By Ibrahim Sangba
FREETOWN, Aug 20 (SALONE TIMES) – The founder and executive director of ICBAI Mrs Isata Musu Harding held a press conference at the organization’s secretariat on Tuesday 17 August 2021.
The Initiative for Capacity Building Association International (ICBAI) is a registered local non-governmental organization (NGO) whose present secretariat is at 97 Campbell Town, Waterloo, Western Area Rural District.
Mrs Harding said she has been managing the organization for almost a decade with a passion for educating Sierra Leoneans with a keen interest in the mental development of the mindset of the children particularly.
She mentioned that ICBAI has been involved in so many activities including Spelling Bee.
“I got the initiative for Spelling Bee from a film I watched some years ago and I thought it fit that it will help Sierra Leoneans, particularly the children in terms of their educational prowess if only I got the national support”, she narrated.
She said that Sierra Leone has been invited to participate in the inter-continental Spelling Bee competition in Dubai, slated for September this year. Mrs Harding however said the main challenge she is faced with for the upcoming competition is funding.
She highlighted some of the constraints that she is going through to ensure the success of the project; include mobility, accommodation, and the top of it all is finance. She thanked and appreciated the government of Sierra Leone and some donor partners thus far for their support towards many of their programs.
She explained the method of selecting participants who are to represent Sierra Leone at both national and international levels.
“We organize and conduct a competition for the community, district and regional level. Those who emerged victorious represent their various communities and Sierra Leone as the case may be”, she explained.
She informed the press that the amount needed for the organization to participate in the Dubai inter-continental Spelling Bee competition is approximately Two Hundred and Ten Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Leones (Le 210,900,000), which is around $20 Thousand US Dollars.
According to her, the above figure does not include daily service allowance (DSA), passport and other travelling expenses, but it is just for the training of participants, feeding, airfare and accommodation in Dubai.
One of the kids that have been participating in Spelling Bee competitions in Uganda and other places, Adama Kamara stated that Spelling Bee is a mental sport that helps children to learn and think very fast.
She called on Sierra Leoneans and partners in education to help Mrs Harding to lift Spelling Bee to a high higher height.
Mrs Hasiatu Caulker a parent applauded the management of Spelling Bee as it has improved her son’s academic performance significantly, “my son now memorize and learn anything so fast”, said Mrs Caulker.
Another participant, Sajor Barie thanked members of the press, Campbell Town chief and other stakeholders for attending the press conference and he assured members of the public that they are going to win the competition in Dubai if all goes well.
