By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their Early Childhood Development Center School Project, which also falls under their institution’s Free Quality Education support to the Government’s Free Quality Education (FQE) Initiative, Orange Foundation Sierra Leone has on Monday 15th March 2021 commissioned an Ultra-Modern Pre-School Center at Mayakie village, Mambolo Chiefdom within the Kambia District, Northern Sierra Leone.
In his welcome statement, Paramount Chief of Mambolo Chiefdom, Kambia District, PC Bai Shebora Lion the II, applauded Orange Foundation Sierra Leone for considering his chiefdom for the construction of an Early Childhood Development Center School, of which he assured they will make good use of.
He also used the opportunity to commend President Bio for the implementation of the Free Quality Education which he said was a move in the right direction but lamented that there are certain people within his district who are bent on sabotaging the Free Quality Initiative by demanding money from the pupils and by extension the parents maintaining that because of that the Free Education is not properly functioning in that part of the country.
PC Bai Shebora also revealed that teachers in the provinces are faced with a lot constraints revealing that some of them are community teachers and they are trained and qualified but their names are not in the Government teachers’ voucher of which he made a humble appeal to the Minister of Basic and Secondary School Education, David Sengeh, to map out a system which will include a special provision for teachers in the provinces.
The Chief Executive Officer, Orange Sierra Leone, Aminata Kane, in her statement said that the commissioning of the Early Childhood Development Center School in Kambia District is part of the company’s commitment towards enhancing the Government Free Quality Education, adding that the company is the first telecommunications company in the country to contribute to the Government’s Free Quality Education (FQE) Agenda by pledging the sum of $1.5m in material assistance over a period of five years.
The CEO noted that prior to the event the Foundation also launched the Maternal Health Project in the country saying it is geared towards safeguarding the health of pregnant women, lactating mothers and under-five Children currently as a pilot phase targeting the Kroo Bay community in Freetown.
She commended the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education for making Early Childhood Development a priority, furthering that it is very key in building the capacity of children.
On behalf of Orange Foundation, Aminata Kane, noted that they are honoured to hand over the pre-school to the people of Mayakie in order to give their children the opportunity to learn and grow which in return will enable them to give back to society. She urged them to make good use of the facility and take ownership of it.
The Minister of Basic and Secondary School Education, David Sengeh, commended Orange Foundation for the construction of the Pre-School at Mayakie, within Kambia District, which he described as very important towards the development of children in the country.
He stated that after the outcome of the previous WASSCE which was not good as expected he stated in a radio interview that if pupils are to perform excellently in their WASSCE they have to start from pre-school, adding that with the construction of the pre-school at Mayakie it will surely create positive impacts on the lives of children in that part of the country.
David Sengeh said the Free Quality Initiative is a priority in the New Direction Agenda underscoring how His Excellency President Maada Bio considers education as very important which is why he implemented the Free Quality Education pupils.
He admonished residents to take advantage of the facility, take responsibility it and also allow their children to attend it.
The Minister outlined the Ministry’s support to the newly constructed pre-school of which he said the Minister will provide 3 Early Childhood Development (ECD) kits for the facility, curriculum and text books, locally made toys and training for the teachers.
A resident of Mayakie, who also happens to be a parent, Fatmata Sesay expressed her warmest appreciation to Orange Foundation for the construction of the pre-school in their village, furthering that the facility will help their children to get early childhood education.
She assured all that they will surely make good use of the facility as it is the first modern pre-school at Mayakie within Kambia District.
