More girls from schools all over the country have benefited from the Lady Patricia Kabbah Memorial Fund Scholarship award for the 2004/2005 academic year. The fund was set up six years ago after the death of the First Lady, Mrs. Patricia Kabbah, to put into reality the views and aspirations of the late lady in her fight for the educational advancement of women and girls in Sierra Leone.

Speaking at the presentation of awards ceremony held at the State Lodge, Prof. Sidi Alghali, one of the trustees of the fund, said the award giving ceremony commenced six years ago and the awards are given to girls who performed extremely well in the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) from various parts of the country. He expressed appreciation to the Kabbah family for their contribution to the fund, adding that the best University students will also start benefiting from the fund. In addition to the scholarship award to the school-going girls, Prof. Alghali also informed all that the fund is presenting a four-million leones cheque to the Patricia Kabbah Memorial School, a school that was opened in memory of the late First lady.

Delivering a statement at the presentation ceremony, the son of the late Madam Patricia Kabbah, Ahmad Kabbah (Jr), congratulated the new recipients and commended the continuing recipients for their continued demonstration of proficiency. He said the presentations are in remembrance of his late mother's pledge to raise the educational advancement of the girl child.

He admonished the new recipients, who are just entering secondary school, to work extremely hard as the challenges at secondary school are arduous. He advised them to concentrate on their work and be more resilient, stating that secondary school work is demanding. Junior Kabbah told them that this is the cross-road at which their formative potentials are crystallized, sharpened and founded. He also warned the young girls to abstain from adult behaviours and say no to sexual violence, reminding them of the dreaded Aids disease that will affect their emotional well-being, physical security and mental development.

The Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs, thanked the Kabbah family for their kind thoughts for those who could not afford it. She congratulated the new recipients and their teachers for their hard work and advised them to continue to work harder.

The Minister of Education, Science and Technology Dr. Alpha Wurie, said he worked for a brief while with the late Madam Patricia Kabbah and her drive was always for us to believe in ourselves. He said even after six years, the name Patricia Kabbah still lives on.
Dr. Wurie spoke about the push his ministry has given to the education of the girl-child, stating that there has been an increase of about 150% girl child enrolment in schools in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, where the Sababu Education Project, which main target is the education of the girl child, is currently in operation. He informed the gathering that there is currently a one million dollar worth of books waiting to be distributed to school children under the project.

The President, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, thanked Prof. Alghali and others for managing the fund and gracing the occasion. The main purpose of the fund, he said, is to remember his late wife, Madam Patricia Kabbah.

He congratulated the recipients of the award and admonished them that this is just the beginning and that there are more important things ahead. The President observed that if we want to progress as a country, we have to educate the people. He commended Dr. Alpha Wurie for his remarkable contribution to education in the country, and especially the introduction of the Sababu Education Project.

President Kabbah advised the parents and teachers to cooperate with the children in preparing them for their examinations, adding that the children are the future leaders of the country.

Earlier, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Simeon Labor, said that the first set of recipients of the award will be taking the West African School Certificate Examinations (WASCE) this year. This year's recipients include Isha Bangura of the Comforti Primary School, Jattu Conteh of the UMC school, Shenge, and Poreh Jalloh of the R.C. School Bendugu, who have joined thirty-seven old recipients of the award.