Kenema Library Rated Top in Sierra Leone

09/10/2012 Alpha Daramy Sesay

Chairman Board of Directors of the Sierra Leone Library Board has disclosed that the Kenema library, in the east of the country, has been rated top in terms of readership.

Professor Sahr Gbamanjah made the disclosure at the formal commissioning of the newly-refurbished Kissy library branch of the Sierra Leone library board in the east of Freetown.

He said the Kenema library had “an excellent readership”, adding that in all of the time they had visited the library, students always engaged themselves reading and doing research.

On the newly renovated Kissy library he said it would always help pupils by conducting seminars and providing career cancelling. He, however, implored other branch libraries to emulate such practices of helping pupils with career cancelling since “most parents in east-end of Freetown are illiterates.” The Deputy Chief Education Officer, Alhaji Kamara education was keen to acknowledge that there were many challenges in the operations of their public libraries, adding that irrespective of the approximately ten years of civil war, “the Sierra Leone library is doing better compared to many other African
countries”.

He assured the Kissy, Wellington and Calaba Town communities of a well-equipped, trained and qualified staff and that they would provide relevant books, computers and other paraphernalia to facilitate the digitisation of reading materials to enhance their preservation, conservation and effective information-sharing through networking.

Chief librarian of the Sierra Leone Library Board, Salieu Turay, emphasised the importance of refurbishing the library which he said would serve the most populous area in Freetown.

He said that since it was built in 1980, the Kissy library had undergone its second refurbishment, the last being in 2006. He said that “the library before was in dire need of refurbishment, but today, we have a library designed to be user-friendly which provides users with not only equipment for the access of knowledge but also ensures comfort and convenience.”

Share
About Othman Sheriff 350 Articles
Othman Sheriff is an experienced Sierra Leonean development professional, peacebuilding practitioner, professional journalist and human rights advocate with over two decades of engagement in community development, youth empowerment, education, humanitarian assistance and international development cooperation. Born and raised in Kenema District, Eastern Sierra Leone, he has dedicated much of his professional career to improving the socioeconomic conditions of vulnerable and marginalised populations, particularly disadvantaged young people, women, children and underserved rural communities. As the Founder and Programme Director of Youth in Action for Development (YAD), Sheriff has played a leading role in mobilising international development assistance and coordinating community-driven interventions aimed at poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods, social inclusion and grassroots development. Over the years, he has facilitated the mobilisation and implementation of development projects worth billions of Leones, supported by international development partners, including European development institutions, humanitarian organisations and United Nations agencies. A committed advocate for free and inclusive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Sheriff spearheaded the establishment of the Youth Resource Academy (YRA) in 2018, through which he has championed access to practical, employment-oriented education for underprivileged youth, particularly young women, school dropouts, single mothers, widows, unemployed youth and individuals from economically disadvantaged households. So far, the Academy has provided vocational, technical and entrepreneurship training opportunities to more than 2,000 youth helping them acquire marketable skills, pursue self-employment and improve their economic independence. He also solicit funds to provide start up kits for the youth who graduated from the academy. In addition to his development and humanitarian work, Sheriff serves as the Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Critique Echo Newspaper, using journalism as a platform to promote accountability, responsible governance, social justice and public awareness of critical socioeconomic and human rights issues. He is a dedicate member of many international peacebuilding networks including the United Religions Initiative (URI), International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP), Intercultural Leaders Network of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC)`s Youth Solidarity Fund, and the alumni Association of King Hamad Youth Empowerment Awards. Through his leadership, advocacy and international partnerships, Sheriff continues to champion a vision of Sierra Leone in which disadvantaged young people have equitable access to education and economic opportunities, women and girls live free from violence and discrimination, human rights are respected, and communities are empowered to pursue peaceful, inclusive and sustainable development.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.