January 18, 2016 By Ahmed Sahid Nasralla
Last month, World Bank Sierra Leone Country Office staff proudly received the National Child Development Award (NaCDA) in recognition of the role of the World Bank Group (WBG) in the fight against Ebola. The special recognition award, a nicely framed certificate, is from the Kids Advocacy Network (KAN).
Edmond Alim Fornah, Executive Director of KAN, presented the award on behalf of the youth-led organisation, which advocates for both the individual and group rights of the country’s children.
“The children of Sierra Leone recognise the contribution of the World Bank Group in helping our government and the country to defeat Ebola,” said Fornah. “We particularly appreciate the personal commitment and support of the World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim, and former Country Manager, Mr. Francis Ato Brown, for his tireless effort on the ground.”
Fornah recalled that the WBG provided funding for drugs, personal protective equipment, ambulances and hazard pay to health workers among other things that helped in the fight against Ebola.
All NaCDA awardees, he said, were chosen through voting mainly by school children and child-led organisations across Sierra Leone.
The award event, held December 9th 2015 at the National Stadium’s Atlantic Hall in Freetown, included an audience full of school children, the Chairman of the Conference of Principals, media practitioners, and high profile representatives of private and public institutions.
On behalf of the Country Manager, Parminder Brar and his colleagues, Operations Officer Sheikh Alhaji Sesay expressed appreciation for the award and reiterated the WBG’s continued support to the government and people of Sierra Leone.
Sesay said the WBG has ongoing projects aimed at addressing issues facing young people and will develop more youth-focused projects in the future.
In appreciation, Brar said the award was for teamwork and commitment.
“My colleagues will be hugely inspired by this and will continue to work diligently with the government to address serious development issues facing Sierra Leoneans,” he said.
NaCDA is an initiative of the children of Sierra Leone through KAN to “reward, recognise and appreciate individuals and institutions that are contributing to the development of Sierra Leone”. This is their eighth annual award-giving event.