Sierra Leone: Goodwill Foundation Organizes First Islamic Mental Health Summit

The CEO of Goodwill Foundation and Keynote speaker, Mohamed Kamara

The Goodwill Humanitarian Foundation Sierra Leone, has organized the first Islamic Mental Health and youth summit, as a way of promoting mental health education awareness in the country.

The Summit which was organized last Sunday, 17th April, at the Freetown City Council Auditorium, in Freetown with the theme 'Role of Islam in addressing Mental Health issues for National Development,' attracted many youth group leaders from across the country.

Speaking at the summit, the Executive Director of Goodwill Humanitarian Foundation Sierra Leone,Tejan Kamara, said the reason for organizing such event was to help in educating young people and the Muslim community in Sierra Leone.

He said the summit will ensure Muslims and non-Muslims to have an understanding on mental health in the country, noting that they brought together over 500 participants and six speakers from various communities, institutions, schools, Islamic Youth Organizations, foundations, Islamic Youth Leaders, Young Entrepreneurs, representatives of Government, Policy Makers, Islamic Scholars and Stakeholders, Civil Society, and Private Sector, Academia, and other Local and international development partners to speak about mental health.

"The event is to raise awareness on mental health and ensure that we work together as a community and help in constructing the first Islamic Youth Mental Health Rehab Centre in Sierra Leone," he said

One of the participants, Abdul Bah thanked the Executive Director for organizing such an event, noting that young people who attended the summit learnt a lot about mental health and promised to disseminate the messages learned to his community.

The Goodwill Humanitarian Foundation Sierra Leon, is an Islamic, and non-profit humanitarian charity foundation that was founded in January, 2021, with the main purpose of helping and supporting the poor and needy in deprived communities.

They work to provide basic human rights needs including access to education, health care, safe drinking water and also supports the Widows and Orphans in Sierra Leone.

Man, 45 remanded for penetrating two girls, 7

By Yusufu S. Bangura

Hassan Koroma a-45-year old labourer, was on Tuesday April 19, remanded at the Freetown Male Correctional Centre for allegedly penetrating two minors at the same time.

The accused was arraigned in the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown, presided over by Justice Emmanuella Harding on two count charges of sexual penetration country to section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2012.

State prosecutor, Oladipo Robin Mason Jr. alleges that the accused on a date unknown between the 16th May 2020 and 22nd May 2020, in Freetown, engaged in an act of sexual penetration with two children under the ages of 18 to wit 7 years each.

However, the accused pleaded 'not guilty' to both count charges after they were read to him in open court by the Court Registrar.

Trial adjourned to Tuesday May 3, 2022 for the first prosecution witness to testify.

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