Sierra Leone Telegraph: 9 September 2021:
The Vice President of Sierra Leone, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh today Thursday 9th September, formally launched 30 Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) in three districts of Bombali, Pujehun and Kambia respectively.
The formal launch took place in Sawulia village in the Bombali district. The VP said the launch signifies a big day for free quality education in Sierra Leone, as it represents a solid commitment of the President on human capital development.
The VP referred to the ECDCs as “Kombra Schools” as they offer an opportunity to poor parents to send their kids to pre-primary schools at no cost.
According to the VP (Photo above), these Kombra Schools are vital to improving learning outcomes and will ensure children benefit from the government’s free quality education program.
Minister of Basic Education, Dr Moinina Sengeh outlined the importance of these Kombra Schools, stating that additional 35 will be built to benefit other districts.
According to the government, “these Kombra Schools herald a new dawn in educational development in the country, as for the first-time pre-primary schools become a vital component of public schooling. From all indications, it is evident that the pace at which the Ministry is rolling out this program with enthusiastic support from various partners, the children of this country will soon flock to these Kombra schools as is the case with primary schools. “
But critics diagaree. They say that the Freetown City Council has been pioneering the concept of Early Childhood Development Centres, before the government jumped on the bandwagon.
Mr. Sahr Matturi, I hope you are not trying to once again implicate our hard working and trustworthy Vice President to the current coup, which his best friend has already settled with former President Alpha Conde. Some unpatriotic Sierra Leoneans fabricated stories and convinced the defunct president that Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh was plotting to overthrow his government during his “More Time” campaign which was originally launched by the lifetime leader of the APC party but fortunately for our citizens , former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia convinced him against the consequences.
I was just trying to compare the relationship between President Bio and Vice President Juldeh Jalloh with that of Late President Siaka Stevens and his Vice President S.I Koroma, the relationship between late President J.S Momoh and his Vice President F.M Minah and the relationship between former President Earnest Koroma and his two Vice Presidents which I don’t need to elaborate on. May the Almighty continue push any satanic spirit between President Bio and Vice President Juldeh Jalloh. Amen and Ameen.
I quote “But critics disagree. They say that the Freetown City Council has been pioneering the concept of Early Childhood Development Centres, before the government jumped on the bandwagon”. Unquote. What’s wrong and what is the problem with some negative, unprogressively, low minded, backward and unpatriotic Sierra Leoneans whose thinking of our beloved country under the current government, the SLPP should not prosper under all cost to take Sierra Leone out of the dark and into the light of better Sierra Leone. These Early Childhood Development Centres are free of charge for God’s sake. Please stop your useless and baseless criticism and start praising the SLPP government for such clever ideas if even they jumped the bandwagon. Commend the government for taking this little step but creating a big educational difference in Sierra Leone in the future. KOMBRA SCHOOLS, good for our younger kids and good for the privileged and unprivileged people of Sierra Leone. Bravo to the current government.
Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh is a trusted friend and confidant of President Bio and both of them believe in the same ideology. This is the reason why President Bio clearly explained that “he only hires or nominate his own people” , for example Professor David Francis, Dr. Abbas Bundu, Dr. Alpha Wurie, Chief Justice Babatunde Edwards, to name but few. But unfortunately, some APC propagandist misconstrued it to Tribalism. Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh is a political scientist who started working for the United Nations in 2000 as program officer in Kosovo to rebuild that nation after the Balkan Civil war.
He has also served as a member of the board of senior advisers at the UN stabilization mission in Mali and the Sahel region. He is also the pioneer behind the MCC Score Card which will benefit our nation in Electricity and Water infrastructure. He has been working hands and gloves with his friend in Human Capital Development. He already assured President Bio to keep flying for the benefit of the nation and well rested vacations because he got his back. May the Almighty continue to bless our Vice President with wisdom and understanding.
Thank you very much Mr Alusine Fallay for your insight. This is what Mr Alusine Fallay said and I quote “Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh is a trusted friend and confidant of President Bio”. Remember what happened in Guinea? My advice to President Bio is not to have anyone as trusted friend and confidant. Trusted friends and confidants are becoming traitors. President Bio can choose people at random to work with. Why rely on trusted friends and confidants who will make you sit on a sofa with bare feet, almost naked and rubbing you forehead, thinking about your lost presidency? God bless President Bio and Mr Alusine Fallay.
Whatever the circumstances, childrens education is vital to the future developments of our country. Now we all have to agree, everything in Sierra Leone is now so politicised, and polarised, chances are even if we have a papal visit from the Vatican, and the pope decides to disgard his usual white robe, and in it place wears a red robe with a green motif, no one can pigeon hole him of being an APC or SLPP supporter. And that is the point. The children of our future shouldn’t be use as a game of political football. Shame on Julldeh Jalloh our vice president. He could have done this good job quitely without inviting the paparazzi press core. There is no need to shine a political torch light on innocent children. Is all good to talk about the flagship free education drive in our country, but what about the families this children are waking up to every morning, before they head to school. Is there a provision in that free education flagship to support families that are struggling to feed this children.?
Researchers at the University of Virginia curry school have found :”There is pretty solid evidence that children who are hungry are not able to focus, so they have low attention span, behavioural issues, discipline issues in school” thats according to professor of kinesiology Sibylle Kranz.The report went on to say:”Children who are well – fed and not hungry makes a difference in their individual performance, and also how much they are contributing or disrupting the class room situation”
So when we talk of the flagship free education, we have to look at it in totality not just trying to create a political wave that benifets no one, but the politicians that are promoting it as a manifesto promise honoured. The children, the families, the curriculum, are the teachers salaries paid on time, the school environment, like buildings, class sizes, and the dietary deficiency. In our days we used to eat “Bolgo”.cooked in vegetables oil and supplied by USAID. And Akara in our school breaks.
Ask these so called critics if FCC has sole proprietary rights to early childhood education in SL. Why stoop so low in critiquing something that will eventually benefit the masses, especially the poor. If we had done it before for past generations we will not have so many idlers out in the streets gathering to follow their so called boss LA.
H.E. Dr. Juldeh Jalloh, the respectable Vice President Of Sierra Leone, brother with all your endless efforts and humbleness to the nation, I salute you 100%. Thank you and we promised to reward your Excellency some years from now. Continue your humbleness, God is with you. You are a blessed man in the family. Thank you