PUJEHUN, Sierra Leone, 5 November 2020: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) through its partner, Women in Crisis Movement, with funding from Irish Aid, is providing 1,000 vulnerable girls from various schools in Pujehun, Kambia and Port Loko districts with ‘back to school kits’. The kits which include school uniforms, exercise books, school bags, pens, pencils and geometry sets, will facilitate the girls’ re-entry into formal education.
UNFPA, working closely with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has been working to address the many challenges faced by adolescents and young people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The MBSSE has made substantial efforts to lessen the educational, health and social consequences of school closures when it launched their Radio Teaching Programme to ensure students have access to distance learning. UNFPA partnered with the MBSSE to include a life skills radio programme as part of the Radio Teaching Programme.
In addition to the back to school kits, in May and June of this year, UNFPA supported the Women in Crisis Movement, a national non-governmental organisation, to distribute 2,000 dignity kits and radios to adolescent girls in the aforementioned districts and Bonthe district. The radios enable the girls to listen and participate in the Radio Teaching Programme whilst the kits help them to maintain their dignity in the midst of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Dr. Kim Eva Dickson, UNFPA Country Representative said, “I am delighted that UNFPA has been able to reach out to support young girls during the pandemic. As an organisation, we are committed to supporting all young people to reach their full potential.” She said, “UNFPA will remain committed to support national efforts towards achieving zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls.”
For more information, contact:
John Baimba Sesay
Web and Media Analyst
Email: jsesay@unfpa.org
Tel: +232 30953193/ +23279369395
