Free Quality Education Regional Coordinator Appeals for Support to Sustain His Vision

By Sahr Ibrahim Komba

In the hills of Morthain Village via Regent–Jui, a powerful story of sacrifice, service, and vision continues to unfold. The Solomon Ekuma Berewa Academy, founded in 2018 by Mr. Moses E. M. Sesay, stands as a living embodiment of President Julius Maada Bio’s Free Quality Education (FQE) initiative that is transforming lives in one of Sierra Leone’s underserved communities.
Mr. Sesay, who currently serves as the Regional Coordinator for the Free Quality School Education Programme in the North-West Region, said his passion for education stems from his own experience as a teacher and his deep belief in President Bio’s vision for inclusive learning. “When the President launched the Free Quality Education initiative, I made a personal commitment to make it real for children who could not afford school,” he explained. “I decided to use my own salary to build a school that serves the poor not for profit, but for purpose.”
With that conviction, Mr. Sesay mobilized community support and took several personal bank loans to establish the Solomon Ekuma Berewa Academy, named in honour of the late Vice President Solomon Ekuma Berewa, a man he described as “a father of democracy and a symbol of national unity.”
Today, the academy has grown into a thriving institution, providing free nursery, primary, junior and senior secondary education to over 1,500 pupils. More than 80 in nursery, 500 in the primary division and more than 1,000 at the secondary level. Many of its graduates have since gained admission into tertiary institutions across Sierra Leone, pursuing studies in law, medicine, and political science among other fields.
However, despite its success, the school faces major operational challenges. According to Mr Sesay, of its 49 trained and qualified teachers, only 12 are currently approved and paid by the government, leaving the rest dependent on modest stipends personally provided by Mr. Sesay. “I use part of my monthly salary to pay teachers, buy textbooks, and maintain the school,” he lamented. “Sometimes I take new loans just to keep the doors open because the children have nowhere else to go.”
He revealed that the school currently operates on two shifts nursery and primary pupils in the morning and secondary pupils in the afternoon due to limited classroom facilities. Mr. Sesay appealed to the government, donor partners, and philanthropic organizations to support the school with infrastructural development, teaching and learning materials, and more teacher approvals.
“We are not asking for luxury,” Sesay emphasized. “We are asking for basic support more classrooms, more approved teachers, books, furniture, and learning materials. This is the only school serving hundreds of children in and around Morthain, and it deserves attention,” he pleaded.
A resident of the community, Madam Fatu Bangura, expressed gratitude to Mr. Sesay for his continued commitment to the community. “Before this school, our children used to walk miles to attend classes in Jui or Regent,” she said. “Many girls dropped out because their parents couldn’t afford transport or school fees. This school has changed that story. We now have children who can read, write, and even go to university all because of one man who believed in our community.”
Madam Bangura joined Mr. Sesay’s appeal for assistance. “We are calling on government, NGOs, and philanthropists to help this school grow,” she said. “The founder has done more than enough. It’s time for the nation to support him.”
Mr. Sesay reiterated that his goal is not personal gain but national service. “The Solomon Ekuma Berewa Academy is a symbol of hope a school built out of sacrifice to serve the children of Sierra Leone,” he said. “I will continue this work because education remains the greatest equalizer.” he added.