Cotton Tree Foundation has been accused by a disabled Community Based Organisation of hijacking their first ever project funded by Inter Mission United Kingdom.
According to source, the above mentioned disabled Community Based Organisation, Rescue Ship Foundation SL years back paid an official visit to the Disability Desk Officer, Cotton Tree Foundation, Moses Khanu at the organization office, No.1 Ahmed Drive, Off Sir Samuel Luis Road, Aberdeen with the singular motive of creating partnership that will graduate to project funding.
The alleged project hijacker, Moses Khanu among other things, assured the organization that they were at the right place at the right time.
According to Moses, donors Cotton Tree Foundation is working with are passionate about disability and disability issues and as such will be willing to accept and fund projects that are disability related.
The disabled led organization therefore tendered copies of registration documents and a project proposal for thirty-five (35) disabled children in school for monthly support.
In October 2022, the Head of Projects, Inter Mission jetted into the country and paid an official visit to the organization and its beneficiaries in Lungi, Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, Port Loko, Northwest Region.
In a meeting with beneficiaries, parents and caregivers told all and sundry that Inter Mission has consented to fund beneficiaries of the Rescue Ship Foundation for a year with a possible extension.
Head of project, Inter Mission disclosed that he can state the amount of funds that will be made available because he needs to report before a decision as to how much will be allocated for the said project.
During the said meeting, Head of Project, Inter Mission categorically stated that it is mandated by law for Cotton Tree Foundation share emails relating to the project with Rescue Ship Foundation SL for which the disability desk officer, Cotton Tree Foundation SL, Moses Khanu has vehemently failed to adhere to.
Inter Mission representative, further told parents, caregivers of beneficiaries that the funding will be coming on quarterly basis with the year.
Since September of last year, Cotton Tree Foundation SL has supplied those beneficiaries twice with a bag of rice and Fifty Thousand Old Leone as transportation refund only.
Attempts by the Founder and Director, Rescue Ship Foundation, Donstance Koroma enquiring why the monthly supply is not forth coming has resulted to constant molestation from Moses Khanu and his blue eye boy Mohamed Musa.
Reliable source has it that Cotton Tree Foundation has forcefully captured the photos and other sensitive particulars relating to the beneficiaries of Rescue Ship Foundation SL, despite persistent pressure from the disabled led organization.
In a WhatsApp message available to this medium, the allege project hijacker threaten Director Koroma of sidelining his organization and deal directly with beneficiaries.
On Friday 4th August, this year, Director Koroma reached Moses Khanu via WhatsApp message “Good day, it has taken three months without supplying my beneficiaries. According to Michael, he told beneficiaries, parents, and caregivers that the supply will be on a month basis. I want you to note that.”
“Thank you- you are correct I have not been treating you right-I will surely treat you right from now on – noted.
This is the last time you will ever throw threats or say negative comments towards me. I will do the right thing”, Moses reply.
WhatsApp audio message also available to this medium from Moses Khan’s blue eye boy, Mohamed Musa to the finance officer, Rescue Ship Foundation justifying that his boss has decided to sideling the organization that owns the beneficiaries and deal directly with the said beneficiaries.
According to Donstance Koroma the said implementation is engulf in total secrecy, as Director is not aware about the cost of the project and as a result gives the allege project hijacker a field day to be milking donor fund meant for the most venerable group in the country.
He said funding for the month supply has long before now remitted to Cotton Tree Foundation but disclosed that Moses Khanu deliberately refusing to roll out the supply because of the issues of transparency and accountability he continues to pose.
Koroma added that he was told by Moses Khanu in one of their meetings, that Cotton Tree Foundation is the sole implementing organization in Sierra Leone for Inter Mission UK, and as such, will not allow any organizations in Sierra Leone to have direct dealings with Inter Mission UK.
The continuing pressure by Rescue Ship Foundation SL with regards accountability and transparency in the implementation of the said project continues to be treated with a pinch of salt by the allege project hijacker.
Parents and caregivers of beneficiaries have expressed their disappointment over the inconsistency of the project implementation and therefore yearn to know the reason for such.
Many of the parents and caregivers seems worried about the fact that many local and international Non-Governmental Organisations had used their children’s photos to secure funding that hardly reaches them. However, the inconsistency of the monthly supply has stimulated some to start perceiving the Cotton Tree Foundation as one of such organization using resources of disabled to galvanize health.
It could be recalled that Statistic Sierra Leone last multiple indicator cluster survey ranked Port Loko district with the highest number of physically challenge persons.
The survey further indicated that parents and caregivers of the physically challenged occupied the bottom of the wealth index, that is, the poorest of the poor.
