By Fatmata Jengbe
With the main objective to complement the Government’s Free Quality Education initiative and to strengthen the National Radio Teaching program amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic in the country, the United Bank of Africa (UBA) Foundation has on Thursday 4th June, 2020 made a symbolic donation which includes one laptop computer and 40 Literature reading textbooks to the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education Life streaming Distance Teaching-learning program to make it available and accessible to more than 40,000 children throughout Sierra Leone. The presentation ceremony took place at the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education, New England Ville in Freetown.
In his presentation, Head of Internal Audit at the United Bank of Africa (UBA) ,Kunle Oyewole, stated that the Bank thought it fit at a time like this when school children are at home and learning through the National Radio Teaching Program ,to donate one laptop computer and 40 Literature reading textbooks to the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education saying he strongly believes that such will help in facilitating the National Radio Teaching program.
He disclosed that the presentation of the 40 Literature reading textbooks is symbolic further disclosing how the Bank has these books in store and they will partner with the Ministry to ensure that they are distributed to schools in order to help the beneficiaries improve their reading abilities.
He further revealed that under the Read Africa Initiative program, that strives to imbibe the culture of reading among African children across the globe, the UBA Foundation further amplifies the efforts of the MBSSE by presenting literature books for kids in junior and senior secondary schools.
He relayed that, this is a long-standing partnership with the Ministry of MBBSE, stating clearly that even after the COVID 19 Pandemic UBA through the UBA Foundation will continue to support the Government’s effort in providing free quality education for every child in Sierra Leone.
Receiving the items, the Communications Specialist in the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education, Ibrahim Sheriff, expressed appreciation to the United Bank of Africa (UBA) Foundation for the kind donation towards the Live Streaming Distance Teaching-Learning Program, adding that since schools closed down the Ministry has been working with different institutions in engaging school children of this country of which the UBA Bank has been one of their partners.
He stated that Laptop Computer constraint is one of the constraints faced by the Ministry in rolling out its Live Streaming Distance Teaching-Learning Program expressing hope that with this donation by the UBA it will make it easy for them now to do live streaming of the Teaching-learning program and pupils can now access it wherever they are in the world.
He called on pupils to access the Teaching-Learning Program through the Ministry’s Website on www.mbbsse.gov.sl and that if they are using the website and select E-Learning it will be at free of cost due to the partnership they have with Orange-SL.
