When 14-year-old Finah Koroma's parents passed away in 2019, she was unable to continue her education despite having passed her school entrance examinations. Even her uncle, who became her guardian, was unable to provide the financial support she needed to continue her basic school education.
“My parents’ passing had a significant impact on my school. I was unable to continue school and this hugely impacted me as I believed that my dream of becoming a lawyer had been abandoned at that point,” said Finah from Kondembaia in Koinadugu District.
Finah 's story is similar to that of thousands of other adolescent girls across Sierra Leone where, according to the country’s 2019 Demographic and Health Survey, one in five girls becomes pregnant by age 18, placing Sierra Leone in 2021 as the country with the 10th highest rate of adolescent pregnancy in the world.
To ensure that girls like Finah and others who are marginalised have access to education, the Government of Sierra Leone launched the National Policy on Radical Inclusion in Schools in 2021, aimed at eradicating barriers that exclude learners from school. A key element of the Radical Inclusion Policy is the reintegration of vulnerable girls into formal education. In particular, the policy places an emphasis on reaching pregnant and parent learners, learners with disability, learners living in extreme poverty and learners in underserved communities.
In line with this policy, UNFPA is partnering with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, with support from Irish Aid, to facilitate the reintegration of girls into formal education. Girls have been supported from four districts, Kambia, Koinadugu, Moyamba and Pujehun. These districts were chosen based on their high rates of child marriage and adolescent pregnancy.
The learners are provided with ‘starter kits’ which alleviate some of the financial burden of returning to formal education. Each kit includes two school uniforms, a school bag, school shoes and scholastic materials. Furthermore, the girls are provided with pre-reintegration classes on numeracy, literacy and life skills. Through this partnership, more than 2,800 girls have been reintegrated into formal education since March 2022.
Through this initiative, Finah was able to return to school in 2023. “I am grateful for the opportunity to go back to school and realise my dream of becoming a lawyer. I also wish to ask the Government and donors to continue to offer this assistance and expand it to other districts so that additional girls can gain from it,” a joyful Finah appealed.
Media Contacts:
John Baimba Sesay | Web and Media Analyst | UNFPA Sierra Leone | jsesay@unfpa.org
