Post a comment 
A major coordinated effort to rebuild one of Sierra Leone’s premier institutions for girls’ science education, a high-level joint delegation paid a solidarity visit to the Nyapui School of Excellence for Girls in Combema, Kenema, on Friday, 10th July, 2026. The school suffered a major fire outbreak which left most of its infrastructure in a poor state.
The delegation brought together key national and international partners, including the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, SEND-Sierra Leone, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The visit serves as a formal reaffirmation of their shared commitment to restoring the school, which has recently faced major setbacks that disrupted its infrastructure and threatened the academic pursuits of its students.
The Nyapui School of Excellence is widely regarded as a critical hub for nurturing young women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) disciplines.
As an immediate step toward recovery, the delegation officially handed over a substantial donation consisting of 100 bunk beds and 200 mattresses. Facilitated through the NDMA, the bedding was provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to urgently upgrade the school’s boarding facilities, ensuring the girls have a safe, secure, and comfortable environment to live and study.
Delegation partners stressed that this donation is not a standalone gesture, but rather the initial phase of a comprehensive, long-term strategy designed to fully rehabilitate the institution.
During the engagement, stakeholders and speakers reflected on the school’s rapid impact since its inception. Notably, graduates from the school’s earliest cohorts are already excelling in various universities across Sierra Leone.
Because of this proven track record, officials stressed that saving the school requires a collective national effort. They issued an urgent call to action targeting government institutions, private sector actors, international development partners, and the Sierra Leonean diaspora to mobilise resources and return the school to its original high standards.
Delivering the keynote address, the Director General of the NDMA, John Vandy Rogers assured the local community and school leadership that the agency is aggressively working with its network of partners to secure additional aid.
The Director General revealed that the structural and operational challenges facing the Nyapui School have already been elevated to the highest levels of governance. His Excellency, the President of Sierra Leone, has been fully briefed on the situation.
Expressing strong optimism for the future, the NDMA leadership noted that higher-level interventions are on the horizon, urging all citizens to rally behind the institution to protect the future of Sierra Leone’s young women in science.
