By Lamin Bangura
Marking a transformative moment for girls’ education in West Africa, Olive B Academy (OBA) is finalizing preparations to welcome its inaugural class on September 8, 2025. Nestled in Kerry Town, this pioneering 100% all-girls Christian boarding school, founded by U.S.-based Sierra Leonean education advocate, Olive Favor-Bemba, and her husband, Fofi Bemba, represents a significant investment in the nation’s future. OBA’s mission is unequivocal: to empower Sierra Leonean girls with an unparalleled education, blending world-class academic rigor, deep character formation, and the competitive edge needed to excel on the global stage, whether they choose to lead internationally or transform their home communities.
The vision crystallizes on a fully secured 20-acre campus, a purpose-built haven designed to foster both security and intellectual growth. High fencing, comprehensive surveillance systems, and biometric student badges ensure safety, while state-of-the-art facilities set the foundation for academic excellence. Students will explore scientific laboratories, unleash creativity in robotics and design labs, and connect with global knowledge through a cutting-edge “smart classroom” featuring 100-inch interactive screens for virtual lectures from around the world. While the campus boasts a full capacity for 750 students, OBA is deliberately limiting initial enrollment to 550, prioritizing an optimal, personalized learning environment, where every girl receives focused attention. Comfortable, purpose-built dormitories and comprehensive on-site amenities create a true home away from home.
Academically, OBA sets a high bar, integrating the internationally respected Cambridge curriculum with a robust, hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) focus and practical vocational training. This approach ensures students meet global academic standards, while developing critical thinking and practical skills. Crucially, education at OBA extends far beyond textbooks and exams. The school is deeply committed to holistic development, embedding core values of character, integrity, and respect alongside academic pursuits. “We raise educated, respectful leaders,” affirms the school’s ethos, aiming to cultivate women who are not only intellectually capable, but also morally grounded and ready to contribute meaningfully to society.
Supporting this ambitious mission is a carefully selected and prepared faculty. Recruited nine months prior to opening, 80% of the teaching staff are women, serving as powerful role models. They have undergone intensive training, specifically tailored to deliver the demanding Cambridge curriculum and uphold OBA’s holistic values. Demonstrating an extraordinary level of commitment, all teachers reside on-campus, mere minutes from classrooms, ensuring they are readily available to support students academically and personally, beyond formal class hours. The school culture actively empowers the girls, establishing a student governing body to amplify their voices, backed by accessible counselors. A strict zero-tolerance policy against any form of abuse underpins a safe and respectful environment.
Understanding the concerns of modern parenting, OBA implements a comprehensive welfare and communication strategy. Recognizing the potential for distraction, personal student phones and unsupervised internet access are prohibited. Instead, internet use is carefully facilitated during supervised sessions in the dedicated smart classroom. A dedicated welfare department manages all communication between parents and students during term time, ensuring vital connections are maintained while minimizing disruptions to the focused learning atmosphere. Parental access to the campus during school hours is also restricted, reinforcing the school’s secure and immersive environment.
Accessibility is a core principle, despite the world-class offerings. Open to girls entering Junior Secondary School levels 1 and 2, admission requires passing Sierra Leone’s National Primary School Examination (NPSE) followed by OBA’s own diagnostic entrance assessment. The termly fee is set at 23,000 Leones. This fee encompasses far more than tuition; it includes boarding, three nutritious daily meals, personal laptops for academic work (configured for offline use), and full access to the exceptional facilities, making this elite education remarkably accessible.
Founder, Olive Favor-Bemba, passionately articulates the academy’s profound purpose: “Education empowers irreversibly. We are deliberately bridging the glaring gender gap in leadership by equipping our girls with global perspectives and local grounding. If they leave Sierra Leone, they will compete and succeed internationally. If they choose to stay, they will be the engines transforming our communities.” She also emphasizes the balance OBA strikes, fostering academic excellence, while instilling traditional values of respect, discipline, and strong family bonds, reflecting her own belief that success encompasses both professional achievement and personal integrity.
The global resonance of OBA’s vision is already evident, with enrollments secured for girls from Canada, the United States, and Togo, alongside Sierra Leonean students. With construction and facility preparation reported as 90% complete, and faculty intensively prepped for the challenges of the Cambridge syllabus, the academy confidently declares itself “110% ready” for its historic September opening.
Olive B Academy’s first cohort will pioneer a unique educational model, seamlessly merging a strong Sierra Leonean identity with the competencies of global citizenship. As Favor-Bemba asserts with conviction, “After just 90 days here, parents will witness a profound transformation in their daughters – emerging not only educated, but honorable, confident, and fundamentally ready to lead.” The journey to cultivate Sierra Leone’s next generation of empowered female leaders begins this September in Kerry Town. Applications are open for JSS 1 & 2; Parents interested in enrolling their daughters can contact the school via telephone at +232 90 244 444 or +232 73 244 444, email info@olivebacademy.org, or visit their website at www.olivebacademy.org for more information.