By Bampia James Bundu
Mariama Kati Bangura, a pupil of St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Freetown, has won a brand new iPad after coming tops in the “Christmas Brain of Peagie Woobay Essay competition’ held recently in the country.
Project Coordinator of the Peagie Woobay Scholarship Foundation, Mohamed Kargbo, said the scholarship fund was a nongovernmental organisation with the aim of empowering girls in the country through education, and giving teenage mothers a second chance in order for them not to drop out of school completely.
He revealed that the foundation had 65 beneficiaries countrywide, with 22 of them being teenage mothers. He also said that 43 of the beneficiaries were now in normal stream schools and were being mentored, motivated and taught the risk of teenage pregnancy thereby discouraging them from becoming teen mothers.
The coordinator noted that the other two pupils, who had made it to the finals, were Tryphena S. Koroma also of the St. Joseph’s Secondary school who came second, wining Le 500, 000 and Adama Koroma of the Annie Walsh Memorial Secondary School who came third winning Le 250,000.
Kargbo commended all the participants in the competition and assured them that the Peagie Woobay Foundation would always look after them.
Presenting the prizes on Tuesday at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, the minister, Moijueh Kaikai commended Madam Woobay “for her outstanding contribution towards building the educational aspect of young girls across the country”. He said the foundation had given teenage mothers a second chance to go back to school.
The minister praised the three successful candidates for their courage and determination throughout the competition that was held amidst the Ebola crisis, and urged them to continue to study hard and read their books albeit schools were indefinitely closed as a result of the Ebola outbreak.
“Education is the only gift a child should embrace with two hands, because it lasts forever,” Kaikai said.
The Principal of St. Joseph’s Secondary school, Hilda Lamboi thanked the foundation for supporting young girls not only in Freetown but across the country. She commended the pupils for going through the essay competition despite the Ebola crisis in the country and warned them not to forget reading their school notes.
© Politico 18/12/14
