By Alusine Rehme Wilson
Amidst worries of dropping out school in the minds of pupils that lack the needed assorted schooling materials, Action To Heal Foundation-Sierra Leone (A2HF-SL), a non-governmental organization last Saturday, September 4 through their annual “Back to School Education Program” doled-out educational support to fifty physically challenged and other less-privileged children attending various schools in Bombali District Northern Sierra Leone as continued support towards enhancing free and quality education for children in Sierra Leone.
The items donated to each of the fifty children include dozens of books, pens, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, rulers, mathematical sets, clear bags and cash support of the sum of Seventy Thousand Leones (Le 70,000) to each of the best three pupils with the highest scores among the enlisted beneficiaries that took the 2021 National Primary School Examination (NPSE) in Makeni city and its environs.
Some parents, though disabled, of some of the fifty beneficiaries accompanied their sons and daughters to the weekend event hosted at the Foundation’s head office situated on #21 Conteh Street in the city of Makeni that was chaired by Miatta Saffa Jalloh the A2HF-SL’s General Secretary.
In her opening remarks, the A2HF-SL Secretary warmly welcomed the parents, the children, the special guest to the event and pressmen with a light-smile on her face, declared the event open with general prayers plus minute silent prayers offered to her late spouse Ibrahim Zur Jalloh who until his death was a Board member of the Foundation.
She then ushered in other members of A2HF-SL who revealed challenges and successes they have tread through as a charity based entity and jointly welcomed their special guest Abdulrahman Bangura alias “Bangso” an experienced academician and popular personality in the North, who according to the Foundation’s Founder was mainly invited to share his life time experiences with the beneficiaries most of whom are orphans and school going children of persons living with disability to let them be inspired by the veteran tutor’s story to get the best education available and become great succeeding personalities as they grow older.
Bangso in his remarks journeyed around his tragic moment growing up as child several years ago, recalled how he persevered to overcome all odds to attain his present high-up stance in society.
“I see in you all very promising faces of would be doctors, nurses, teachers, politicians, administrators and more but to attain these achievements I’ve highlighted, you all must develop your images in the best way to suit society and be determined. Also, relent not to continually strive for your own success and that of others, above all be respectful to everyone then you will be greater than the present generation,” he assured.
In her remarks the Action To Heal Foundation-Sierra Leone Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Madam Zainab Mummy Tholley, told journalists that this is the fourth time they are providing cash and material educational supports to the physically challenged among other vulnerable school going children in Bombali since the Foundation was established in 2018 and was officially launched a year later.
“The Back to School program” is in tandem with our vision to help put smiles on the faces of less-privileged children, developing them to be better educated for self-reliance and eventually to create in them the anxiety to become change makers of their communities, our country, continent and the world at large,” she further revealed.
She added that they are open to receiving support and strike partnership with any person or group wanting to support their goal of empowering physically challenged children and other vulnerable persons noting that A2HF-SL’s yearly support to these beneficiaries have helped the children treated their education more seriously, repeated not in the same level but have become more competitive in their various schools in order for them not to miss out from both the usual and extra assistance from the Foundation.
Beneficiaries including Sheriff Dawo a SSS-II Science pupil attending the Kankalay Islamic Secondary School and Tenneh J. Sesay of the National Pentecostal Primary School in Makeni who are both hoping to become Minister of Finance and a Nurse respectively in the future, thanked A2HF-SL for the regular yearly assistance.
James Conteh, who scored an aggregate of 307 from the N.P.S.E two years ago and received both cash and material support also joined fellows this year to receive assorted schooling materials despite his mother is still battling with paralysis. He produced a broad smile in an interview with journalists, thanked the Foundation for helping to polish his educational journey and promised to continue to excel and make them proud in years on.
On his part, the Bombali District Orphanage Disable Foundation Vice Chairman ,Idriss Conteh offered prayers and noted with delight that for the fourth time since 2018 disable and orphan children , some whose parents are also physically challenged, have received assorted school items plus cash support to help them foot the charges for their Junior Secondary School
