CEST Constitution
The supreme governing document of CEST: its vision, mission, objectives, membership rules, structure and financial provisions. Adopted on 14 January 2022.
PDF · 16 pages
About CEST
Building a Better Community
CEST is a community-focused organization in Masingbi, Sierra Leone, working through community engagement and youth-led action for sustainable transformation.
Our story
From a studentassociationto CEST.
CEST grew out of a student association formed in 2014. Today it brings together members at home and in the diaspora to serve communities across Sierra Leone.
2014
Where it began
The organization began as the Kunike Academic Descendants’ Association (KADA), formed by a coalition of students from Kunike Sanda chiefdom.
2018
A new name
The association changed its name to Community Engagements for Sustainable Transformation (CEST).
2022
A formal constitution
CEST’s constitution was formally adopted on 14 January 2022, setting out its aims, membership and structure.
Our symbol
A hand holding three people and an academic hat: standing together for development and social cohesion, and using education as a tool for sustainable transformation.
Our mission
Change agentsfor a betternation.
CEST is a group of like-minded people serving as change agents for society’s transformation. Through community engagement, youth-led action and business skills, we work to meet the challenges our country faces and to build a better, more prosperous nation.
- Mainstreaming young people and youth-led institutions to bring about positive change
- Respecting human rights and the rule of law
- Increasing the participation of every Sierra Leonean in the country’s development
Our vision
Our vision
“Society change through community engagement and youth-led action.”
CEST is anchored on changing society through community engagement and youth-led action, instilling responsible and patriotic citizenship. It also seeks to reach more clients through its corporate work and generate income, to improve the lives of CEST members and clients for a better nation.
- Social transformation
- Community engagement
- Youth-led action
- Responsible citizenship
- Positive national development
- Sustainable improvement in people’s lives
Objectives
What CEST setsout to do.
CEST’s overall goal is to help build national consciousness and love for our country, and to lay the foundations for responsible citizenship in a united, progressive and business-oriented nation. The objectives below are grouped by theme to make them easier to read.
01Youth & EntrepreneurshipCapacity building, business support, mentoring, access to finance and jobs.
- Build the capacity of young men and women so they can be self-reliant.
- Provide capacity building, technical assistance and financial support to emerging young entrepreneurs, and help them sustain their businesses.
- Provide business support services to enterprising young people, including business management skills and access to financial services.
- Mentor young men and women in enterprise development and business activities, with access to credit and financial support.
- Create employment through small business development and partnerships.
- Serve as a training ground for young people to champion their own welfare, economic, social and development issues.
- Encourage hard work, determination and dedication among young people, in place of drug abuse, violence, cultism and other social vices.
02Education & SkillsSkills training, business and financial management, knowledge sharing and TVET.
- Run skills training and capacity-building workshops on developing and implementing business plans, business management and financial management.
- Share knowledge and best practices on sustainable enterprises.
- Strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET), formal and non-formal, for young people.
- Provide training services to non-formal groups, youth groups, SMEs and community-based organisations.
- Run public campaigns encouraging parents to send their children to school.
03Community DevelopmentPeacebuilding, health, sanitation, emergency support and community engagement.
- Help reactivate national consciousness and love for our nation.
- Take part in peacebuilding engagements at community level and serve as a network for conflict resolution.
- Promote good health and sanitation by sensitizing communities on health-related issues.
- Come to the aid of the community in emergencies.
- Conduct edutainment programs for national development and take part in other social activities.
- Seek the welfare of all members.
04Research & ConsultancyResearch, needs assessments, operational documents, roadmaps and consultancy.
- Undertake research and other consultancies.
- Carry out needs assessments.
- Develop operational documents and roadmaps.
05PartnershipsWorking with development partners, government, donors, youth organizations, SMEs and CBOs.
- Collaborate with development partners working toward similar goals.
- Implement donor-funded or government-funded projects for the benefit of all.
- Build youth groups, SMEs and community-based organisations through training services.
- Create a reliable network that recognises youth and youth-led organisations’ contribution to national development, within Sierra Leone and globally.
- Create employment opportunities for facilitators and members.
- Provide general merchandise to clients and partners.
Values
The principlesthat guide us.
Drawn from CEST’s constitution and the way it asks members to conduct themselves.
01
Community-led change
Lasting change starts with communities engaging with one another and with their own challenges.
02
Youth leadership
Young people are partners and leaders in development, not only beneficiaries.
03
Responsible citizenship
We encourage love for our country and a sense of responsibility to build it up.
04
Neutrality and non-discrimination
CEST is neutral on politics, religion, race and tradition, and opposes discrimination based on ethnic origin, gender, language, religion or politics.
05
Education as a tool
Our symbol’s academic hat reflects our belief in education as a tool for sustainable transformation.
06
Respect and solidarity
Members respect each other’s views and stand in solidarity in times of illness, loss and hardship.
07
Accountability
Funds raised are used only to further CEST’s aims, and accounts are open to audit.
Organizational structure
How CESTis organized.
CEST has three main organs. Members at home and abroad take part through the general membership, which elects officers every four years by secret ballot.
- 01
General Membership
All members of CEST, at home and in the diaspora. It is the largest body and debates and approves policies for the general membership.
- 02
Executive Management Body & Advisory Board
Elected and appointed officers, area coordinators and committees who run day-to-day affairs, guided by an Advisory Board.
- 03
Board of Directors
The strategic, corporate face of CEST. The Board oversees corporate affairs and works with the CEO & Founder and Executive Director.
Accountability and finance
- An Annual General Meeting is held each year and appoints an external auditor or audit firm.
- Funds raised are used only to further CEST’s aims.
- CEST’s sources of funds include registration fees, donations, member contributions, social activities, returns from corporate activities and humanitarian assistance.
Registered in Sierra Leone
- Corporate Affairs Commission, Sierra Leone. Incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee on 7 February 2025.
- Ministry of Social Welfare (Tonkolili District). Registered as a Community Based Organization; renewed annually.
- Tonkolili District Council. Registered as a Community Based Organization; renewed annually.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (Tonkolili District). Recognised in a March 2025 attestation as a progressive partner participating in rice, cassava and potato production.
CEST is neutral in politics, religion, race and tradition, and opposes discrimination of any kind. See governance and documents.
Transparency
Accountabilitymatters.
CEST is governed by a written constitution. Funds raised are used only to further CEST’s aims, and the Annual General Meeting appoints an external auditor or audit firm.
- Annual Reports[ADD WHEN AVAILABLE]
- Financial Reports[ADD WHEN AVAILABLE]
- Policies[ADD WHEN APPROVED]
- Project Reports[ADD WHEN AVAILABLE]
Be part of the story
Volunteer, partner or support CEST’s work.