By Foday Moriba Conteh
In fulfillment of a promise he made almost one year ago, the Managing Director of Mercury International, Martin E. Michael, on the 8th October 2021 donated the sum of One Hundred Million Leones (Le100, 000,000) to the Dr. Kadie A. Sesay Girls Secondary School, in Port Loko District, for the maintenance of the school building and to cover the administrative cost of the school respectively.
He made the donation during the 1st Anniversary Celebration of the school which was held at the school compound.
Welcoming delegation, the Regent Chief of Bekehloko Chiefdom, Port Loko District, Foday S. Kanu, applauded Mercury International for the construction of the Dr. Kadie A. Sesay Girls Secondary School, which he said, is contributing towards rolling out the Government Human Capital Development initiative. On behalf his chiefdom, he assured all of their continuous support towards the development of the school.
The Principal of Dr. Kadie A. Sesay Girls Secondary School, Marion Malia Jiba, expressed gratitude to Mercury International for serving as funding agency for the construction of the Dr. Kadie A. Sesay Girls Secondary School in Port Loko District.
She said that when the school was commissioned on 8th October, 2020 the enrollment was 48 pupils but said currently the school is boosting of having 120 pupils, adding that the school also had 11 teachers but said currently the school has 12 teachers of which 2 are degree holders while the 10 are certificate holders.
Marion Malia Jiba said that the school made provision for the accommodation of JSS pupils and by next year they shall be having the first set of SS pupils but said there is no classroom at the moment to accommodate those first set of SS pupils.
Giving a historical background of the School, the Resident Minister North-West, Haja Isata Abdulai-Kamara, described the North West Region as one of the newest of all the regions in the
country with few or no girls’ schools at all and that there was a great need for the establishment of a girl’s school particularly in the Port Loko City which is the head quarter town of the North West Region. She continued that they were very happy that Mercury International came to their aid as the funding agency for the construction of the said school.
The Minister stated that after the construction of the school, it was named Dr. Kadie A. Sesay Girls Secondary School saying some may tend to ask as to why the school was given the name Dr. Kadie A Sesay.
Haja Isata Abdulai-Kamara explained how Dr. Kadie A. Sesay was a child of a trader from Rombeh in the Loko Massama Chiefdom, Port Loko District but worked herself very well to become the first Port Loko woman to hold a PHD and has contributed immensely in the field of education, governance and to the development of Sierra Leone.
Dilating on some of the challenges faced by the school she highlighted inadequate funds to run the school as it is a new one with 120 students only. She said the subsidy base of the school is very weak and that the school has a cleaner and security personnel to protect the solar panels from being stolen by thieves but disclosed that they are finding it very difficult to pay the salaries.
She revealed that the mission of the school is to develop responsible female elites who will competently change the environment to greater conformity with moral ideals thus the school motto is: “Fear our Power” take it to the Limit.
The Minister iterated that the ultimate mission of the school borders around creating conscientious and forward-thinking students maintaining how the occasion gives them
an opportunity to take stock of their achievements and to re-dedicate them to face the new challenges that lie ahead.
In his keynote address, the Managing Director of Mercury International, Martin E. Michael, commended the Resident Minister North-West, Haja Isata Abdulai-Kamara for her effort towards the development of the school.
He said that since the commencement of the construction of the school to its completion he has made numerous visits to the school, adding that the 8th October, 2021 marked one year since Mercury International handed over the school to the Government of Sierra Leone as part of their support towards the Government’s Free Quality Education Initiative.
The Managing Director further informed the gathering that on behalf of Mercury International he is donating 50 million Leones for the maintenance of the school and donating another 50 million Leones on behalf of himself for the running of the administrative cost of the school.
Martin E. Michael added they are also giving away 3000 exercise books which he told the audience was donated to them by Print Point Sierra Leone Limited as well as handmade bags donated by staff of Mercury International.
He inspired the pupils to take their studies serious underscoring how education is the key to success. “Education is a process of learning that one goes through in order to become somebody in society,” he stated and encouraged them to take the opportunities they have been offered in order to achieve their dreams.
Climaxing the event was the inauguration of the first batch of School Prefects by the Managing Director of Mercury International, Martin E. Michael and other stakeholders present at the ceremony followed by the officially handing over of the 3000 exercise books to the Principal of the school.
