31/03/2026
OUR WOMAN OF PEACE
Catherine Rebecca Keikula | Head of Programmes at the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding Sierra Leone (WANEP-SL)
Catherine Rebecca Keikula is a dedicated professional peacebuilder, advocate, and gender activist with over ten years of commitment to fostering inclusive community peace in Sierra Leone. She currently serves as Head of Programmes at the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding Sierra Leone (WANEP-SL) , where she leads interventions in women, peace and security; youth, peace and security; and national early warning systems. Her leadership emphasizes building her team's capacity to effectively deliver on all projects while promoting women's rights, inclusion, leadership, and good governance across the organization's work.
Her peacebuilding approach combines transitional justice with community-driven dispute resolution. Catherine has coordinated major projects including the Localization and Working Together for Peace: Repositioning Women-focused CSOs for Sustainable Peace in Sierra Leone (funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund and implemented with World Vision, UN Women, and UNDP-Sierra Leone), and the Strengthening Sustainable Peace, Transitional and Social Justice Among Young People project (funded by the Africa Transitional Justice and Legacy Fund). In 2023, she led community town hall engagements in Tombo, Waterloo, Grafton, and Koidu, working with market women, traditional leaders, and Mammy Queens to identify early warning signs and prevent conflicts before the national elections. She has also trained journalists on reporting transitional justice issues and social cohesion, recognizing the media's critical role in nation-building.
Catherine's academic foundation includes a Diploma in Peace and Conflict, a Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Development, and she is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Project Management at Njala University. She has earned additional certifications in Mobilizing Support from the West Africa Civil Society Institute, and as a Gender Advisor, Leadership and Mentoring from the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Institute in Accra, Ghana. Her contributions to fostering community peace, political tolerance, social justice, and women's rights have positioned her as a respected voice in Sierra Leone's peacebuilding landscape.
Beyond her programmatic work, Catherine serves as Sierra Leone's Civil Society Focal Point on the Civilian Dimension of the ECOWAS Standby Force. In this role, she participates in regional workshops sensitizing member states on civilian contributions to peacekeeping, bridging the gap between grassroots civil society and regional security mechanisms. Her current supervision of the Local Inclusive Peacebuilding and Security Engagement Project (funded by DIGNITY) and the Strengthening Air Quality Communications for Freetown project (funded by Henddu SAS through C40) demonstrates her versatility in addressing both traditional peacebuilding and emerging climate-related security risks. Through her decade of service, Catherine Rebecca Keikula continues to prove that sustainable peace requires women's leadership, community ownership, and the integration of justice, accountability, and social cohesion.
HE Dee Andrew Boima W-A-N-E-P UNDP in Sierra Leone Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs-SL
