One hundred and ten Sierra Leoneans have left for Iraq, bringing the total to 330, this year.

The third chartered flight of Eurest Support Services, which does the recruitment, also left with two females.

Speaking to The Independent in Freetown, the Overseas Employment Administrator Mr. Herbert Smith said the program was sponsored by Eurest Support Services based in the United States of America and facilitated by the Overseas Employment Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour Social Services and Industrial Relations in Sierra Leone.

Mr. Herbert Smith who is also Administrator for Overseas Employment in the Ministry of Labour in Sierra Leone further intimated that the purpose of the program was to provide catering and life support services to US and Iraqi troops. He said Killogs Brown and Roots in America supported the program.

Mr. Smith also stated that the opportunity was discovered by the Sierra Leone's ambassador to Liberia His Excellency Patrick Foya, who tried hard to ensure that his Sierra Leonean brothers and sisters were gainfully employed in the program. Ambassador Foya advocated that a lot of youths in the country were unemployed and he pleaded that he wanted to reduce unemployment particularly for school leavers.

Mr. Smith stated that the opportunity had also given international experience and exposure to Sierra Leoneans who would be employed in the program.

He added that the opportunity would provide training outside the scope of job and provide means to meet with people who differ from Sierra Leoneans He further said the opportunity would give chance to skilled and unskilled labor to gain experience internationally.

The overseas employment administrator Mr. Herbert Smith commended the cooperation of the Hon. Minister of Labor Mr. Alpha Timbo, the Chief Immigration Officer Miss. Newman Smart and the Medical Officer Laboratory Services Dr. Gevao without who, he said the program would not have been accomplished.

One female recruited for Iraq Mayeni Thompson Kamara before boarding the chartered flight said they were going as ambassadors in the Diaspora.