According to them, since the launched of the SDGs on September 25, 2015, people living in leeward counties especially hard to reach communities are not aware about the document.

They noted that since indeed they are going to finance the development programs of their districts, it is urgent for government to align the vision 2030 and SDGs sooner so as to create the opportunity for development to kick off immediately.

Speaking recently in Bomi, when Save the Children International-SCI commence the process of popularizing the SDGs to citizens through direct interactions, citizens in Bomi County said they were not in the know of the full understanding of the SDGs as such recommended for SCI to continue its awareness process across the country especially in leeward counties.

Most of the citizens further frowned on local officials especially lawmakers for not soliciting their views on critical national issues including the much publicized Liberia Rising Vision 2030, which tends to make Liberia a middle income country by the year 2030.

With funding from Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation, SCI hired a Consultant, Mr. James A. B. Brown, III who conducted a commissioned research “Delivering on the promise: Ensuring the successful implementation of the post-2015 agenda” in Liberia.

Mr. Brown, III and team is currently engaging local stakeholders at district level in Bomi and Grand Bassa Counties to gather feedbacks, make inputs on the research findings and popularize the Transforming our World; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The research report was categorized into three main sections. The first section presents Liberia MDGs experience, its progresses and barriers in implementing the MDGs in Liberia and the second section describes Liberia readiness to implement the Transforming our World; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; while the third section presents the main findings and recommendations.

The key research findings have called for National Ownership, adaptability to Local Context, advocacy among others and recommended that the SDGs must be popularized, domesticated and programs identification must involve the full participation of all relevant stakeholders especially the marginalized, vulnerable and hard to reach groups and communities to promote national ownership.

The consultant and his team recently concluded stakeholder’s forums in four districts (Senjeh, Klay, Dewein and Suehn Mecca), Bomi County reaching over 120 district stakeholders (local government officials, traditional leaders, religious leaders, women, youth and children leaders).

The consultant made presentations on research findings, which draws national-level experiences across five counties, Save the Children’s Country offices and national stakeholders, supplemented through a review of international literatures and policy discussions. He also provided a broad overview of the 17 SDGs goals in simplified version and established a platform for discussion.

Speaking at the start of the campaign in Dewein District, Bomi County, Save the Children’s Advocacy and Child Protection Manager Lovely Sie said the exercise is intended to ascertain the level of understanding and mindset of individual citizens on the SDGs.

“We are happy to be here today and we are happy to be a part of this session. This is not a teaching class but a discussion forum for all of us to be able to talk to each other to understand what we know about the SDGs,” she said.

Madam Sie informed participants that SCI is interested in making sure that all Liberians including women and children fully understand exactly the SDGs and its implication on individual citizens and communities.

“Save the Children is interested and wants to make sure that people of all levels understand what the SDGs is and for us we are particularly interested in making sure that children, women, the men, the boys, the girls get to understand because anything that is done at the top, it affects people at the bottom…and if you do not have the participation of people at the bottom you will not succeed,” Madam. Sie said.

Speaking in a rather simple Liberian English for citizens to understand the massage, Madam Sie said “so the government including our own Government of Liberia went to this big conference and said we didn’t do well with the MDGs, so we want to set a new set of goals that will bring everybody to the table so we can look at how we can reduce the number of poor people, so we can look at job opportunities globally,” something she said, led to the formulation of the 17 goals in the SDGs.

She then informed citizens that the core of the awareness campaign was also intended to give ordinary Liberians especially those in towns and villages that are not easily accessible by road to get to understanding how the SDGs will have a positive impact on their lives as well as citizen’s role toward accepting and implementing the goals.

Sie said SCI is also partnering with the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to make sure that a broader consultation is created on the SDGs.

For his part, Mr. James A. B. Brown, III, said in order for the SDGs not to be a failure, the SDGs must be popularized wherein programs and policies will involve the full participation of all citizens irrespective of status in society as well as locality.

He noted that capacity building programs for all stakeholders including local officials, civil society, youth academics and the private sectors must never be overlooked if the SDGs is to be successful.

At the Suehn-Mecca High School, during SCI’s interaction with citizens, the District Commissioner Boakai Dukuly said at times some NGOs imposed projects on a community even if said project is not welcomed by the community.

Making reference to some of the bad projects, Mr. Dukuly said several hand pumps were constructed in Suehn-Mecca during the rainy season, adding “during the dry season all of the pumps get dry and as a result of that we are now drinking from creeks around here.”

The citizens among several recommendations, appealed to SCI to prevail on donor communities as well as the government in making sure that decentralization is not cosmetic but actualized so that citizens can feel a part of the governing process.