Celebrating our children

HAJA MARIAMA NAVO FOUNDATION, SIERRA LEONE (HAMNAF-SL) 

CELEBRATES FIRST JUNE 16TH IN DAMBALA VILLAGE.

Dambala is a village 30 minutes from the City of Bo in the Southern region of Sierra Leone. It is a village in which apparently the whole idea of celebrating June 16th is yet to penetrate; in this village, the day of the African Child is like any other day just differentiated by the showing of the movie, ‘Sarafina’. 

It is in this village that the Haja Mariama Navo Foundation, Sierra Leone (HAMNAF-SL) members spent their June 16th 2018; introducing both parents and pupils alike to the true meaning of the Day of the African Child and providing a day of celebrations for the village’s  inhabitants. 

Various stakeholders (like the Police, Nurse, the Paramount Chief, and the resident Councillor) were in attendance.

One of the children, 13 year old Safi Kayoku, an orphan being sponsored by HAMNAF-SL commented that “this is the first time for me to hear that June 16th is about children who were killed for what they believe. It is also my first big June 16th celebration and I cannot stop smiling”, she continued.

In his statement, PC Desmond Kargobai thanked HAMNAF-SL for giving Dambala village such a wonderful Day of the African Child celebration and urged the children to “persevere as education at start is difficult but in the end you will reap the benefit”

CEO of the Haja Mariama Navo Foundation, Sierra Leone (HAMNAF-SL), Fatmata Joy Jabbie said that the whole program was about encouraging the children to “think beyond their current situations regardless of their age and believe that they too can make a change in their communities just like the children of Soweto”. However, she stressed, “It’s not just about children knowing their rights but also about them knowing their responsibilities”.

The program was culminated by a play from the children of the village on children’s rights and responsibilities.

Haja Mariama Navo foundation was established in memory of the late Haja Mariama Navo from Dambala, Selenga Chiefdom, Bo District, who was one very hardworking and dedicated widow.      

Though illiterate, Haja Mariama Navo valued education and worked hard to help not only those from her village but humanity as a whole. 

The Haja Mariama Navo Foundation in Sierra Leone is now an institution of advocacy for women and Orphans, who are morally, financially and psychologically disturbed, stress and over traumatized. Protecting and promoting their rights and needs and also empowering them.