This article discusses 20 points summarizing the future vision of Sierra Leone as seen by students at the Sierra Leone Conference on Development and Transformation   The article was originally published in the Awoko Newspaper, Freetown, Sierra Leone in February 2012.

"At the closing ceremony of the Sierra Leone Conference on Development and Transformation last Wednesday 1st February, the results of an essay competition for secondary children on the topic “How I will want to see Sierra Leone in the next 25 years” were read out.

Cameroon Association for the Protection and Education of the Child (CAPEC) is one of Develop Africa's Partner in Cameroon.  Below is an interview with Ajomuzu Collette Bekaku – Founder and Executive Director of CAPEC

 
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What was the original interest in the protection and education of children?

Although African nations do not have nearly as many factories, cars and farms as more industrially developed nations like the US and China, climate change impacts Africa potentially more than any other continent on Earth.

Scientists are busy working on solutions to large problems that need to be solved for the benefit of nations around the world. In the meantime, there are many equally important, small-scale problems facing the people and villages of many small countries, including Africa.

Government policies in Sierra Leone that exclude pregnant girls from attending school are short-sighted. Supporters of these policies do not seem to recognize the long-term effects of their decisions on the economy and society as a whole – an education could potentially help these young mothers become assets rather than burdens. Lack of education is a major obstacle that is preventing young mothers from becoming productive, tax-paying members of the work force.

Technology has transcended poverty, race and economic conditions to become a driving force in the lives of people across the world. More people around the world now have access to the internet and mobile phones. As technology increases, the socioeconomic effects will improve the lives of impoverished people in Africa.

With the prevalence of mobile technology, the education sector has been revolutionized by offering students and educators alike more readily available resources. Additionally, interactive learning materials, and other effective ways to collaborate with each other even when they are away from the classroom have been integrated into daily workflows. In developing countries, such as Africa, smartphones and tablets have paved the way for learners to receive better education, equal to the ones in the more advanced nations.

Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, faces several challenges. You may have heard of a few of these challenges, like the aftermath of the horrific Ebola epidemic. Maybe you have heard about the children soldiers who wield guns bigger than themselves. But there is another epidemic facing Sierra Leone—the rapid increase in the number of teenage girls who are pregnant and unwed.  
 

We often hear of the deprivation and starvation in Africa, but did you know that Africa has the potential to be a major supplier of agricultural goods? Africa has the capability to feed its citizens, and more. Unfortunately, too many African countries lack the leadership necessary to make that happen.

Agriculture was once an abundant commodity in Africa. Agricultural commodities were a major export for most sub-Saharan countries in the late 1960’s. Three decades later these countries were importing millions of tons of food each year. What happened?
 

Public Relations Officer in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology yesterday stated that about 50% to 60% of girls that are currently pregnant are those who do not want to be in the school system.

According to Brima Michael Turay, the teenage girls have no business being pregnant if they were serious about staying in school to acquire quality education.

He revealed that the ministry has recorded a total of 3,017 pregnant school girls across the country over the past nine to ten months.