Freetown, 23 July 2020 - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Sierra Leone on Wednesday 8 July 2020, donated five (5) motorbikes to the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) as part of its continued support to the education sector.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Dr. Kim Eva Dickson, UNFPA Country Representative congratulated the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education on their tremendous efforts in sustaining the online radio teaching programme.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close in Sierra Leone, UNFPA and the Ministry of Basic Education Directorate of Non-Formal Education quickly collaborated to launch a life skills radio show as part of the online radio teaching programme. The show, which is co-hosted by young people covers topics for in and out of school adolescents such as sexual reproductive health and rights, child marriage, goal setting and leadership. The life skills radio show is aired from Monday to Friday between 7:30-8:00pm on Education Radio 95.3fm and other regional stations.
The UNFPA Country Representative acknowledged Irish Aid for their continued commitment to ensuring the most marginalised girls in Sierra Leone are reached with education, and providing the funding to support the life skills radio show and the motorbikes donated to the ministry.
“We are pleased that even during the COVID-19 pandemic we are able to support the ministry. With funding from Irish Aid, we have also provided 2000 radios to vulnerable and marginalised girls in five districts so that they can listen to the radio teaching programme including the life skills radio show,” Dr. Kim Eva Dickson said.
Receiving the motorbikes, the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Moinina David Sengeh noted the government’s commitment to learning and education continues even with the Coronavirus pandemic. He assured UNFPA that the donated motorbikes will be used for their intended purpose of strengthening the ministry’s work to provide education during this time.
Minister Sengeh also thanked the United Nations Population Fund in Sierra Leone for its unrelenting support to the ministry. “We are appreciative of this and your continued support to the ministry in several ways including supporting the non-formal education programme and the radical inclusion agenda.”
Meanwhile, with funding from UKaid, under the Saving Lives in Sierra Leone project, UNFPA on Friday 17 July also donated a Toyota Prado vehicle to the Reproductive Health and Family Planning programme of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
On handover of the vehicle, UNFPA Country Representative Dr. Kim Eva Dickson, said that the vehicle has been donated to support the work of Reproductive Health and Family Planning programme which remains central to the work of UNFPA in Sierra Leone.
UNFPA looks forward to the continued close collaboration with the Reproductive Health and Family Planning programme in safeguarding the sexual and reproductive health and the lives of women and girls in Sierra Leone, Dr. Kim Eva Dickson said.
Dr. Francis Moses, Reproductive Health and Family Planning Programme Manager commended the excellent collaboration between UNFPA and the reproductive health and family planning programme. He thanked UNFPA for the support provided the programme since its inception.
Dr. Moses said “UNFPA has been the bedrock of the Reproductive Health and Family Planning Programme in Sierra Leone and without the organisation’s support, the program would not have been successful in implementing its mandate. On behalf of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, I would like to thank UNFPA whole heartedly for the support provided to this programme over the years, and urge you to continue.”
For more information, contact:
John Baimba Sesay
Web and Media Analyst
Email: jsesay@unfpa.org
Tel: +232 30953193
