Committed to CCSL

“Our General Secretary has a genuine concern to serve the nation,” says Ebun James, Director of the Human Rights and Social Services Department. With these words, she describes a man with a big heart and large commitments. He agrees that for him, it is very personal. “I committed myself to CCSL,” Salia says with his trademark big smile. But there is more behind his friendly face. Sahr Salia is a serious person who has strong ideas about how CCSL can contribute to change in the country. He is determined to make Sierra Leone a better place through CCSL and its members.

A hard worker

Stepping into the CCSL office, one will see Salia everywhere!  He is rushing from one meeting to the other, coordinating the work among the departments, talking on the phone to members, and keeping overseas partners informed. How does he cope with all the different tasks? His answer is simple - and there is that omnipresent smile again -: “The source of my power is the power of prayers and my belief that what we do is important for Sierra Leone."

Reliable staff is important

To make all this possible, a well educated and hard working staff is essential.“I have a staff who are willing to work, who are committed and co-operative, and who do their very best to serve the peoples' needs,” he says proudly. The staff values his efforts for CCSL as well: “He encourages everybody, no matter what her status or position. In addition, he always has an open ear to staff members when they have problems,” says one employee. Another says: “He always wants to improve our capacity and our skills and is willing to help us achieve the tasks that have to be done.”

Development is the key for success

Salia has lofty goals, but rather than being a utopian, he is a realist. He is aware that the country still suffers from the effects of the eleven year long war. When he was appointed General Secretary in 2005, he reorganised the entire institution. He managed to shift the focus of CCSL from relief and reconstruction work – the main focus immediately after the war - towards peace consolidation and development work.

Education is the cornerstone

When he talks about education, his smile suddenly disappears and he speaks with deep concern. He worries about the nation's high illiteracy rate and sees education as a cornerstone for development. “We should do everything possible," he says, "to encourage parents to send their children to school, because this is the key to developing the country.”

Promoting peace, justice & development through advocacy

Salia leads an organisation that promotes peace, justice and development. He oversees 26 staff members who are working towards reducing poverty by helping to ensure food security. CCSL is also involved in the field of human rights and social services, implementing programs for people living with HIV and AIDS, and reconciling street children with their parents. The overall goal for all the campaigns is to promote good governance by involving people in decision making.

Promoting religious tolerance

CCSL works toward promoting religious tolerance between its members and Muslim believers. For Salia, who was CCSL's program manager of he Ecumenical Relations Department prior to becoming the General Secretary,"it is important that CCSL have good relationships with other religious leaders.”

His vision

Part of running CCSL is raising funds for the work. Even though he highly appreciates the support of donors like Bread for the World, Salia recognizes that changes need to be made in the long run. His vision is to work towards a Council that has domestic sources for income.