Salone-Ireland Partnership to Boost Education

Members of the Sierra Leone Ireland Partnership (SLIP) based in Dublin, Ireland, have expressed their desire to assist and contribute towards the socio-economic development of Sierra Leone. (Photo:Josephine Marah, Ibraham Bah, and Mohamed Turay)

The group met Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom/Northern Ireland, His Excellency Edward Mohamed Turay and staff including Counsellor Josephine Marah and Information Attaché Sorie Sudan Sesay, at the Hilton Hotel in Dublin, where he presented credentials to President Mary McAleese.

Among other things, the group comprising Sierra Leoneans and Irish nationals said they are particularly looking into the area of education to invest in Sierra Leone.

They called on the High Commissioner to facilitate an educational project they could undertake with the Ministry of Education.

“We are particularly concerned about the sustainability of the project which could benefit the children of Sierra Leone,” said Sister Hilary who has lived and worked in Sierra Leone for decades.

50^th Anniversary 

SLIP is also working towards Sierra Leone’s 50^th anniversary which they intend to give a massive boost in Ireland aimed at raising Sierra Leone’s international profile.

High Commissioner briefed them about government’s plans for the anniversary and disclosed about a joint press conference in July this year between himself and his British counterpart in Sierra Leone ahead of the programme.

In London, Turay explained that the High Commission is working in collaboration with Sierra Leonean groups in the United Kingdom to organise a massive programme to mark the anniversary.

National Concerns

Members of the group also discussed other issues of national development with the High Commissioner and his entourage.

Concerns were particularly raised on the proliferation of mining companies into Sierra Leone as well as what they described as the deteriorating standard of education in the country.

Impressed

The group was very impressed with the infrastructural development currently taking place in Sierra Leone since the ruling All People’s Congress party came to power.

“The road network is superb and you can really notice the rapid development gradually taking place in the country – at least we are beginning to feel progress coming,” one of them said during the meeting.

National Call

During the meeting, the High Commissioner called on Sierra Leoneans to go back home and contribute towards the country’s development.

“You cannot sit here and expect changes to come over night – you have to be part of the change especially now that we have a leader who is very much committed and focused,” Turay said.

Discovery

The High Commission was able to discover some Sierra Leonean professionals making the mark in Ireland. Among them an Economist Ibrahim Bah, who works as Manager in the strategic Mergers and Acquisition The Competition Authority, Ireland and Joseph Bockarie, an experienced Civil/Water and Sanitation Engineer, who was very strategic in overhauling the water system in Botswana.

The meeting was perhaps the most successful the High Commissioner has ever held with Sierra Leoneans since he began his presentation of credentials.

By Sorie Sudan Sesay, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone High Commission, UK/NI

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