By Septimus Senessie in Kono
As a way of promoting quality education in deprived communities, the charity Action Aid International has awarded 40 scholarships to 40 lucky pupils who had the 40 best results on the 2014 National Primary School Examinations (NPSE).
The donation ceremony was held at the Jaima Nimikoro Town Barry in Nimikoro Chiefdom, Kono District. Each of the pupils received a year-long school fee, a pair of shoes and uniform, a school bag, the four core text books for junior secondary school, pens, pencils and geometrical sets, as awards for excellence performances at the NPSE.
Action Aid on the same occasion also donated foam mattresses, pillows and cooking utensils to 64 Ebola decontaminated households in Nimikoro, Nimiyama and Gorama Kono chiefdoms.
The entire project was funded by the Disaster Preparedness Resilience Fund, Disaster Emergency Response, Christians Investment Foundation and Band-Aids, all from the United Kingdom, officials said.
Addressing the audience, which include pupils and parents of the beneficiaries, the Education Adviser at Action Aid, Cecilia Sannoh, elatedly thanked the deserving pupils for their outstanding performances. She singled out Elizabeth Mani from the Baptist Primary School in Tankoro Chiefdom, who scored an aggregate of 329. She however challenged the winners to continue the hard work.
Madam Sannoh also said similar school learning materials were on the same occasion donated to 350 orphans and vulnerable children attending schools in Nimikoro, Nimiyama and Gorama Kono chiefdoms and promised that donations were been planned for 47 more schools in the three chiefdoms, with items including veronica buckets, soaps and towels, all geared towards promoting education and school hygiene practices in the chiefdoms.
Mohamed Fofanah, manager, Action Aid Kono, in a power point presentation projected the numerous developmental activities
implemented in the three chiefdoms of their operational areas in the Kono District, citing the promotion of women and girl’s rights, agriculture, education, and infrastructure.
Elizabeth Mani, 14-year old, who wants to be an accountant, thanked Action Aid for the gesture.
Earlier, the chairman of the ceremony who also doubles as the chairman of the Nimikoro Education Committee, Sia Memento Dumba, said she was impressed with the performance of the children and urged them to pay maximum attention to their academic works.
(C) Politico 11/06/15
