September 16, 2016 By Michael Bockarie
AdvocAid Sierra Leone, a local non-governmental organisation which provides legal aid services, literacy and numeracy classes to vulnerable women, girls and children in conflict with the law, has certified 23 female inmates in a special graduation ceremony at the Freetown Female Correctional Centre.
In her welcome address, the Freetown Female Correctional Services Manager, Margret Robert, welcomed AdvocAid Sierra Leone team and partners. She expressed delight that inmates were going to receive certificates, which is an indication that they have been attending the classes.
AdvoAid Sierra Leone Executive Director, Simitie Lavaly, said they were happy, together with EducAid and the British Council, to certify the inmates. She said the certification ceremony was an indication that inmates have known all they needed to know, noting that they would equally give report cards and special prizes for those who did extremely well.
The AdvocAid Executive Director further advised the inmates to make very good use of the skills they have acquired during the training, especially when they finish their sentences, to develop their lives. She expressed hope to expand the training programme to level four if more funds are available, adding that they only teaching level one to level three for now.
EducAid Chief Executive Officer, Miriam Mason Sesay, encouraged the inmates to always to attend classes, adding that education is incredibly important and that it could change their destiny.
The head of EducAid said she also came from a poor background, adding that there was a time when her father was not in a position to replace her shoe which had worn out. She noted that if she is going round the world today doing humanitarian work, it was due to education she acquired in school.
British Council Director Simon Ingram-Hill said that the certificates that the inmates were about to get were indicative that many organisations are willing to support them. He said his organisation believes in social justice, adding that they want the inmates to have better lives, thus the reason they are supporting them to acquire more skills.
The British Council Director noted that if skills they have acquired could be put to proper use, especially after their prison sentence, it could serve as a spring board to change their lives for the better.
The graduation formed part of a series of graduations that had been held in Kenema, Makeni and Kono for female inmates.
