By: Problyn J. Alpha
To revitalize girls’ education in Kono District and the country as a whole a locally based organization in Kono District “Kono Female upcoming Intellectuals or Koufi for short has celebrated it’s second anniversary in Kono District on the Theme “Effect of Socialization on girls”. The Primary objective for the formation of the organization is to raise awareness among school going pupils, stakeholders and parents through school tours, radio discussion programmes and community engagements or sensitization on the importance of girls education in the district and the country as a whole. Resume of the two years anniversary celebration includes: Debate, quiz and spelling Bee competitions among at least four selected secondary school in kono district.
The epoch making event which attracted school authorities, parents, pupils and the press took place at the Konomusu skill training centre in Koidu city Kono District. Talking to this medium the erstwhile president of the aforementioned organization who also doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of Susan’s Natural Fatu Jimissa maintained that the Kono female upcoming intellectuals (KOUFI) started like a dream with only two members who had the desire then to speak better English which later extended the said dream to a teacher who advised them to form a school club to be presenting News Journal during assembles noting a day after the idea was sold it metamorphosed into the establishment of the organization Kono Female Upcoming Intellectuals (KOUFI). She further explained that on the first of March 2021, the organization embarked on its first school tour to some selected secondary schools within the municipality of Koidu to popularize their initiative which she said was highly cherished by the principals of the schools visited.
This allowed their pupils to become members of the organization. Explaining some of the bench marks of the organization since its inception to date, Susan Fatu Jimissa maintained that the organization has been able to change the narrative of many parents who prior to now have the mindset that education was not for girls but for boys adding they have also succeeded in convincing many of their peers for taking drugs, premature sex and early marriage which are the major factors for school dropouts. She encouraged her colleague females to join the band wagon in the crusade to project the importance of quality education which will in no doubt add value to them in the future. “Many women are intimated by their husbands, because they entirely and totally depend on those husbands for survival”, Madam Jimissa Opined.
She further admonished girls in Kono District and the country as a whole not to continue to wallow in the misconception and social media deception about socialization, stating that socialization is one of the things that is seriously destroying the future of girls nowadays. “We are not against girls becoming socialists, but we beseech them to socialize positively that will bring honour to themselves and their families”, she concluded.
Veronica Kumba Moray is the current president of the aforementioned organization she told this medium that the organization is serving as an auxiliary entity in order to strength girls to excel academically and to also console victims of sexual penetration and its related vices, despite the very many challenges women and girls are exposed to.
“Our organization instills boldness in its members so that they can face the challenges of life with a triumphant mindset”, Veronica Moray boasted.
Asked to know her take on the Theme “Effect of Socialization on girls” Veronica Moray pointed out that the idea of socialization has been misunderstood by most of the girls in our society and even in the schools that are considered to be the cradle of socialization.
The reason for the selection of the aforesaid theme she noted is to expose both the negative and positive effects of socialization in our societies but the motive of encouraging our colleagues to inculcate the positive spirit of socialization.
On his part the representative of partners in Health (PIH) CHO Mohamed Swaray described socialization as a way people interact with their respective societies owing to the norms and values accepted in those societies. He implored members of the organization to practice the positive aspect of socialization.
Sahr Samuel Success Gborie is the coordinator Kono female upcoming intellectuals when making a statement, he intimated that the organization came into existence on the 23rd of February 2021 out of the passion he has for girl’s education.
He noted that the only way to make his dream come true was to galvanize girls from the different Secondary Schools in Kono District to preach the idea to other girls that education is important. According to him over the years girls and women have not been fully considered to be part of developmental activities in the district and the country as a whole noting it is on that backdrop that the idea to form a formidable team to change such narrative was established in 2021.
He maintained that what men dowomen can do better if only giving the opportunity or platform to have either formal or non-formal education.
Sahr Samuel success Gborie concluded by calling on all and sundry to support women and girls to acquire quality education as he puts it “When you educate a man you have educated an individual but when you educate a woman you have educated a nation”.
