In Sierra Leone, like other countries, October 11
every year is “International
Day of the Girl Child”, a day which is meant to celebrate the Girl
Child Globally.
On Saturday, October 12, National HIV and AIDS
Secretariat in collaboration with AIDS Health Care Foundation Sierra Leone and
other Partners has at the Makeni City Hall, in the North East Regional Head
Quarter, brought together Stakeholders, School Pupils and Teachers from various
Sectors and Schools within Makeni and its environs, with series of events
hosted to celebrate the International Girl Child Day on the Theme: “Empowered Girls = Brighter Future”.
In his welcome address, the Paramount Chief of
Bombali Shebora Chiefdom, PC Kasanagh II, expressed an unravelled appreciation
to the organizers of the event and thus welcomed all attendees to his chiefdom
and with zeal urged them to ensure that they take the good messages lined up in
the program home in ensuring that the Girls in the country are duly guided on
how they should become meaningful persons in his chiefdom, the country and the
world at large.
The Deputy Mayor of the Makeni City Council,
Santigie Brima Mansaray chaired the program. In his opening remarks he
commended National HIV and AIDS Secretariat and its partners for choosing
Makeni to celebrate the “International
Day of the Girl Child” and that he is impressed with the number of Girls
and women in attendance at the program, citing that the relevance of this day
cannot be overemphasized especially, when his council, Stakeholders and
Residents of Bombali District has on Friday received very important messages
from the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Fatima Bio
during the lunch of her flagship crusade “Hands
Off Our Girls” in the Northern Region.
Speaking at the event on behalf of Schools Girls,
Isatu Daramy Kamara, a pupil from the Benevolent Islamic Secondary School
Makeni assured the National HIV and AIDS Secretariat, its Partners and others
at the event of their commitments as schooling going pupils to ensure that they
become educated to serve the country in a bid to lower the rate of Girl Child
drop out from schools at early ages which she said has been one of the main
course to increase in Poverty, Teenage Pregnancies and Early Marriages in the
country. She also called on other organizations, Parents and the Government to
always guide and support School Girls and all women to make way for equity
between them and their opposite sex in all facets of the country’s development.
Other speakers at the event were representatives
from Happy Kids and Adolescent Sierra Leone, the Regional Government Hospital,
Ministry of Basic and Secondary Schools Education, UNICEF, Sierra Leone
Inter-Religious Aids Network, Network of HIV Positives in Sierra Leone, Bombali
District Council and the Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s
Affairs, all spoke on relevancies of the Girl
Child Day and the importance of Protecting Girls to be educated and be
fully Empowered for a more Brighter Future.
Whilst, the key note speaker, Madam Hawa Kallon,
who also doubles as the District Health Sister One, gave an elaborate health
talk to the Girls and all present at the program. Her health talk laid premium
on the Gird Child and she further stated that for robustness in sustainable
developments and protections of the Rights of the Girl Child in the county,
Girls should be “Pampered and not be hampered”.
Going further, Madam Kallon committed herself to
continue to do her best in the health sector in the district and she also urged
Teachers, Parents and Stakeholders to encourage Girls to be visiting regularly
Health centres mostly the Makeni Government Hospital to make use of the Girl
Child Healthcare Unit which she said will help monitor their health status and
promote hygiene in the district.
Reusable Sanitary Pads, soaps, rubber bowls and
other items were distributed to over 150 school going Girls and Health Tips were
provided with hard copies to over 50 school going Boys present at the event.
The Regional Coordinator of National HIV and AIDS
Secretariat, Mohamed Sisay then gave an embracing vote of thanks with a commitment of NAS working on to provide the best could provide for the good of
the country.
In the next section of the day’s celebration, four
secondary schools in Makeni including United Secondary School and Benevolent
Islamic Secondary School all of Makeni took part in a hectic inter-secondary
schools HIV and AIDS prevention and Health promotion quiz competition, where
all participants in the quiz including the winners bagged home school materials
and other attractive prizes.
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