By: Saidu Jalloh
In a bold initiative to equip Sierra Leone’s youth with essential tools for personal and professional growth, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), in partnership with UNICEF, officially launched a Comprehensive Life Skills Programme on July 2, 2025, at the Atlantic Hotel in Freetown.
Held under the theme “Preparing Young People for Life,” the launch marked a renewed national commitment to nurturing responsible, confident, and future-ready citizens.
Delivering remarks at the event, Liv Elin Indreiten, UNICEF Acting Representative in Sierra Leone, stated:
“This is a critical step forward. By embedding life skills in the senior secondary school curriculum, Sierra Leone is investing in the full potential of adolescents and laying the foundation for a more resilient and inclusive generation.”
The newly introduced framework seeks to integrate core competencies such as emotional resilience, teamwork, empathy, and problem-solving into the national education system. Indreiten emphasized that life skills education is not only about academic excellence, but also about preparing adolescents to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Developed through an inclusive, collaborative process involving teachers, civil society, and government agencies, the framework aligns with Sierra Leone’s national education goals and the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on quality education.
Commending the Ministry’s leadership, Indreiten added UNICEF congratulates the Ministry for its vision and is proud to have supported this process. We call on all partners to work together to ensure its full and effective implementation.
The programme’s launch comes at a critical time, as adolescents who make up 23% of Sierra Leone’s population according to 2025 UN estimates face growing challenges including climate change, gender inequality, and youth unemployment.
Addressing these concerns, Indreiten stated that ensuring access to quality life skills education is not just about equityit’s a strategic investment in the future of the country.”
To support this effort, UNICEF has contributed over \$400,000 in funding, provided technical expertise, and facilitated broad stakeholder engagement. Looking ahead, the programme will now move into the next phase, which includes teacher training, curriculum integration, and ongoing evaluation to ensure meaningful impact.
Indreiten also underscored the need for strong national ownership. Stating that the long-term success of this framework depends on sustained investment in human capital. Ensuring all learners regardless of gender, ability, or location have access to life skills education requires coordinated, cross-sectoral action.
Speaking at the event, Osman Kamara, Director of Research and Curriculum at MBSSE, emphasized the importance of life skills in shaping future-ready learners and responsible citizens.
He noted that the Ministry, in collaboration with UNICEF, has developed a comprehensive syllabus and teacher’s guide. A life skills framework with 12 core competency areas has already been approved by the government for implementation across all senior secondary schools.
Kamara further emphasized that life skills are not just relevant for students but are critical for all Sierra Leoneans. To reinforce this, the Ministry plans to launch community engagement activities to raise awareness and promote the relevance of life skills in daily life.
Valerie Momoh, MEAL Manager at ActionAid, added that life skills education empowers adolescents by helping them build self-esteem, make informed decisions, and develop a strong sense of self-worth.
“Empowering children with life skills goes a long way in boosting their self-esteem and helping them make critical choices. The impact goes beyond the individual it transforms families and communities,” she said.
As an implementing partner, ActionAid aligns its work with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan and SDG 4. Under the Global Programme to End Child Marriage, and with support from UNICEF, ActionAid will train schoolteachers in five districts to integrate life skills into classroom instruction.
The initiative aspires to create a generational legacy of empowered, capable youth laying the foundation for sustainable national development.
