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The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and ActionAid Sierra Leone have officially commissioned and handed over a school facility the Kamakonie and Makump Bana Communities in Kereni and Bombali Districts.
Present at the commissioning ceremony was also Madam Emily Gogra, Deputy Minister I of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, and other government and community stakeholders.
They handed over of six classrooms in Kamakonie, Sella Limba Chiefdom, Karene District, and three Early Childhood Development classrooms in Makump Bana, Bombali Shebora Chiefdom, Bombali District, supporting the government’s Free Quality School Initiative.
Kelvin Kallay, the Acting Deputy Director of NGOs Affairs within MoPED praised ActionAid Sierra Leone for their transformative contribution to education in the country with special focus to the two districts.
He made mention the New MTNDP 2024-2030 launched by President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, focusing on food security, human capital development, and job creation for which he believed that, education is a still a key priority in the president’s agenda
He said the school will serve as a sanctuary of knowledge and inspiration, symbolizing the government’s commitment to breaking the cycle of inequality through education and empowerment, adding that he acknowledged MoPED’s role in facilitating NGO activities that align with government priorities and foster sustainable development, commending ActionAid as a credible partner.
He called on community stakeholders to play their invaluable roles in protecting the facilities and to encourage more children to be enrolled in schools.
In his statement, Foday Bassey Swarray, Executive Director of ActionAid Sierra Leone, thanked the communities for their support and reiterated the organization’s dedication to supporting deprived areas despite numerous challenges as he emphasized the importance of education for the country’s development and called for increased government support for children and teachers in deprived communities.
PC Balab Bangura of Kamakonie , Sella Limba Chiefdom highlighted the positive impact of the new school facilities and the provision of learning materials, while Dr. Mohamed B. Sesay, Council Chairman of Bombali District, spoke on the importance of ownership, partnership, and service delivery in education. He noted MoPED’s role in coordinating NGO activities with the national development agenda.
In her keynote address in Kamakonie, Deputy Minister Gogra praised ActionAid for their impactful work in hard-to-reach and deprived regions. “Your efforts in Kamakonie are great, as they bring educational opportunities to communities that need it the most,” she addressed ActionAid. Gogra urged community stakeholders to protect the school facilities and stressed the importance of Early Childhood Development.
She also committed to facilitating the enrolment of more teachers and acknowledged the First Lady’s initiative in promoting equal opportunities for girls in Sierra Leone, adding that, through these initiatives, the children in Kamakonie and Makump Bana now have the opportunity to attend school, a crucial step towards their personal and academic development.
