Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada has on Thursday October 8, 2020 formally opened the Dr. Kadi A. Sesay Girls’ Secondary School in Port Loko.
The modern facility which was constructed with funds provided by Mercury International, a sport betting company, will cater for girls in the district.
In his keynote address, President Bio started by thanking Mercury International and Mr. Edwin Michael in particular, saying; “His singular act demonstrates in deed the spirit and letter of a powerfully evocative line of the third verse of our national anthem: ‘so too may we show forth the good that is ever in thee’.”
He praised what he described as the inherent good in Sierra Leoneans and said that his clear leadership vision prioritizes education, especially the education of the girl child. He added that education is the single most potent enabler that has developed nations and transformed lives.
He said that campaigning tirelessly right across Sierra Leone against early marriage; against discriminatory cultural practices and attitudes to the education and safety of girls; against negative perceptions on and attitudes to menstruation, is above politics.
He added that his leadership has brought more protection for girls in the community from sexual and gender-based violence; ensuring tougher penalties for rape; creating one stop centres for rape; instituting sexual offences model courts to fast track trials; registering a higher conviction rate for SGBV in a few months than in the preceding eleven years; and, supporting survivors of SGBV, are all above politics.
He added that his leadership has created safe spaces for girls in schools; providing free teaching and learning materials; providing school buses, providing nutritional support; ensuring equity in education right across board, are all above politics.
According to Bio they have created the enabling environment for every girl to succeed and be all what they could by enabling pregnant girls to have access to free quality school education and reinforcing positive role models.
He added that every law, policy, action instituted under his administration in the last two years aims at protecting and ensuring a future of equality and opportunity for the girl child, with the belief that national development could only, be sustainable when it is fully inclusive.
“We are committed to narrowing gender-gaps and providing opportunity for under-served communities. We believe, as a Government, that we must maximize the multiplier effects of investing in the education of girls. That belief aligns with our Medium-Term National Development Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5, and other international human capital development agenda,” he added.
He commended Mercury international for the completion of the school and added that the project will help girls, irrespective of ethnicity and place of origin, to be empowered to contribute their fair share to the development of this nation.
“Coming three days before the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October 2020, this opening and naming of this school the Kadi A. Sesay Secondary School is most auspicious, he said.
He added that the person after whom the school was named this has been unique for her exemplary achievements in academia, her commitment and proficiency in public service, her humility in leadership, her belief in what is right and doing what is right, and her perpetual inspirational presence, he dared the girls to emulate such a character.
He encouraged the girls to reject artificial cultural and other limitations, to believe in the transformative power of education for women and that an educated woman is an agent of change for herself, her family, her community, and her nation, and to believe that education is an opportunity for the girl child to be better, make her community and her country better, and give back to her country.
In conclusion, he encouraged Government, the nation, and the people of Port Loko by saying, “It’s time we encouraged girls to pursue their dreams, uplift their self-esteem and celebrate all their talents,” and after formally open and name the school the Dr. Kadi A Sesay Secondary School for Girls.
By Sallieu S. Kanu
9/09/2020. ISSUE NO: 7927