salone envisions a poverty free Sierra Leone, where poor and disadvantaged women, children and physically challenged are empowered to realize their full potential and meaningfully contribute to development initiatives in their communities.
HUWASAL strives towards the achievement of durable peace and sustainable development through collaborative approaches with the active participation of the marginalized populace such as women, children, youths, physically disadvantaged and people living with HIV/AIDS in the society.
Networking is one way to strive to enhance HUWASAL’s capacity for better service delivery through information sharing, experiences and other resources with like-minded institutions and agencies at various levels. In this vein, HUWASAL is an affiliate member of the following civil society coalitions and networks;
- Districts Human Rights Committees in Kenema, Kailahun, and Kono districts.
- Child Right Coalition
- Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) and Non-State Actor (NSA)
- Kenema District Civil Society Coalition.
- Clean up the Word (Global environmental campaign Group) in Australia.
- SGBV Steering Committee .
- Amnesty International-Sierra Leone Coalition on Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Campaign
- International Association for volunteer Effort (IAVE)-USA
- West Africa Humanist Network
- International Youth Activists Network (IYAN)
- WASH-Net Sierra Leone
- Campaign for Just Mining
- Sierra Leone Network on the Right to Food (SiLNORF)
- Network against Hunger and Poverty(NeHP)
Thematic areas of intervention
HUWASAL work in highly deprived and mostly isolated communities in Kenema, Kailahun , Kono and Moyamba districts in terms of social infrastructures like limited health facilities, low education and economic status, and deplorable road condition especially in the raining season which often cut-off most communities from motorists. Moreover, cultural barriers in these communities often prevent women and children from realizing their rights. HUWASAL pursues a multi-sectorial approach to development through the following interventions:
- Human Rights and Governance
The programme works with community leaders, men, women and youth to engender equal rights and justice for all, promoting gender equality and mitigating violence against women and girls. Also conducts peace education, gender transformational training and other community oriented activities both for community members and other interested parties and provides Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) through specialized mediation services
- Community Health and Development
This programme caters for the information and education needs of the communities on maintaining basic health standards and mobilizes communities to develop proper environmental sanitation measures. The programme also advocates with national health authorities to make health care delivery more available and affordable for the communities and seeks to increase food security for the communities by strengthening the agricultural activities with much needed inputs and skills to improve productivity.
- Child Protection
The program caters for protection, social and educational needs of vulnerable children to develop them and make them become better and productive citizens of tomorrow
Donor Partners
Since inception, HUWASAL has worked with the following donor partners
- United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) on strengthening rule of law in Sierra Leone
- United Nations Democracy Fund(UNDEF) on women’s land right project aimed at enhancing women’s land ownership right in eastern Sierra Leone (Kenema, Kono and Kailahun districts)
- UN Fund for Ingenious Issues on increasing women’s human rights and access to justice in Kenema district.
- UNAMSIL Civil Affairs Section on SGBV prevention and response
- UNIPSIL Human Rights and Rule of Law unit on human rights monitoring and documentation in Kenema district.
- International Rescue Committee (IRC) on a project gear towards building entrepreneurial skills of rural women in Kenema district.
- International Foundation on Electoral System(IFES) on a project gear towards promoting women’s participation in elections
- Cordaid Netherlands on a project gear towards promoting male engagement in sexual and gender based violence prevention
- UN Women on a project to build capacity of Kenema City and District Councils in gender responsive budgeting.
- GOAL Ireland on HIV/AIDS prevention and control project in Kenema district
Target Groups
HUWASAL target groups include women, youth, children and physically challenged persons as well as those living with HIV and AIDS. These serving groups of HUWASAL are predominantly faced with marginalization due to existing cultural beliefs and attitudes that undermine their social, economic and political status. The social marginalization of the target groups served is link to their vulnerability as it emphasizes their dependency
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