Generally speaking, primary school pupils in Kono District have performed very well in the 2016 National Primary School Examinations (NPSE). The District produced the top scorer in the Eastern Region of Sierra Leone. Individual aggregates of pupils in Kono District who sat the NPSE matched those in private schools in Freetown, the capital city.
Free the Children, Unique International School, Golf International Primary School and U.M.C. Jaiama produced some of the best scorers in this year’s NPSE examinations. Also in Koidu, the district headquarter town, good grades were produced by pupils from primary schools such as R.C. Wondema, Beth Konold, Aladura Koidu, Islamic Girls, R.C. Seidu and Muddy Lutus. For the rest of the chiefdoms outside the headquarter town, like R.C. Kombayende, R.C. Kunteh, U.M.C. Njagbwema, and UMC Primary School Bendu II, Tombodu, Kamara Chiefdom which happens to be the alma mater of the Late Abu Aiah Koroma Esq. in whose memory the donations are being made today also produced good results.
The head teachers and founders of these schools must be congratulated warmly. A special recognition must be given to Sellu Nabay, from Unique International Primary School who was the top scorer with an aggregate of 348, which is very close to the leading national aggregate of 350. Mr. Sellu Nabay received the Abu Aiah Koroma Esq. Memorial Scholarship in the form of a cash donation of One Million Leones from the Playhouse Foundation, representing his school fees for the year. The leading female scorer in Kono District, Ms. Fatmata Turay from UMC Njaiama Nimikoro with an aggregate of 331 received the Danké Koroma Memorial Scholarship in the form of a cash donation of Five Hundred Thousand Leones from the Playhouse Foundation towards her school fees for the year.
On Saturday 15th October, 2016, the Playhouse Foundation also honoured some of the top scorers in Kono District by providing them with school supplies such as a set of uniforms, a school bag, a pair of socks, a geometry set, a ruler, pens and pencils, pencil case, exercise books, a water bottle and personal hygiene kits for girls. The total value of the donations was One Hundred Million Leones that included a contribution of Ten Million Leones from the Environmental Protection Agency. These donations are made in memory of the Late Abu Aiah Koroma Esq. and his wife, the Late Mrs Danké Koroma who are the parents of H.E. Sia Nyama Koroma, the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Kumba Fatmata Koroma, Abu Sahr Deedee Koroma and Finda Nyewai Koroma. The Late Abu Aiah Koroma Esq. taught at the Prince of Wales School during his days as a student at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone whilst the Late Mrs Danké Koroma taught for many years at the International School in Freetown. Academic excellence was the most important aspect of everyday life in the home of this couple.
Additionally, the Playhouse Foundation donated school supplies to 75 vulnerable school children including Ebola orphans attending various schools and non-Ebola orphans who attend the Supreme Islamic Council School at Bumpeh, the Pakistan Salone Islamic Primary School at Nagoya, both in Nimikoro Chiefdom and the Kono District Global Organisation (KDGO) Primary School at Titambaya, Gbense Chiefdom which is a school that is being sponsored by an/the organization of the descendants from Kono District in the United States of America, which is chaired by Mr. Aiah Fanday. Finally, the Playhouse Foundation donated school supplies to top scorers from Classes 1 to 6 who attend the UMC primary school, Bendu II, Tombodu, Kamara Chiefdom.
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The Playhouse Foundation is a charitable organization that was established in 2009 by Mr. Abu Deedee Koroma and Ms. Finda Koroma in memory of their parents, the Late Abu Aiah Koroma Esq. and his wife, the Late Danké Evelyn Koroma. The focus of the Foundation is on education and women’s empowerment and more recently, on renewable energy. Its main beneficiaries are children, the youth, women and the disadvantaged section of the population in Sierra Leone especially those in rural areas and border chiefdoms which comprise the most remote parts of the country.
Over the years, the Playhouse Foundation has donated furniture in the form of double sets of school desks and benches to schools across Kono District – in at least 12 out of the 14 chiefdoms. It has also established the Millennium School Labs at Ahmadiyya Secondary School, Koidu Girls Secondary School, Yengema Secondary School and Sewafe Secondary School. More recently, the Playhouse Foundation has installed solar lighting systems in over 45 primary and secondary schools in Kono District. It has also donated school supplies several times in Kono District. In 2015, its school supply donations went entirely to school-going Ebola survivors and Ebola orphans. In short, the Playhouse Foundation is proud of its achievements in the education sector in Kono District.
Finally, the Playhouse Foundation will be donating school books to several schools throughout Kono District. As some of you may be aware, five forty-feet containers of books were shipped to Sierra Leone in September, 2015 in partnership with Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration (commonly known as Harvard Business School or HBS) Class of ’94 – Section F who are the section mates of Madam Finda Koroma, the Co-Founder of the Playhouse Foundation and with Books for Africa. Science, Mathematics, Literature, Social Science, English Language, Geography, History and Reference books will be distributed to primary and secondary schools in the more remote parts of the country and in one-time Ebola ‘hot spots’. The books are valued at over USD$250,000. Other sponsors include Samskip, in the Netherlands and the Open Society for West Africa (OSIWA) under its project of support to border chiefdoms in Kailahun and Kono Districts that is being implemented by the Playhouse Foundation.
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Statement delivered by Madam Finda Nyewai Koroma, Co-Foundation of the Playhouse Foundation at the Presentation of the Excellence Awards to Top Performers and Orphans in Kono District
Saturday 15th October, 2016
Mr. Chairman,
Our Revered Paramount Chiefs,
Our Stakeholders in Kono District
Representatives from the Old Bo School Boys Association (OBBA), the alma mater of the Late Abu Aiah Koroma Esq.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
It is always a pleasure to return to Kono, my home district which is so dear to my heart. Once again, we are here to make a donation of school supplies in memory of our late parents Abu Aiah Koroma Esq. and Madam Danké Koroma, his wife. I bring your greetings from my siblings, H.E. Sia Nyama Koroma, the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Madam Kumba Fatmata Koroma and Mr. Abu Sahr Deedee Koroma. I am Madam Finda Nyewai Koroma. I would like to request you to please stand and observe a minute’s silence in memory not only in memory of my late parents but also in memory of Mamadu Jalloh, a pupil from Gulf International Primary School who died by drowning last week Sunday. He had an aggregate of 313 in the National Primary School Education Examinations this year. May their souls rest in perfect peace and May the Almighty Allah (sbt) Accept them into Paradise.
Mr. Chairman
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
Late Abu Aiah Koroma Esq. taught at the Prince of Wales School during his days as a student at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone whilst the late Danké Koroma taught for many years at the International School. Academic excellence was the most important aspect of life in the home of this couple – Education was a priority. Our parents invested in our education at the highest levels in both the United Kingdom and the United States America. For this reason, the Playhouse Foundation which was founded by Mr. Abu Sahr Deedee Koroma, my older brother and I, has made support to the educational sector in Kono District our main priority.
Today, we are honouring pupils from Kono District who have excelled in the 2016 Edition of the National Primary School Examinations (NPSE). Primary school pupils in Kono District have performed very well in the 2016 NPSE. Kono District as a whole produced the top scorer in the Eastern Region and individual aggregates from pupils in our district matched those in private schools in Freetown, the capital city. Free the Children, Unique International School, Golf International Primary School and U.M.C. Jaiama produced some of the best scorers in this year’s NPSE examinations. Also, in Koidu City, good grades were produced by pupils from primary schools such as R.C. Wondema, Beth Konold, Aladura Koidu, Islamic Girls, R.C. Seidu and Muddy Lutus. Other schools outside Koidu City, the headquarter town, like R.C. Kombayende, R.C. Kunteh, U.M.C. Njagwema and UMC Tombodu, which happens to be the alma mater of the Late Abu Aiah Koroma Esq., in whose memory the donations are being made today. The head teachers and founders of these schools must be congratulated warmly but most of all, we would like to congratulate pupils from all primary schools in Kono District who have exceeded our expectations. A special recognition must be given to Sellu Nabay, from Unique International Primary School who was the top scorer with an aggregate of 348, which is very close to the leading national aggregate of 350 in Sierra Leone. Sellu Nabay will receive the Abu Aiah Koroma Esq. Memorial Scholarhship in the form of a cash donation of one million Leones from the Playhouse Foundation, representing his school fees for the year. The leading female scorer in Kono District, Ms. Fatmata Turay from UMC Njaiama Nimikoro with an aggregate of 331 will receive the Danké Koroma Memorial Scholarship in the form of a cash donation of 500,000 Leones from the Playhouse Foundation towards her school fees for the year.
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Playhouse Foundation will also be donating school supplies to Ebola orphans and orphans from the Supreme Islamic Council School at Bumpeh and the Pakistan Salone Islamic Primary School at Ngaiya, both in Nimikoro Chiefdom. We will also be donating school supplies to orphans from KDGO Primary School at Titambaya, Gbense Chiefdom which is being sponsored by the Kono District Global Organsiation. Finally, donations will be made to top scorers at UMC Tombodu, Kamara Chiefdom.
The school supplies we are donating today comprise a set of uniforms, a school bag, a pair of socks, a geometry set, a ruler, pens and pencils, a pencil case, exercise books, a water bottle and personal hygiene kits for girls. The total value of the donations today is about USD$15,000 which is equivalent to one hundred million Leones, ten million of which was donated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the rest of the funding coming solely from Mr. Abu Sahr Deedee Koroma and I. We would like to acknowledge and thank Mrs Hadiatou Jallow, the Executive Director of the EPA for this contribution.
Over the years, the Playhouse Foundation has donated school furniture in the form of double sets of school desks and benches to schools across Kono District – at least in 12 out of the 14 chiefdoms. It has also established the Millennium School Labs at Ahmadiyya Secondary School, Koidu Girls Secondary School, Yengema Secondary School and Sewafe Secondary School. More recently, the Playhouse Foundation has installed solar lighting systems in over 40 primary and secondary schools in Kono District in partnership with GIZ Liberia, under the Energising Development Initiative. In addition, it has donated school supplies several times in Kono District. In 2015, its school supply donation went entirely to school-going Ebola survivors and Ebola orphans.
During the Ebola outbreak, the Playhouse Foundation donated personal protective equipment (PPEs) such as chlorine, buckets, soap, disposable gloves, masks, aprons, goggles and caps as well as boots, hand-held solar lights, fever thermometers, medicines and food items to Ebola hotspots in Bumpeh and Ngol Town in Nimikoro Chiefdom and Kamadu, Gbense Chiefdom and Sukudu in Kamara Chiefdom as well as to border chiefdoms – Mafindor, Gbane Kandor and Soa Chiefdoms. Of course donations were also made to our secret societies to ensure that the leadership and some of the members protected themselves. It even established border patrol teams in these three border chiefdoms to ensure that our borders with the Republic of Guinea were safe.
The Playhouse Foundation is extremely proud of its achievements in the education sector in Kono District.
The Playhouse Foundation has shipped five forty-feet containers of books to Sierra Leone in partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration (commonly known as Harvard Business School or HBS) Class of ’94 – Section F which is my alma mater and Books for Africa. Science, Mathematics, Literature, Social Science, English Language, Geography, History and Reference books will be distributed to primary and secondary schools in the more remote parts of the country and in one-time Ebola ‘hot spots’. The books are valued at over USD$250,000. Other sponsors include Samskip, in the Netherlands and the Open Society for West Africa (OSIWA) under its project of support to border chiefdoms in Kailahun and Kono Districts that is being implemented by the Playhouse Foundation. We intend to establish school libraries at several schools in the district as our support to Kono District’s educational sector. We would like to call on the top performing schools to offer special classes in Maths and Science especially to the girl child, to ensure that we maintain the strong performance we have demonstrated at the NPSE today and in the hope that our pupils will perform better in the BECE and WASCCE.
The Playhouse Foundation is also currently implementing a project entitled Community Landscape Conservation and Climate Smart Agricultural Initiatives in Gbense Chiefdom, more specifically at Small Sefadu, Kinsey and Baiama which were former artisanal mining areas with USD$28,000 which is equivalent to one hundred and seventy million Leones.
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
At this juncture, I would like to highlight some of our future projects in Kono District. We will be establishing Leadership Academies for Young Women and Adolescent Girls which will serve as resource centres for the promotion of girl child education in maths and science, languages, culture and the arts. We also intend to construct the first Children’s Playground and Park in Gbense Chiefdom, establish hostels for girls and finally we will introduce the ‘Read for Life’ Initiative which is a literacy and reading project.
In conclusion, we would like to thank our revered paramount chiefs, our distinguished guests, the Old Bo Boys Association (OBBA), our stakeholders in Kono Districts, teachers and pupils for gracing this occasion with their presence. We would like you to continue to offer prayers for our beloved parents who have passed away but most of all for our family so that we can continue to give back to our people in Kono District.
Thank you for your kind attention.
