By Mabinty M. Kamara
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio on Thursday unveiled the first ever all girl secondary school in Port Loko Town in the North-West Region of the country.
The six-classroom building, equipped with a laboratory, which is described by officials as a lab school, was constructed with funding from Mercury International. The betting firm said it spent over Le500 billion to complete the project.
The school is named in honor of Dr. Kadi Sesay, an indigene of Port Loko and one of Sierra Leone’s most successful women with records in academia and politics. Dr Sessay is also a former Vice Presidential running mate for the Sierra Leone Peoples Party in the 2011 general elections, which she unsuccessfully contested jointly with President Bio.
According to officials, the school was named after Dr. Sesay so that her remarkable role and leadership in the district can serve as a motivation and drive for the young girls who will be attending the school.
Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, another indigene of the district, chaired the inauguration ceremony held on the school campus. He applauded the government and Mercury International for their consideration and open-hand to the district in ensuring development.
Dr Jalloh assured the benefactors that the community would take ownership of the school and ensure that it serves its intended purpose of producing women who will contribute to national development.
Chiefdom Speaker of Bakieh Loko Chiefdom, Malapy Tarawallie, noted that as a district, they were grateful to the government for the development strides they have witnessed there, noting that they would reward the president for remembering them.
Alpha Khan, former Minister of Information and Communication and a top opposition All People’s Congress (APC) figure, said the SLPP-led administration was a leader in fostering development in the district as many schools in there were founded during the reign of the party, dating back to 1964.
In her statement, the Resident Minister North-west, Isata Abdulai Kamara, called on the government and Mercury International to make the school safe for the girls by fencing it and to establish a boarding home that can house the children. She also called for the provision of trained and qualified teachers for the school.
In his statement, Martin Michael, Executive Director of Mercury International, noted that over the years, his company had been engaged in many developmental projects across the country as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility. He added that he wanted the new school to be of the standard of the Anni Walsh Memorial School, among other celebrated schools in the country.
“From Hands off our girls campaign to scholarships, donations to the Balanta Academy of Music, the Milton Margai School for the Blind, National School for the Deaf, home for the aged, Mercury International has extended its philanthropy to each part of society and contribute meaningfully,” he said.
He revealed that following the inauguration of the Port Loko school, they were scheduled to commence the construction of a child care center in Moyamba District.
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr Moinina David Sengeh, noted that the school was designed to accommodate all shades of children, including those with disability. He added that this was not unconnected to the government’s drive for radical inclusion.
President Julius Maada Bio, in his statement, assured the people of Port Loko of his government’s commitment in ensuring that the girls become safer in the school by fencing the perimeters of the school and also provide boarding home facility for the girls, as well as sporting facilities.
President Bio encouraged other investors to emulate Mercury International by joining the development drive of the country, noting that investment in human capital development was the best investment ever for a nation.
“Education is a right. Therefore, we are committed to narrowing the gender gaps and provide the opportunities for the under-served communities in our country. We believe as a government, that we must maximize to multiply effect for investing in the education of girls,” Bio said.
He added: “I want to use this opportunity to thank Mercury International and encourage other business people, because it’s not just Mercury that is in this country, there are other business people. So Imagine if Mercury international could do this with plans of doing more, if all the business people in the country do same, it will be good.”
The northern region has over the years been lagging behind in terms of girl child education, partly because most parents prioritize the education of the male children, while the females are left to do business to support the home and their brothers’ schooling. This has to a large extent encouraged the proliferation of early marriage and teenage pregnancy, leaving the future of girls in the region bleak.
Fatmata Bangura, a trader, told Politico at the launch that they welcome the school in the district, noting that part of the problem for school dropout among girls in the district was the co-education system.
“Most girls are impregnated by their schoolmates and teachers, especially when they reach senior school level. But with this kind of school, I believe that the girls can be safe without much pressure from the boys,” she said, adding: “I am happy for the president; even though he said that we do not like him, I believe that we are not blind to development, hence we cannot hate somebody that brings development to us.”
The Dr. Kadi Girls Secondary has classes from JSS I to JSS 3, with the classrooms named after sections in Porloko District, like Maforki, Lunsar, Massiaka, Mange and Lungi.
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