Getting to Know Lossie: A conversation with our MCLD expert and Program Supervisor

At One Village Partners, leadership is more than a title,  it’s a daily practice rooted in service and community.

That’s why we sat down with Lossie Konneh, our passionate Community Action Supervisor to learn more about what drives him. From packed Mondays and community visits to his passion for Pan-African leadership and community-led development. In this candid conversation, Lossie shares what’s fuelling his vision for 2025, why Kono District is full of promise, and how weekends are just as much about growth as they are about rest. For Lossie, this year isn’t just busy, it’s transformational.

A day in your shoes. What does a “typical” day look like for you, if such a thing even exists?

A typical workday for me is quite busy but presents constant opportunities for learning. My mornings begin with check-ins with my program team, followed by emails, Slack, WhatsApp messages, and reviewing the previous week’s activity plan. Mondays are especially intense as I engage my team virtually to align on our weekly objectives.
I manage several programs simultaneously, including the Community Action Program, Participatory Land Use Management and Planning Plus (PLUMP+), and the Movement for Community-Led Development (MCLD). These roles have sharpened my skills in active listening, effective communication, flexibility, and strategic leadership. They have also enriched my understanding of cross-cultural collaboration and mentorship.

Through ongoing mentorship and oversight, I support my team in becoming more proactive and efficient. The experience continues to shape me into an adaptive and servant leader, committed to organizational and personal growth.

If you could have dinner with any famous figure, past or present, who would it be and why?

If I could dine with one famous figure, it would be Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, a renowned Kenyan lawyer and activist. His compelling advocacy for decolonizing African minds and empowering African leadership strongly resonates with my work and personal values.

Professor Lumumba's speeches and activism have fueled my passion for promoting collective wellbeing through community-led development. His philosophy aligns with the core of the CLD model, which emphasizes inclusive participation and empowering communities to lead their own transformation.

A conversation with him would be both enlightening and affirming, reinforcing my belief in the potential of African communities to lead sustainable change from within. His influence has strengthened my resolve to make the CLD model a powerful tool for grassroots development.

What is your favorite thing to do on weekends?

Weekends offer me a chance to rest and rejuvenate after a demanding week, but I also use the time wisely. I enjoy watching games, visiting family and friends, and balancing relaxation with productivity to maintain effectiveness at work.
However, I my favorite thing is taking time to explore more online for learning opportunities, particularly in leadership and community-led development. These self-improvement activities enhance my skills and keep me updated on trends and best practices in development work.

This balance of rest, recreation, and learning has significantly contributed to my growth, helping me become a more productive and inspirational team member.

Our Work and What Matters

MCLD is such an important global work. How do you balance that with OVP?

At One Village Partners (OVP), I serve in dynamic roles that prepare me for current and future strategic leadership. I supervise the Community Action Program and serve as the MCLD-SL National Association focal person at OVP. The organization's culture of weekly activity planning has played a critical role in helping me manage my dual responsibilities effectively.
Since joining OVP in 2019, I’ve embraced structured planning, utilizing tools like Google Calendar to align my work across both MCLD and OVP. This system supports me in balancing overlapping duties in project design, team management, event coordination, and strategic planning.

These experiences have helped raise MCLD-SL's national profile while contributing to OVP’s broader mission. The synergy has fostered personal growth and positioned me to amplify community-led development across Sierra Leone.

What has been the response so far with new partnerships in Kono District in our MCLD partnerships?

Introducing the Community-Led Development model to Kono District has been a strategic and impactful step. While we are still adapting our approach to align with Kono’s cultural context, the feedback from stakeholders, including local councils and MCLD partners, has been overwhelmingly positive.
Our presence in Kono has fostered stronger collaborations and created a vital link between One Village Partners and the MCLD-SL National Association. It provides us with the opportunity to deepen partnerships and promote CLD among NGOs, CBOs, CSOs, and state actors in Sierra Leone.

This expansion aligns with our vision to amplify Sierra Leoneans' collective power to lead change in their communities, extending MCLD’s influence and fostering shared ownership of development.

What makes 2025 different from previous years with MCLD?

2025 marks a milestone year for MCLD-SL. Since its inception in 2018 and official launch in 2021, we have made significant progress in building structure, capacity, and impact. However, what sets 2025 apart is the comprehensive five-year strategic plan developed and established a functional board and organizational structure.
Besides, we actively participated in the launch of the CLD book and the global celebration of MCLD’s 10-year anniversary in May 2025. This event brought together thousands of practitioners and significantly raised awareness of CLD’s global impact and relevance to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

These advancements have strengthened MCLD’s national and global recognition, attracting new partnerships and positioning us to lead inclusive development more intentionally and effectively.

Out of all the powerful moments from the past year, which stories stand out to you the most?

One of the most powerful moments was our Election Violence Prevention campaign in 2023. With the introduction of the Proportional Representation system, many first-time voters, especially women and youth, were not aware of the process, leading to potential risks of violence, especially among young people.

With a small grant from OVP, MCLD-SL collectively conducted extensive grassroots education across 40 communities in 9 high-risk election violence districts. Through community engagements and media outreach, we reached over 16,000 people, significantly contributing to peaceful elections with zero violence reported in the reached directly communities.
Feedback from community members underscored the value of this intervention, showcasing the power of proactive, community-led efforts even with limited resources. It was a testament to how the CLD model can drive meaningful, scalable impact across the country.