Ministry of finance and economic development has engaged the SABABU education project to discuss a US$ 42 million project that was being implemented in the country.

Speaking at the close of a stakeholders' confab in Freetown principal accountant of education in the ministry of finance Rev. Septimus Johnson disclosed that since the SABABU education project began in 2002 his ministry has been working closely with the project.

"We have collaborated with the SABABU education project and now that the project has worked for many year, there is need to know how the project works with the fund. This is the reason why we organized a stakeholders' workshop to know what we have done, the challenges of the project," Rev. Johnson said.

He added that the government of Sierra Leone has spent US$2 million and the International Development Agency spent US$20 million and the African Development Fund gave US$ 20 million."

The purpose of the SABABU project was to rehabilitate basic education and provide vocational skills throughout the country.

Project coordinator Yvonne Gibril said the money has been used for various work including the construction of primary and secondary schools, building of toilets and water wells for, building vocational skill training centers, and organizing training for teachers.

"The project comprised the construction of schools and rehabilitation of school classrooms, the purchase and distribution of textbooks in association with Macmillan publishers and vocational skills training including teachers training in all the districts and chiefdoms," Gilbril said.

The project also provides education for children affected by the war and provides basic education and vocational training skills for people affected by the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone. It also provides funds for capacity building for the ministry of education and the 6334 system.

"We are working. Currently we have schools all over the country. We are not just eating the money but we putting it into good use. We work with supervisors to see that the work goes smoothly," Gibril said, adding that through the fund they provide fuel for the vehicles they use, fuel for the generators, and pay their telephone bills.

Gibril said the project was designed to ensure maximum outreach and transparency.

"The project supports the ministry of education. Schools are selected by the inspector of schools in all the districts. The SABABU education project was made up of the management, the project steering committee and the coordinating unit. The PSC was the board that was responsible for overseeing the general performance of the PCU. The steering committee consist of 12 members, and the motto of the PCU is transparency, integrity and commitment," Gibril said.