FORUT-SL boosts five schools in Freetown

By Elkass I.L.Sannoh

The Alcohol, Drugs and Development Department (ADDD) of FORUT Sierra Leone, in its bid to discourage school children from substance abuse, have donated sporting items to five junior secondary schools in Freetown.

Speaking to AYV, the Focal Person of FORUT-SL, Mr. Ernest Y. Conteh, at one of the beneficiary schools in Wellington, Freetown, the King Fahad Secondary School, said the recreational items were meant for the five junior secondary schools to divert the minds of the pupils from getting involved in drugs and alcohol abuse.

He disclosed that the major aim of the project was to reduce harm from alcohol and drug abuse among children and youths in the city. He observed that if the processes of teaching and learning were to be effective, pupils should be free of truancy, and drug and alcohol abuse. He appealed to the school management to encourage the pupils to utilise the recreational items judiciously.

In his statement, the Acting Vice Principal of the King Fahad Junior Secondary School, Madam, Nafieu Garner, expressed appreciation for the donation. She assured the donors that as a religious school they were against drug abuse and binge drinking among school pupils and young people generally, and promised that they would use the items to strengthen their work against these anti-social practices.

Talking on behalf of his colleagues, the Head Boy, Mr. Joseph Bundu Idriss, congratulated FORUT-SL for the donation, maintaining that they would utilise the items and deviate from alcohol and harmful drug intake.

At the Richard Allen High School at Kissy in Freetown, the Principal of the Senior Secondary School, Mr. Jonathan A. Togbie, on behalf of his school, said the donation was very timely as they have lacked sporting items for a very long time now.

He disclosed that the lack of these items has caused the school to drop their sporting activities. He opined that it was very essential to train the pupils in the physical aspect so as to help them to relax and refresh.

Similar donations were also made at the Albert Academy Junior Secondary, the Sierra Leone Muslim Brotherhood and the Vine Memorial Junior Secondary School in the West end of Freetown.

The items included one set of football jerseys, two volley balls, two footballs, two basket balls, football pumps, two Scrabble games, two basket ball rims and skipping ropes for each beneficiary school.

In 2009 and 2010 other schools benefited from similar donations.