By: Problyn J Alpha
Street child of Sierra Leone Kono branch under its project “Education For Every Child Today” ( EFECT) has on Thursday 1st of June 2023 awarded educational support to at least one hundred and three pupils from different primary schools within the municipality of Koidu city Kono district. The educational supports were: School bags, uniforms and books. Officially awarding the aforementioned educational support, the project coordinator street child of Sierra Leone Kono branch Glenis Mani Ngaujah maintained that his organization has taken at least eleven (11) years working in Kono district with the principal objective of addressing child related issues ranging from taking children off the streets thereby maintaining them in schools. He intimated the audience that street child of Sierra Leone Kono branch has also supported parents and care givers of their beneficiaries over the period under review. He further entreated the audience that the “EFECT” project is only benefiting at least three countries: Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Liberia with the overriding justification of catering for the holistic well-being of their beneficiaries in primary schools irrespective of the prevailing circumstances in the respective communities. Street child of Sierra Leone project coordinator Kono branch pointed out that the ( EFECT) project has two components: Urban children that is to support children who have reached the age of schooling but are not going to school whilst the Rural component which has what he called ” Teaching specialist and Rural advocacy officers working in the following chiefdoms in Kono district: Sandor,Toli and Lei. Explaining the rural component of the project Glenis Mani Ngaujah said family Business officers do go round their beneficiary parents and care givers to enhance economic empowerment which he described as a contingency strategy for the sustainability of the project’s bench marks when it shall have folded up it’s operations. “With the rural component of the project “Education For Every Child Today schools are constructed in all our operational chiefdoms including the provision of both teaching and learning materials”, Mr Ngaujah maintained”. Whilst urging parents and care givers of the beneficiaries Glenis Mani Ngaujah implored them to judiciously use such gesture by taking good and proper care of their children or wards “.He noted that their interventions which complement president BIO’S human capital Development initiative and the sustainable Development goal four (4) also support the beneficiary families with farming products to sustain the running of the constructed schools and the teachers in the respective communities.
Making a statement the Development and planning officer Kono district council Sahr George Ndoinjeh who chaired the ceremony thanked street child of Sierra Leone for the donation as it will in no doubt complement the tireless efforts of both the central and local governments in building the human capital of the locals. He said the involvement of the two local councils including other organizations in awarding the educational support depicts transparency and accountability in the operations of street child of Sierra Leone. Mr Ndoinjeh urged parents and care givers of the beneficiaries of the educational support to see themselves lucky for benefiting from the said gesture and urged them to judiciously use it..
On behalf of his colleague paramount chiefs in Kono district PC Abu Durahman Sorlorkor appreciated street child of Sierra Leone for it’s laudable initiative in the district. He asked parents and care givers of the awarded educational support to be thankful to their benefactor for a work well done.He frowned at all forms of social vices that have the potential of undermining the well-being of children. He prayed that such gesture will benefit every needy child in Kono district.Similar statements were also made by the acting deputy chief administrator Koidu New Sembehun city council Josiah Edison Kondewa , the admin officer,investigator and data base officer Family Support Unit Tankoro police Divisional headquarters Koidu city Kono district Francis Ganda . Meanwhile on behalf of their colleague beneficiaries Light Amadu of Kamandu community primary school class five (5), Mohamed Jalloh of League of Christian mission class four(4), Fatmata Morsay of the Koidu school for the blind class five (5) and Phebian Toma of RC primary school Kainsay class three (3) thanked their benefactor for the educational support and pleaded with them for regular monitoring and support.
