Facebook Revitalizes Segbwema Development Association SEDA

Segbwema market in the 80s

Some years ago, a group of us who were either descendants of Segbwema or had a bond to the town through school, work, marriage, or other affiliation decided to form a Segbwema Development Association. The expressed aim of the association was to facilitate the recovery of the town from the ravages of the RUF civil war by either engaging in or sponsoring small scale projects in the areas of health care, education and agriculture. Those of us who were active at the time of SEDA's formation felt that even though the town was severely damaged during the war and all sectors needed help, the three aforementioned sectors were of prime importance as they were fundamental to the well being, living standard and future prosperity of the people of our believed. Most of the founding SEDA members were in the Diaspora, particularly USA, UK and Canada. We also had much enthusiasm from our siblings and kindred in Sierra Leone.

Robin Fallay  Segbwema MP

Upon the formation of SEDA the initial enthusiasm of the founding members was remarkable. We focused initially on growing the membership and developing the association as a non-governmental organization (NGO) or nonprofit. We set financial and other goals and selected an interim executive. After the initial enthusiasm, interest in the association declined.This was  mostly due to the barriers of communication between people residing in different areas of the world and different time zones. The interim executive also did not follow up on the initial work we started and as time went on SEDA sort of fizzled out, even though a lot of us still had the ideas and  zeal to help our beloved hometown Segbwema, the place where we were born, bred and nurtured.

Last week after a discussion with Owen Kaicombay who is studying for a Masters degree in international relations in Japan, we decided that one way we could get around the barrier to communication that had so negatively impacted the work of SEDA was to employ the use of existing social networks, particularly Facebook. A lot of people from Segbwema living in different areas of the world were already on Facebook, so a Segbwema Development Association group was to be created and people recognized as descending from or having any affiliation to Segbwema were to be made members of the group. Just about four days ago we set up the SEDA facebook group, and what a miracle! In just four days we have gotten a membership of 118 people from every conceivable part of the globe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe and even the middle east. We have yet to hear from Antartica, but I wont be surprised. 

20th Anniversary Captain Ben-Hirsch, P

Late Ben-Hirsch

I am urging each and every person from Segbwema on Facebook to search for the group and join. It is an open group. Yesterday some members of this group attended the 20th Anniversary of the death of our beloved brother, defender and friend Captain Prince Ben Hirsch, and Jusu Murlin Gogra posted some of the pictures on the SEDA group wall on Facebook.We all felt close to the ceremony, though some of us are so far away in strange lands. Please join this group and let us help put our town on the international map and maybe revive the glory days of Nixon, Wesley and Holy Ghost.

At the Graveside