“For too long, adolescent girls have been invisible and ignored. Making sure that girls count is a critical way to guarantee that their rights and needs are recognized. When they’re educated, healthy, safe, and counted, they can transform their communities and the world we live in”, Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh made the statement at the Shiaka Steven Stadium on 9th May, 2019 during a Day’s Conference organized by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education. Vice President Jalloh told the Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) Career Volunteers that the Vision of the Government of Sierra Leone is to provide more opportunities for girls to take up STEM subjects in schools; he added that girls do not have saying in decisions that affect their lives. He maintained that girls deserve to participate in their communities, advocate for their rights, and be role models to others.
Vice President Jalloh educated the participants about the alignment of Government priorities of providing Free Quality Education that is inclusive, and inspires the children of Sierra Leone to adopt Science, Technology and Innovation as the way forward for human capital development. He described the STEM Conference as an excellent first step initiative to provide the sensitization that Sierra Leone needs for STEM careers, though opportunities for girls are negatively affected by poverty, he emphasized. Dr. Jalloh maintained that empowering every child will increase their competitiveness to global market.
The Honourable Vice President explained that Government key priority is to promote STEM subjects in schools, reinforce STEM teaching and facilities in the next five years. He told the pupils that his presence at the Conference to deliver keynote address was to encourage them to be studious as anyone of them could become Vice President in the future.
