Sierra Leone’s Minister of Youth Affairs, Mr. Ibrahim Sannoh, cemented a significant international partnership today by signing a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) at their headquarters in Seoul. This agreement marks a pivotal commitment to empowering Sierra Leone’s young population through globally recognized character development and practical skills programs, signaling a new chapter in the nation’s youth development strategy.
The MOU formally integrates Sierra Leone into IYF’s extensive global network, which spans over 12 countries and impacts millions of young lives. Central to this partnership is the implementation of IYF’s acclaimed Mind Education curriculum within Sierra Leone. This innovative program focuses on profound personal transformation, specifically targeting the liberation of young minds and hearts from negative influences like corruption, while actively cultivating core values of love, discipline, and equality. The program aims to build resilient, ethical, and proactive future leaders.
Minister Sannoh highlighted the proven success of IYF’s holistic approach across Africa, citing tangible outcomes in nations like Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, and Benin. In these countries, IYF collaboration has led to the establishment of dedicated skills development centers equipping youths with market-relevant technical and vocational abilities, and even the construction of specialized youth-focused hospitals addressing critical healthcare needs. The Minister expressed strong confidence that Sierra Leone is now strategically positioned to benefit from similarly transformative initiatives designed to unlock the vast potential of its youth demographic, addressing both character development and economic empowerment.
During his official visit to Seoul, Minister Sannoh also conducted a working session at the Sierra Leone Embassy. He was briefed in detail by His Excellency Ambassador Paul S. Massaquoi and the Head of Chancery on the broader landscape of bilateral cooperation between Sierra Leone and South Korea. The Ambassador specifically highlighted several other significant MOUs recently signed by various Sierra Leonean ministries with leading South Korean institutions, including the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Korea Rice Belt initiative, the prestigious Yonsei University, and the World Small Medium Enterprises (WSME) organization. Ambassador Massaquoi strongly urged Minister Sannoh to explore synergies and build upon these existing frameworks to maximize the impact of the new IYF partnership, creating a cohesive ecosystem of youth support.
Minister Sannoh reciprocated by providing the Embassy team with updates on the Ministry’s foundational Status of Youth Report and its forward-looking Strategic Plan. These documents outline the current challenges and opportunities facing Sierra Leonean youths and define the government’s roadmap for intervention. Embassy officials offered robust encouragement for these initiatives, recognizing their critical importance to national development. The signing ceremony and associated diplomatic engagements underscore the Ministry of Youth Affairs’ proactive and unwavering commitment to forging meaningful international collaborations. This mission represents a deliberate cultivation of opportunities capable of fundamentally transforming the prospects for Sierra Leone’s youths, nurturing a rising generation characterized by inspiration, empowerment, and the skills necessary to drive national progress.