The Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting integrity, ethical leadership and responsible citizenship among young people through its support for the “Catch Them Young: Combating Corruption Through Educational Debates, Peace & Integrity Training” initiative.
The initiative, spearheaded by Rotary Peace Fellow and Head of Public Relations at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Alex A. Bah, officially commenced on Thursday, August 20, 2026, with a Peace, Integrity and Leadership Training for Senior Secondary School pupils from seven schools across the Western Area.
SLPHA is supporting the initiative as an Integrity Champion Partner, reflecting its broader commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible leadership.
The one-day training, held at the ACC’s Integrity House in Tower Hill, brought together students to discuss peacebuilding, conflict prevention, integrity, accountability, ethical leadership, responsible citizenship and effective debate.
Representing SLPHA, Head of Media and Public Relations, Mac’Ivan Kakpindi Vandy delivered a keynote address titled “Integrity in Action: Building Ethical Leaders for Sierra Leone’s Future.”
Addressing the pupils, Vandy emphasized that integrity is not merely a principle to be discussed but a value that must be practiced in everyday life. He described integrity as “doing the right thing when nobody is watching,” while cautioning the students against seemingly small acts of dishonesty that could gradually shape their character and influence the kind of leaders they become.
He further reminded the pupils that public leadership carries a responsibility to protect and properly utilize resources entrusted to public officials.
“Public office is not personal property. Public resources are not personal resources,” he emphasized.
Vandy also challenged the common description of young people as “leaders of tomorrow,” urging them to recognize their capacity to lead today.
“You are leaders today,” he told the pupils, encouraging them to demonstrate integrity, responsibility and ethical leadership in their schools, homes and communities.
For SLPHA, supporting the Catch Them Young initiative reflects the Authority’s belief that the fight against corruption and the promotion of accountability must begin long before individuals assume positions of authority.
The Authority believes that exposing young people to integrity, accountability, peaceful dialogue and ethical leadership can help build a generation of citizens who understand that leadership is fundamentally about service, responsibility and the proper stewardship of public resources.
The initiative also aligns with SLPHA’s broader emphasis on integrity in public-sector management, where transparency, accountability and responsible use of public resources are essential to institutional credibility and public trust.
The training was facilitated by professionals from the peacebuilding, anti-corruption and youth development sectors, including representatives from the ACC and the Independent Commission for Peacebuilding and National Cohesion.
At the end of the training, the participating pupils were inducted as Peace and Integrity Ambassadors, pledging to promote peace, uphold integrity, reject wrongdoing and lead by example.
The next phase of the initiative will see the pupils participate in an Inter-School Integrity Debate Competition, aimed at strengthening critical thinking, evidence-based argument, persuasion and respectful disagreement.
SLPHA’s support for the initiative therefore extends beyond a single training programme. It represents an investment in the values needed to shape Sierra Leone’s future leaders and strengthen the country’s public institutions.
As the Catch Them Young initiative moves from training to action, SLPHA is encouraging the young participants to recognize that integrity is not something reserved for the future. The foundation for ethical leadership begins with the choices they make today.