The First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, has informed young people in Namibia that they should see themselves as leaders of today and not tomorrow so she encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunities they have now to enhance their leadership skills.

First Lady Dr. Maada Bio was delivering the Keynote Address at the official launch of the BeFree Youth Campus in Windhoek, Namibia on Friday 1st September 2023.

First Lady Dr. Maada Bio encouraged the young people to prepare themselves to break free from constraints that hold them back and urged them to embrace a commitment to excel in all areas of life.

She said: “No matter what happens, you must not involve in alcohol or substance abuse. You need to free yourselves from all forms of abuses in order for you to have a better life”.

First Lady Maada Bio further encouraged the young people to participate in opportunities that would prepare them for leadership positions.

Referencing herself and other First Ladies who were as well present at the prestigious event, the Sierra Leone First Lady said: “We are here because we got married to men who then became Presidents but when young girls come to me and say, ‘First Lady, I just want to be just like you; I want to become a First Lady’, I respond to them by telling them, ‘No, you must want to be the President!’ because I want the young Girls to know they can also become the Head of State”.

First Lady Maada Bio said it was important to build on the foundation of Democracy by helping to amplify voices that would otherwise go unheard “particularly those of women and girls, people living on the margins of society or those vulnerable to abuse”. She said we all should ensure everybody can fully “exercise their right to disagree and dissent.”

Continuing to address the gathering, First Lady Maada Bio commended the First Lady of Namibia for such a laudable idea as the BeFree Youths Initiative. She appealed to Namibia’s youth to make use of such a big platform to develop their talents and realise their dreams.

The Sierra Leone First Lady reminded the youthful audience that they are the keepers and builders of not only their lives but also the future of the world.

First Lady Fatima Maada Bio urged Namibia to protect the numerous legacies already established by the First Lady of Namibia and whilst expressing admiration for the legacies of Namibia’s First Lady, the Sierra Leone First Lady also promised to replicate some of those same ideas for Sierra Leone, tailored in different forms but with the same concepts.

Earlier, whilst giving a background of the youths campus, Her Excellency the First Lady of Namibia Madam Monica Geingos, in her capacity as the Founder and Chairperson of “One Economy Foundation”, explained that the Youth Campus was established in order to address a cluster of issues that Namibian Youth are faced with.

First Lady Monica, who is a Lawyer by profession, explained of how the Youth Campus aims to serve young people aged between 13 to 30 years by providing psychosocial support and guidance on the legal and criminal justice systems especially regarding sexual and gender-based violence.

The campus will also be providing academic support, entrepreneurial skills, programming and skills development amongst many other services to young Namibians.

First Lady Monica Geingos revealed that the Campus will provide a STEM Lab that will help youth. She also said special services will be provided for youths who had been involved in Sexual and Gender Based Violence.

First Lady Monica Geingos concluded that the campus will help provide a safe and non-judgmental space for youth to facilitate their development and also aid their education on sexual and reproductive health.