By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara

Forty-four young people from the Kroo Bay slum community in Freetown have completed a six-month vocational and professional skills training programme designed to equip them with practical skills for employment and self-reliance.

The initiative, implemented by Make Impact Sierra Leone in partnership with We Yone Child Foundation, trained participants in catering, cosmetology and hairdressing, as well as professional driving.

The first batch of trainees received certificates at a ceremony held on Saturday at the We Yone Child Foundation Skills Training Centre in Kroo Bay, marking the successful completion of six months of practical training.

For participants who opted for professional driving, the programme provided training through a professional driving school, with Make Impact Sierra Leone and We Yone Child Foundation covering both the training fees and the cost of obtaining driving licences.

Speaking at the ceremony, Director of We Yone Child Foundation and a leading figure in the initiative, Santigie Bayo Dumbuya, urged the graduates to put their newly acquired skills to practical use.

“Do not hold hostage the ideas and skills that you have acquired during these six months. Go out there and implement them. If possible, teach others what you have learned, because that is how knowledge becomes beneficial to you, your community and the country,” Dumbuya told the graduates.

He described the graduation as the beginning of a broader initiative to reach more young people with vocational training and livelihood opportunities.

Dumbuya thanked community leaders and other stakeholders for their support, while commending Make Impact Sierra Leone for partnering with We Yone Child Foundation to provide the training.

“We want to do more. This is just the first batch, and we are looking forward to expanding this initiative and reaching more young people in the coming years,” he said.

Make Impact Sierra Leone was established by a team associated with Mercy Ships after members of the team witnessed some of the challenges confronting young people in Sierra Leone. The organisation later partnered with We Yone Child Foundation to provide practical skills training to young people at the foundation’s facility in Kroo Bay.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of persistent unemployment, poverty and drug abuse challenges affecting young people in some communities across Freetown. Organisers say providing practical skills can help young people develop sustainable livelihoods and create opportunities for themselves and others.

The programme has also produced stories of personal transformation among its beneficiaries.

One of the trainees recognised for outstanding performance was Jalikatu Tharm, who trained in catering. Jalikatu, who had previously struggled with drug use, including kush, said the opportunity to participate in the programme helped her change direction and pursue a productive path.

During her speech at the ceremony, she became emotional while recounting the doubts expressed by some people about her ability to complete the training.

“A lot of people did not believe that I would be able to do this. They did not believe that I would finish the training, but today I am here,” she said.

Jalikatu thanked Make Impact Sierra Leone and We Yone Child Foundation for giving her the opportunity to acquire a practical skill. She also expressed appreciation to Dumbuya and her facilitator, whom the students affectionately call “Boss Lady”, for supporting her throughout the programme.

Her testimony emerged as one of the most emotional moments of the ceremony, highlighting the potential of vocational education to provide young people with a second chance and help them redirect their lives.

Another graduate, Isatu Dumbuya, said her decision to enrol in the programme was encouraged by her husband. She said the training had given her an opportunity to acquire a practical skill that she was now prepared to use to improve her livelihood.

She expressed appreciation to Make Impact Sierra Leone and We Yone Child Foundation for creating the opportunity.

Representing the Chief of Kroo Bay, a community representative conveyed the chief’s appreciation for the initiative and welcomed the decision to conduct the training in the community.

The representative said the chief was pleased that young people in Kroo Bay had benefited from the programme and expressed hope that similar initiatives would continue and reach more residents.

For the organisers, however, the certificates are not intended to mark the end of the beneficiaries’ journey.

They want the graduates to use their newly acquired skills to secure employment, establish small businesses, support their families and, where possible, train others in their communities.

The 44 graduates therefore leave the programme with more than certificates. They are expected to become practical examples of how skills development can create new opportunities for young people living in vulnerable communities.

Make Impact Sierra Leone and We Yone Child Foundation say they intend to build on the first batch and expand the initiative to reach more young people across Sierra Leone.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 2nd September 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)