User:Bondorvulahun

The descendants of Bondorvulahun, a small town lying between Yengema and Motema in the Nimikoro Chiefdom of Kono district in Sierra Leone, West Africa, endeavored to set up the Bondorvulahun Benevolent and Development Association (BDBA) as a forum to closely interact with each other at home and abroad and coordinate the development aspirations of the town.

Bondorvulahun was once an economically booming town primarily depending on proceeds from the diamond mines during the 1960s, all the way to 1991 when the brutal civil war broke out and wrecked serious devastating havoc on the community, bringing it down to its knees. The ethnic diversity and multiplicity of cultures in the community ensured cohesion and harmony which form the legacy that has still held the people of Bondorvulahun together. Frantic efforts are being by the town administration, under the astute leadership of Chief Tamba Umaru Sam and his council of administrators, and the general membership of the community to focus on self-reliance for self-sustainability.

In its own special way, though minimal, the Bondorvulahun community is making determined strides to support the national drive to nation building through individual community efforts. As we wait for the central government to provide for the needs of the people, we are taking local ownership of our development at our community level. The Kono District Council and the Nimikoro Chiefdom administrations are grappling with the inadequacy of resources and the huge backlog of developmental requests on the local government to respond to the needs of the people in fulfilling its responsiveness to its constituents. This will take time, as such, we want to initiate local community contribution to the national agenda.

We have embarked on guiding the youth and the younger generation to focus on education or the acquisition of skills for self-reliance. During the days of active mining in the area, whether formally or illicitly, people made a lot of money which made wealth appear as the only achievement anyone can make. There was very little emphasis on education or skills training for self-empowerment. With the closure of the diamond mining company (NDM) and the general decline in the potential of winnings in the alluvial mining sector, most miners of today cannot the huge financial implications of deep mining such as Kimberlite. The productivity in Illicit or small-scale mining has diminished drastically.

The Bondorvulahun youth are now encouraged to shift focus to schooling or technical training which is more reliable. They are urged to shift their attention from luck to calculation; from chance to design. The girls are particularly encouraged to stay in school and not to indulge in early marriage and teenage childbearing.