Dr Doma: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 29 April 2023:
Former Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has been very instrumental in contributing towards the development of education facilities in the capital. She was involved in various projects that many schools are enjoying today.
In November 2021, she monitored the construction of a new four-classroom block at the Tower Hill Municipal School. This project was funded by Dr. Stanella Beckley and her family in memory of her daughter Renata Williams during which the children were excited and encouraged to be kind to others.
In June of the same year, primary and junior secondary school leaders received training on safe schools, child safeguarding and respectful alternatives to corporal punishment and recommitted to their profession by signing the Teachers’ Code of Conduct through the School Leaders Support Program.
A new classroom block was opened at Saint Joseph’s Secondary School funded by the alumni in Freetown, the USA and the UK allowing the school to return to one shift starting in September.
In November of 2021, SSS3 pupils from different Secondary schools participated in a quiz competition and had a conversation about the importance of discipline, hard work and integrity.
The former mayor in March 2021, held a meeting with the Wallace Johnson School Old Pupils Association, the Ward Councilor, members of the Ward Development Committee, FCC Education Officer, Traders’ Council and other stakeholders to discuss the progress of the renovation of their school project that the WJOJA had undertaken and resolved a long-standing conflict between the school and the local market.
Wallace Johnson School renovation project included constructing a new classroom, renovating the WASH facilities and constructing a fence around the school compound to separate the school compound from the market.
In March 2021, FCC and its partners, EducAid and Rising Academy, trained over 500 teachers and heads of schools from primary and secondary schools within the Western Area as part of FCC’s School Leaders’ Support Program for schools under its responsibility.
This project has helped school leaders to improve school safety, quality of teaching and learning, and leadership.
In August 2020, FCC and the Rotary Club Sunset completed a month-long tree planting exercise at the Sierra Leone Grammar School aimed at planting one million trees within the Freetown Municipality.
In April 2020, FCC turned the sod for the construction of a nursery, pre-school center for children at the Congo Water Market, the first step in realizing one of Aki- Sawyerr’s campaign promises.
The nursery school is one of the two that would be built and operated for two-years with a $100,000 grant from an American philanthropist, Ms. Sonia Gardner.
In June 2017, FCC launched 49 classrooms with support from Make-it-Happen, a UK charity organization.
The former Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr is dedicated to improving the education sector in Sierra Leone. These projects have helped to improve school safety, quality of teaching and learning, and school leadership.
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr’s dedication to educating the future leaders of Sierra Leone is commendable, and her efforts should serve as an inspiration to other elected public officials in the country.
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