By Yusufu Abu Sesay
Orange Foundation Sierra Leone has officially launched its Back-to-School Donation initiative, a programme designed to support 2,000 underprivileged pupils in selected schools across Freetown.
The initiative commenced on Friday, 16 January 2026, at the Police Primary School in Kingtom, Freetown, where 150 disadvantaged pupils received essential learning materials to support their academic development.
Each beneficiary was presented with an Orange Foundation Sierra Leone branded school bag containing exercise books, mathematical sets, pens, and pencils. The initiative forms part of the Foundation’s sustained commitment to improving access to quality education and easing the financial burden on less-privileged families.
Speaking at the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of Orange Sierra Leone, Madam Aicha Toure, said the project was designed to motivate pupils, enhance learning outcomes, and promote regular school attendance. She emphasised the transformative power of education, particularly for vulnerable children, noting that the initiative represented not just a donation, but a long-term promise to the children and communities it serves.
Madam Toure reflected on the pivotal role education had played in transforming her own family’s life and reaffirmed the commitment of Orange Foundation Sierra Leone and its partners to ensuring that no child is left behind because of socio-economic circumstances. She commended parents, teachers, community leaders, and partners for their continued dedication, stressing that investing in children is an investment in the future of Sierra Leone. She encouraged the beneficiaries to return to school with confidence, hope, and determination, reminding them that the future belongs to them.
Declaring the purpose of the event, the Director of Orange Foundation Sierra Leone, Madam Annie Wunie Katta, stated that the gathering went beyond the distribution of school materials to reaffirm the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to making lasting contributions to the lives of vulnerable children across the country. She explained that, in line with the Government of Sierra Leone’s Human Capital Development Agenda, the initiative reflects the Foundation’s belief that every child, regardless of background, deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.
Madam Katta noted that education remains a core pillar of the Foundation’s work, alongside health and culture. She highlighted that the Foundation’s interventions extend beyond traditional classrooms through digital school kits and targeted donations, which have reached over 30,000 pupils nationwide. She further disclosed that more than 35,000 children in 16 African countries have benefited from similar initiatives, including 2,000 children in Sierra Leone this year. At the Kingtom Police Barracks alone, she said, 150 pupils would receive complete learning kits, describing the items as “tools of hope” that would help ease the burden on families.
She reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to strong partnerships aimed at ensuring that no child is left behind and at building a future where opportunity is defined by potential rather than circumstance.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Mr. Conrad Sackey, described the country as standing at a critical crossroads where children either return to the classroom or are quietly left behind. He noted that history has shown that a nation’s future is shaped by such defining moments and described the Back-to-School initiative as a powerful choice of hope, responsibility, and action.
The Minister stressed that the challenges facing children are a shared responsibility of government, the private sector, communities, families, and development partners. He said that beyond school supplies, he saw promise and the future of Sierra Leone in the children, acknowledging that for many families, the lack of basic learning materials remains the thin line between education and exclusion.
He commended Orange Sierra Leone and Orange Foundation Sierra Leone for the initiative, noting that it reinforces the principle that education must remain a right, not a privilege. He further reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to promoting access, equity, and equality in education, ensuring that no child is left behind.