By Yusufu Abu Sesay
Orange Foundation Sierra Leone has officially launched its Back-to-School Donation initiative aimed at supporting 2,000 underprivileged pupils across various schools in Freetown.

The back to school donation programme commenced last Friday 16th January, 2026 at Police Primary School in Kingtom, Freetown where 150 deprived schoolchildren received learning materials.

Each beneficiary was presented with an Orange Foundation Sierra Leone-branded school bag, exercise books, mathematical sets, pens, and pencils to aid their academic work. The initiative forms part of the Foundation’s continued commitment to improving access to quality education and easing the burden on less-privileged families.

Speaking at the launch, Orange Sierra Leone Chief Executive Officer, Aicha Toure said the project is designed to motivate pupils, enhance learning, and promote school attendance.

Madam Aicha Toure emphasized the transformative power of education, especially for vulnerable children. She stressed that the initiative was not merely a handout but a promise to the children and communities it aimed to serve.

She recalled that education had played a decisive role in changing her own family’s story and reaffirmed the commitment of the Foundation and its partners to ensure that no child was left behind because of their circumstances.

Madam Toure commended parents, teachers, community leaders, and partners for their dedication to the cause, noting that investing in children amounted to investing in the future of Sierra Leone. She encouraged the beneficiaries to return to school with confidence, hope, and courage, reminding them that the future belonged to them.

Declaring the purpose of the event, Director of Orange Foundation, Madam Annie Wunie Katta, said the gathering was not only to distribute school materials but to reaffirm the Foundation’s strong commitment to making lasting contributions to the lives of vulnerable chicken in the country . She explained that in line with the Government’s human capital development agenda, the initiative reflected their belief that every child, regardless of background, deserved the chance to learn, grow, and succeed.

She noted that education was a core pillar of the Foundation’s work, alongside health and culture, and stressed that their support went beyond classrooms through digital school kits and targeted donations that had reached over 30,000 pupils nationwide. Ms. Katta added that more than 35,000 children in 16 African countries had benefited from similar interventions, including 2,000 in Sierra Leone this year.
She said that at Kingtom Police Barracks, 150 pupils would receive full learning kits, describing the items as tools of hope that would ease the burden on families.

She reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to partnerships to ensure no child was left behind and to build a future where opportunity was defined by potential, not circumstance.

Giving the keynote address, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Mr. Conrad Sackey, said the country stood at a critical crossroads where a child either returned to the classroom or was quietly left behind. He noted that history had shown that a nation’s future was shaped by such moments, and described the Back to School Project as a choice of hope, responsibility, and action.

He stressed that the challenges facing children were a shared responsibility of government, the private sector, communities, families, and partners. The Minister said he saw not just school items in the children but promise and the future of Sierra Leone, while admitting that for many families, the lack of basic materials was the thin line between education and exclusion.

He commended Orange Sierra Leone and its Foundation for the initiative, saying it proved that education must be a right, not a privilege, and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to access, equity, and equality in education so that no child would be left behind.