First Lady, Sia Nyama Koroma, said the meeting was to update other stakeholders on progress in so far as this year’s National Girls Camp was concerned and to inform partners on specific planning areas that had been covered, expenses made and to also state the essence of the project.

She commended partners for their contributions and time in organising the 2016 camp, noting that the essence of the camp was mainly to create a new generation of girls who would be very productive in moving the country forward.

Project Coordinator, Florence Sesay, said the camp idea came as a result of the Madam Koroma’s “commitment to ending child marriage and also supporting the president’s idea of reducing teenage pregnancy which has been affecting the Sierra Leonean girl child”.

She said the key objectives were, among other things, to cultivate leadership qualities and inspire the girls for greatness.

Head of administration, Sheku Ansumana Nuni, presented a budget on the entire camp project to the partners, stating the available amount and the balance required to complete the budget.

Some of the girls, who had attended the 2014 and 2015 camp, shared their experiences with some of them saying that they now had confidence to speak out in public and had built on their self-esteem.

Among partners supporting the office of the First Lady were UNICEF, UNFPA, ministry of education, Marie Stopes, UN Women, Plan International, Sierra Leone bottling company and NATCOM.