Nyapui Secondary School Compound, Combema Village, Saturday 23 October 2021 – His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has disclosed that education is the bedrock for national development when he addressed the commissioning of the newly constructed Nyapui Secondary School of Excellence for Girls, constructed with funds and support from SEND-SL.

Country Director of SEND-SL, Joseph Ayamga, said they were a non-governmental organisation duly registered in the country with a vision to contribute and ensure that people’s rights and well-being were guaranteed, adding that SEND Sierra Leone is part of a West African structure with headquarters in Ghana and offices in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“Our portfolio includes community development, WaSH, health, nutrition, agriculture and women’s empowerment; with intervention areas in the districts of Kailahun, Kenema, Kono, Bonthe, Western Area Urban and Western Rural district,” he said.

He further stated that the school constructed in Combema Village would purely focus on girls who were determined to pursue courses in the sciences, adding that the building had a well-equipped laboratory, ICT facility, and a multi-purpose hall that would serve as an incentive for pupils to stay instead of traveling to big towns in search of education.

“This educational infrastructure will increase access to learning, and it has all the facilities that society needs for development,” he noted.

In a brief statement, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, thanked SEND-SL for funding the project and commended the people of Combema for providing the land on which the beautiful school was constructed.

He further stated that Kenema District had really embraced education to the highest level, adding that that was why the Nyapui Secondary School of Excellence for Girls was the best in the country that would help promote and advance the Free Quality School Education.

“With the construction of this school by SEND-SL, the government looks forward to including the teachers on the payroll. The ministry is also committed to ensuring that this same school is constructed in all regions,” he noted.

Before he commissioned the school, His Excellency President Dr Julius Bio emphasized that it was deliberate when he made education free for all children in the country so that everyone in the country would be able to harness their potential, adding that education was the only means through which a nation could develop.

The President also thanked SEND-SL for their support towards girls and women empowerment and, therefore, used the opportunity to appeal to parents to encourage their children to take their academic work seriously.

“The results in public exams have given me hope that the future will be bright. The future of this nation depends on education. Children are the only resources we have; therefore, they should be protected. Thank you for making me proud. I am very proud of you. Thank you all,” he concluded.