Her Excellency the first lady of Sierra Leone, madam Fatima Bio, in continuation of hr national tour launched the “Hands Off Girls Campaign” in Moyamba District, on Friday 18th October.
.
The occasion was graced by eminent stakeholders including Mayamba District Chairman, Civil society, minister of State, minister of Social Welfare, UNFPA, Save the children and a host of many others.
MP Hon Varonica K Sesay on behalf of her constituents welcomed the First Lady Madam Fatima Bio and her entourage to Moyamba District and the Province to be specific. She said the people of Moyamba appreciates First Lady Bio’s initiative on the campaign to empower women and girls.
“Finally, the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign will take full force in our beloved district. For too long our girls have been used and abused by our inconsiderate men and it’s about time we fight together and put this menace to rest”, she maintained.
Ramatu Jalloh of “Save the Children” emphasised on the aspect of education as the recipe for girl child. She applauded the First Lady for her courage in inspiring the fight to promote child through education .She said the government is committed to creating an enabling environment for children to be well catered for through the free quality education initiative.
“We must please allow these girls to be, this is a caution for mothers, fathers, guardians, men and boys in communities, we should give a helping hand to girls and let achieve their full potential”
In her keynote address the First Lady said:
“Today, I have come to discuss something very important to all the women in the district, which is also equally important to all level headed and reasonable men in the district”, she said. Adding that, though the name of men may have been tarnished by the evil perpetrators, she is quite aware that Moyamba District still has respectable and noble men.
“I officially here today to launch the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign, this campaign as I have always mentioned is not a campaign by me alone, but it is the people’s campaign”, she noted.
“Am officially also handing over this campaign to our respectable paramount chiefs and the humble wives of Moyamba , those whom I believe are all first ladies from the district.
Madam Fatima Bio expressed with dismay how so many girls have suffered the “abnormal behaviour” of men which has resulted to the untimely death of many girls around the country.
“Our girls are dying everyday and it’s not secret, Sierra Leone is the nation with the highest mortality rate not just in Africa, but the whole wide world”, she lamented. Adding that as a government, there no way to hide about that.
Madam Fatima Bio further said that, due to negligence on the side of the parents and Community stakeholders, the same wrong thing is seen repeatedly often where girls at tender are impregnated and at the end die during labour.
The first lady also disclosed that, in as much Moyamba District is known for it religious tolerance, it is also the district with the most number of rape cases per year.
“We must not condole or accept these people in our society, people who are staining the name of our district and destroying the future of our children”, she defiantly said.
The Hands Off Our Girls Campaign was launched over one year ago by Her Excellency Fatima Bio which an aim to empower girls and women to achieve their full potential.
Strategic Communication Division
Office of The First Lady
info@officeofthefirstlady.gov.sl
+232 303 68273