November 30, 2021
BY: MOHAMED SAHR
The Ibrahim Brima Swarray Foundation in connection to supporting President Bio`s flagship agenda which is the Free and Quality Education has organized quiz and debating competitions in Pujehun District.
A star prize of five million Leones and learning materials was placed for the winner on Saturday 27th November, 2021.
In an interview with the press, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) who also doubled as the forerunner and proprietor of IBS Foundation, Ibrahim Brima Swarray disclosed that the quiz and debating competitions which started in the eastern region and now in the southern region gives the opportunity to pupils in Sierra Leone to read wide and actualize their public speaking skills.
He affirmed that if confidence continues to scale high in pupils to speak without prejudice, then the country would be a better place.
“All the countries that have grown in the world today is as a result of education. So if the President Bio has said let us use education to meet the fourth generation of the world and I think the future of this country lies with the kids. And I am a believer of that. Also, I would do everything together with my foundation to ensure that we thread in that drive,’’ he said.
Mr. Swarray noted that the foundation is a living organism and it lives from day to day. Therefore, more activities are going to be added in due course. He said the aspect of quiz and debate competitions would go on as long as the foundation continues to live.
He encouraged the families of the pupils present that the only genuine asset parents can have and leave with children is the quality education which they would acquire and not the amount of houses, cars, money. “Education can improve the child and even the country and if we want Sierra Leone to be a paradise let us embrace education,’’ he said.
Ibrahim Bah a pupil of Zimmi Secondary School who served as the best debater expressed his appreciation to his teachers and the IBS foundation for organizing such a remarkable competition. He hoped that this would be a progressing project as it would urge colleagues to study hard and take their academic work with earnestness.
Muctaru Barrie, winner of the quiz competition and also a pupil of Barri Islamic Secondary School Potoru felt happy for his achievement as this is the first time he has won a competition like this. He extended thanks and gratitude to the organizers for such a tremendous work. He noted that he hoped for the continuation of this type of program as it would unearth a lot of hidden potentials in many pupils.
Alhaji Emmurana Kallon, Teacher of Barri Islamic Secondary School Potoru described the outcome of the competitions as free, fair and credible, adding that even though there were challenges on their side which resulted to their first performance among bigger schools in a competition like this. He explained that his school was able to capture the first position amid the difficulties. “Our winning was as a result of teamwork and composure,’’ he said.
The National Coordinator of the Ibrahim Brima Swarray’s Foundation, Mr. Mannah Massaquoi revealed that the foundation is geared towards maintaining credibility and transparency in its education drive whiles explaining that it all started in the Eastern region.
“The essence of this project is to cushion and cascade the Free and Quality Education championed by His Excellency President Bio as well promote the dream of the pioneer of the foundation that which is my education my priority,’’ he said.