The Country Director of ChildFund International in Sierra Leone, Victor Kamara, on Thursday, August 25th, 2022, handed over two 40-foot containers of books to the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE). The books, which are worth about 184,684 dollars, are meant to promote early childhood learning and for pupils at the junior secondary school level. Aside from the books, which comprise Science, Mathematics, and English, ChildFund also provided Le 60 million (old notes) to the Ministry for the books to be transported to every corner of Sierra Leone at their Hill Station office in Freetown. While presenting the books to the Deputy Minister, the Country Director of ChildFund International in Sierra Leone started by outlining their work as a non-governmental organization, including their latest Strategic Plan. He said they're a child focus organization in Sierra Leone complimenting the efforts of the government in different areas. Having been around since 1985, ChildFund has been providing relevant support to the government as they operate in ten districts in the country, focusing on four priority areas, of which health and education are amongst them. According to the Country Director, they want to leave a footprint in the country when they have wrapped up. That is why they are working with the locals who are giving them the basics. This is not the first time ChildFund has made such gestures, but about this one, Mr. Kamara said they were very strategic in selecting the categories of pupils that are to benefit from such a facility. Education is key for them, as he called on the MBSSE to distribute the books right around the country. "They are not intended for Freetown alone," he says, adding that because students now have access to books across the country, they are performing well in public exams, referring to the NPSE. In his statement, the MBSSE Representative at State House, Lans Keifala, thanked ChildFund for such a gesture and described them as "you're a very credible partner to the government." According to Emmanuel Daoud, from the Development Partners Coordination Desk, they're not too surprised with what ChildFund has done based on what they have been doing over the years. He said that ChildFund has been working with community stakeholders, implementing exactly what is on paper about their programs. The Deputy Minister of MBSSE, Emily Gogra, while receiving the books on Behalf of Government and her ministry from the Country Director, was emotionally touched. Madam Gogra thanked the NGO for such a mammoth effort, noting that two years ago, they received a similar gesture from the same organization. She stated that supplementary readers are necessary for children and that the education problem would not be solved unless partners joined forces. As Madam Gogra underscored, there is a huge improvement in all of the districts where ChildFund is operating, adding that "Today you have taught the children how to fish by giving them books to read." The Deputy Minister assured the gathering that they were going to do the distribution equally throughout the country. Other speakers also made meaningful contributions, including the Deputy Chief Education Officer, Madam Momoh, who described the books as having cost a huge sum of money, noting that they would be put to good use. She thanked ChildFund for their support over the years, especially during the Ebola outbreak, where they catered to vulnerable children.
Credit: Mohamed J. Bah.
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