In a remarkable display of commitment to education and corporate social responsibility, Leone Rock Metal Group (LRMG), a prominent mining company in Sierra Leone, has embarked on the construction of the Little Scarcies Community Secondary School in the Katongha community, Kamasondo Chiefdom, Port Loko District. This initiative serves as a testament to the company’s dedication to President Julius Maada Bio’s Flagship Education Programme and its continuous efforts to make a positive impact in the communities it operates in.
On Friday, May 19, 2023, officials from LRMG handed over a consignment of building materials worth millions of old Leones to the Katongha Community for the construction of the school. The ground-breaking and handing-over ceremony took place at the construction site in Katongha Community, and it was attended by esteemed personalities including Alhaji Alpha Khan, the Resident Minister of the Northwest Region; Alhaji Mohamed Turay, the Community and Security Department Manager of LRMG; PC Tamba Lawyer Kabia, the Regent Paramount Chief; Madam Fatmata Conteh, the NATCOM Chairman of the North-West Region; representatives from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education; community stakeholders; parents; school pupils; and LRMG staff, among others.
The project, which is valued at millions of old Leones, encompasses the construction of a three-classroom building, office space for staff, a store, toilets for both teachers and pupils, and an open area for school assemblies. This significant investment by LRMG highlights the company’s commitment to the education sector in Sierra Leone and its recognition of the value it holds for the country’s development.
During the ceremony, Alhaji Alpha Khan, the Resident Minister of the Northwest Region, commended LRMG for its laudable developmental efforts throughout Sierra Leone and for its support to the government’s Education Flagship Programme. He emphasized the positive impact that the construction of the Little Scarcies Community Secondary School will have on the learning environment for students and school officials, providing them with a conducive and comfortable space for education.
Mr. Khan further called upon other organizations and mining companies to follow LRMG’s philanthropic example and urged indigenous contractors and school officials to utilize the building materials for their intended purpose, ensuring the successful completion of the project.
During the handing over of the items, Mr. Mohamed Turay, LRMG’s Community, and Security Manager, highlighted that the donation is part of LRMG’s corporate social responsibility impact programs, which focus on five thematic areas: infrastructure, education, agriculture, women empowerment, and health & sanitation in deprived communities. He emphasized that supporting the education sector aligns with LRMG’s commitment to national and community development.
Mr. Turay expressed his satisfaction with LRMG’s involvement in the President’s recovery priorities and its dedication to education as one of its main pillars. The Little Scarcies Community Secondary School project aims to provide a conducive, healthy, and sustainable learning environment. Upon its completion in September of this year, the project will contribute to LRMG’s overall objective of improving learning outcomes, including the provision of hygiene facilities.
He further encouraged indigenous contractors, Little Scarcies Community School officials, and community stakeholders to fully engage and support the construction project, emphasizing the importance of performance, accountability, and integrity.
The Head Teacher of Little Scarcies Community Secondary School, A.K Kamara, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Leone Rock Metal Group for their commitment to the school building project. His remarks emphasized the importance of the project in addressing the challenges facing the school, such as overcrowding, unhygienic conditions, and the lack of an appropriate assembly area. He also urged other organizations and philanthropists to follow LRMG’s example.
In addition to the gratitude of the attendees, the ceremony was characterized by captivating traditional dances, particularly performed by women and children, during which the attendees further expressed their appreciation to the company.
Ultimately, LRMG’s commitment to supporting Little Scarcies Secondary Secondary School is an epochal boost to the education sector in the country and an instrument to the power of collaboration and support to the Government.
The symbolic handing-over ceremony was climaxed with the momentous sod-turning led by the Resident Minister of North-West Region, Community and Security Department Manager LRMG, Paramount Chief, MPs, Deputy Director of Education Port Loko, Community Stakeholders, Staff, Pupils, and other dignitaries present.
