By Sallieu S. Kanu
On Thursday, October 24, 2024, the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, commissioned the Kroo Bay Municipal Primary School, constructed with funding from Sustain for Life and with support from Freetown City Council. The Sierra Leone Autistic Society implemented the project.
The school was built on a former community center site, where a single room had previously served as a makeshift school, but the location faced frequent flooding challenges. The two-storey school building features 10 classrooms, a computer room, a staff room, toilets, and a canteen. With a capacity to accommodate 300 pupils, 180 pupils have already enrolled. The school project aligns with FCC’s Transform Freetown – Transforming Lives 2024-2028 Development Plan, under the Human Capital Development cluster, which focuses on enhancing early childhood development, basic education, and skills training. It also supports FCC’s broader transformative agenda for upgrading informal settlements.
In her remarks, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr expressed gratitude to Sustain for Life for partnering with FCC. She encouraged stakeholders to ensure the school becomes a beacon of excellence, where pupils receive a quality education and learn the importance of a clean environment.
Deputy Minister of Education, Mamusu Massaquoi said, FCC’s intervention supports the government’s efforts to ensure that every child has access to education, regardless of their circumstances.
Mabinty Kamara, a parent with three children enrolled at the school, expressed her gratitude to FCC and the donors for their support of the community. “Before this school, I had to send my children to Congo Town. Now, with the new school, I can use the money I used to spend on transportation for other needs,” she joyfully said.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr was joined at the official school opening by her Deputy, Kweku Lisk Esq., several Cllrs (Amadu Kargbo, Chairman of the Education and Skills Development Committee, Zainab Conteh, Tutu Bailor, Abdulai Kabba and more), James Renner of the Teaching Service Commission, and community stakeholders.