MONROVIA: The teenage based girls’ group, Girls Alliance for Future Leadership, has honored and certificated three distinguish Liberian women as role models for girls in the country. The three, Nyemadi Pearson, Deputy Governor for Operations at the Central Bank of Liberia; Lisa White, Corporate Communication Manager, Lone Star MTN; and Sarah Myers Browne, Site Manager Prevail at the Redemption Hospital in the Borough of New Kru Town received the girls Excellent Leadership Award for work in their respective fields. The honoring program was part of this year’s celebration of the international day of the girl child. On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face globally. Due to the just ended 2023 presidential and legislative elections in Liberia, the Girls Alliance for Future Leadership was unable to observe this year’s international day of the girl child on the 11th of October, but instead did so on November 28, 2023 honoring the women for their contributions to the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Advocacy Officer of the Alliance, Miss Kiadiatu Bah, said the women were honored and certificated for their efforts aimed at inspiring young girls to seek higher heights in the socio-economic arena. Miss Bah said the day marked a very significant moment in the lives of both the honorees and the girls as they bond together in the mutuality of sisterhood and the love of God that united them as Liberia women. She furthered that the day also marked a significant moment in Liberian women’s struggle for equity, equality, and justice. The girls Alliance Advocacy officer emphasized that the Girls’ Excellent Leadership Award is the highest honor the girls of Liberia award to women they consider their role models.
In response, the honorees, the Deputy Governor of the CBL, Nyemadi Pearson, who was represented by Gertrude Worjloh a staff member of the Central Bank, the Communication Manager at Lone Star MTN, Lisa White, and Sarah Browne, Site Manager of Prevail at Redemption hospital in separate remarks thanked the girls for the awards bestowed on them adding the honor came to them as total surprise. Sarah Brown of Redemption hospital, and Lisa White of Lonestar Mtn said they never knew the young people have been monitoring their contribution to society. They pledged to work even harder with dedication and commitment to maintain the role model status they have received. The proxy for Deputy Central Bank Governor Nyemadi Pearson, Gertrude Worjloh expressed gratitude on behalf of the deputy governor emphasizing that the award covered all the women at the bank.
The girls Excellent Leadership Awards are annually given to women who have impacted society and are impacting the lives of others, most especially the Liberian girl child. Sister Mary Lauren Browne was the first recipient of the award in 2017. She received the award for her work in education. Since then several Liberian women including Liberia’s first lady Madam Clar Marie Weah, outgoing Vice President Her Excellency Jewel Howard Taylor, Madam Mary Broh, Liberia Broadcasting System director general Estelle Liberty-kemoh, the late representative Munah Pelham-Youngblood, and other prominent women of Liberia.
Girls Alliance for Future Leadership is an all-female teenage-based organization working in rights advocacy for women and girls. Their motto “Today’s girls, Tomorrow’s Leaders,” expresses in four words their mission: Empowering female teens for leadership in both the public and private sectors.
The formation of Girls Alliance for Future Leadership was motivated in 2010 by the presidency of Liberia’s first female president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Eight graders at the William Lee Booner Junior high School on Front Street founded the group during their lunch break. Founding members were Joetta Sandi, Sammitta Entsua, Bendu Joseph, Bendu Siafa, and Theodosius Gould who was the only outside student attending the St. Teresa Convent high school. All the founding members but Joetta Sandi and Theodosius Gould were residents of West Point.
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