Saudi Arabia Boosts MBSSE

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) of Saudi Arabia has provided a grant of $2 million to Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) to strengthen three priority areas of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) – Science, Laboratories and Libraries nationwide.

The team from KSRelief headed by the Operation and Programs Affairs Advisor Dr. Mohamed H. Diab is in Freetown on a three days working visit (Wednesday 1st March – Friday 3rd March) to engage the MBSSE Leadership and tour different schools in the country.

According to Dr. Diab, the working visit to Sierra Leone is to ensure that the three shortlisted priority areas are identified and the MBSSE leadership agrees on how to allocate the funding and which of the three areas should receive more funding.

He said MBSSE leadership should identify the kind of Science Laboratory equipment that is needed and can be used, noting that it doesn’t make sense to have laboratory equipment that can be locked in the store.

He called on the Ministry to identify the focal person in the Ministry that they will be working with to ensure that they deliver on their targets.

Speaking about KSRelief, he said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken on a pioneering humanitarian role in serving the international community around the world, adding that the Kingdom realizes the significance of this role in alleviating human suffering and ensuring that all people are allowed to live healthy, dignified lives.

“The leadership of Saudi Arabia established the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre. The purpose of this important international organization is to provide humanitarian aid and relief to those in need outside of the Kingdom’s borders. The activities of the center were inaugurated in May of 2015 under the high patronage and guidance of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may God support him,” he said.

Diab said programs are chosen based on the eligibility of targeted recipients in selected geographical areas, noting that the aid includes all humanitarian and relief sectors (Relief Security, Camps Management, Shelter, Early Recovery, Protection, Education, Water, and Sanitation, Nutrition, Health, Humanitarian, and Emergency Relief Coordination, Logistics and Emergency Telecommunication.)

The Deputy Minister ll of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Madam Mamusu Massaquoi welcomed the visiting team and commended KSRelief for their continual support to Sierra Leone.

She said the MBSSE is happy that they are given the free hand to decide on their priorities and how the cash can be distributed.

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Massaquoi said according to data, the MBSSE has already identified areas that need WASH facilities the most, adding that with regards to the science laboratories, the MBSSE considers equipping community laboratories that can be accessed by different schools at different times.