In a heartwarming gesture that has been hailed as a lifeline for many families, Rewilding, a company focused on nature-based solutions to climate change, has extended substantial educational support to hundreds of school-going children in the North West District of Port Loko. The initiative, valued at hundreds of millions of leones, provided top-performing students with school bags, books, pens, mathematical sets, cash for lunch, and new school uniforms. This support was offered to students who excelled in the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) from the Burreh, Kasseh, and Maconteh Chiefdoms-areas where Rewilding operates.

The intervention is being celebrated as a vital and timely relief for many children struggling to attend school due to the lack of essential resources. For families who could not afford uniforms or school supplies, Rewilding’s assistance has brought hope.

Hassan Sallieu Gbla, the Carbon and Community Development Assistant Manager at Rewilding, explained the company’s broader comm
itment to community development alongside its primary focus on environmental solutions. While Rewilding is known for tackling climate change through initiatives like tree planting, Gbla highlighted that the company also values initiatives that promote education and well-being in its concession areas.

“Rewilding is here not just to honor the commitment made by our management a few months ago but to reinforce our long-term support for education within our operational areas in Burreh, Kasseh, and Maconteh Chiefdoms,” Gbla said. He stressed that this educational support program was developed following a needs assessment identifying local families’ difficulties in supporting their children’s education.

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The company’s commitment was further underscored by Idriss Duramani Koroma, Rewilding’s Carbon and Community Development Manager, who envisions a future where local children, empowered by education, can rise to managerial roles within Rewilding or other fields. He proudly shared that additional students who per
formed exceptionally well in their promotional class exams were included in the latest support round. Koroma also outlined Rewilding’s broader community efforts, which include the employment of locals, the construction of water wells in underserved communities, and the payment of surface rent to land-owning families.

At a ceremony in Rok-Torlor, Burreh Chiefdom, Koroma encouraged parents and students to seize this opportunity, emphasizing the transformative power of education. He also noted the company’s plans to increase the number of beneficiaries each year and provide continued support up to the university level.

Koroma’s message was clear: “We expect that those who have benefited from this educational support will continue to excel and serve as role models for others to follow.” However, he also cautioned that the support could be withdrawn from any student who does not meet expected academic standards, urging parents to take an active role in their children’s education.

In heartfelt expressions of gra
titude, parents and students alike thanked Rewilding for its sustained support. A pregnant woman from Rok-Torlor shared how the assistance had lifted her from the burden of high-interest loans, while an elderly parent expressed relief that their child, who had been out of school due to a lack of uniform, could now return to class.

Community leaders, including the Adviser to the Paramount Chief of Kasseh, the Chairman of the Land Owners Committee in Maconteh, and a representative of the top NPSE candidate for 2024, hailed Rewilding’s intervention as a unique and valuable opportunity for local families. They vowed to redouble their efforts to ensure that the support continues and promised to encourage others to meet the required academic standards.

The event closed with a clarion call to parents to prioritize their children’s education and ensure they attend school regularly. Girls, in particular, were urged to avoid early marriages and other challenges that could disrupt their education

Source: Sierra Leon
e News Agency