On Thursday, 2024, Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, generously contributed 80 million Leones to support Women in the Media (WIMSAL). This donation will be utilized to secure office space, showcasing her dedication to empowering diverse women within the media sector in Sierra Leone.

The donation was followed by full tuition scholarships to seventeen (17) members of WIMSAL.
The donations were made on behalf of the newly registered INGO, the 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 (𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐆) 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 and they are part of HOOG Foundation’s initiatives aimed at supporting girls and women to reach their full potentials.

The First Lady pointed out that the importance of education and encouraged all the 17 beneficiaries to make the most of this opportunity. She admonished them to take care of their physical and emotional well-being and to not allow themselves to be mistreated. She urged them to always stand tall and with confidence as women.

The WIMSAL president highlighted how beneficial this support is, especially for WIMSAL members who are single mothers. She spoke of Yvette, one of the beneficiaries who has three children and struggled to afford everything on her own. The assistance provided by the First Lady has not only supported Yvette’s education but has also alleviated some of her financial burdens.

Expressing her appreciation, Haja Mariama Bangura, one of the beneficiaries expressed her gratitude towards the First Lady and further mentioned that she no longer had to worry about paying fees. She promised that all of them will make the First Lady proud by achieving excellent results in their various educational disciplines of study.