By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone (NOC-SLE), in collaboration with TAFISA and Nike, on Friday, June 27, 2025 officially launched the Girls Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at promoting gender equality in sports.
Abu Bakar Bangura, one of the facilitators, the project was funded by TAFISA and implemented by the NOC, noting that the project runs from June 2025 to June 2026, and its focuses on empowering coaches to create inclusive, safe, and supportive environments for girls and women in sport.
He said the two-day workshop which kicks started in Makeni, with 25 top senior coaches (15 female, 10 male) from various sporting disciplines targeted. It’s a series of five two day workshops across Makeni, Portloko, Bo, Kenema, and Freetown, is for coaches to be trained how to coach women, use sport to prevent harmful behavior and build confidence and trust in female athletes.
“The program will train coaches, PE teachers, and community leaders in gender-sensitive coaching, safeguarding, and positive engagement. The initiative also includes post-workshop follow ups and virtual sessions to ensure sustained impact,” he said.
Bangura emphasizes that the NOC-SLE’s outreach strategy recruiting female participants, partnering with women-led organizations, and using social media to drive awareness.
He stressed that the long term goal is to build a national network of qualified female coaches and foster lasting change in the sporting landscape for girls in Sierra Leone.