𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝟑-𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭
𝐊𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐮 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭- 𝟗-𝟎𝟐-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
The Ministry of Social Welfare Government of Sierra Leone successfully hosted its 2026 Annual Strategic Planning Retreat at the Diamond Lodge Hotel in Koidu City, Kono District, from February 5 to 7, 2026.
Held under the theme “#YearofAction – Delivering Tangible, High-Impact Interventions,” the retreat brought together senior management, technical staff, partners, and key stakeholders to assess the Ministry’s journey and chart a bold, action-oriented path for the year ahead. It provided a dedicated platform to reflect on the targets, deliverables, challenges, and successes recorded in 2025, while setting new benchmarks and strategies aligned with national goals for 2026.
In her keynote address, 𝐌𝐫𝐬. 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 – 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 expressed profound gratitude to His Excellency Julius Maada Bio for creating an enabling environment of opportunity for Sierra Leone’s most #vulnerablepopulations. She noted that his inclusive leadership has placed #socialprotection at the heart of national development. Minister Karminty emphasized that social welfare remains central to national development, as it directly touches the lives of the most vulnerable citizens. She highlighted progress made in areas such as social protection, #mentalhealth, and support for survivors of abuse, while acknowledging the persistent challenges faced by the Ministry.
The Honourable Minister underscored the importance of continuous assessment, learning, and improvement, noting that the annual retreat serves as a space to honestly examine struggles, celebrate growth, and renew collective commitment. She further outlined plans to strengthen specialised rehabilitation centres for #victimsofdrug and #substanceabuse and reaffirmed the Ministry’s resolve to mobilise resources and partnerships to address emerging social issues.
The retreat also featured remarks from the new Sembehun City Council Mayor, Mathew Komba Sam, who commended the Ministry for its nationwide impact and its role in shaping the country’s social development agenda. He stressed that true development requires leaders who are willing to understand, measure, and respond to the real struggles faced by communities, particularly in areas of social protection and mental health. The Mayor called for unity of purpose, sustained collaboration, and a shared sense of responsibility, noting that progress is achieved when challenges are confronted collectively and solutions are pursued with hope and determination.
Additionally, the Honourable Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barley, reaffirmed the strategic importance of the Ministry of Social Welfare within the national development framework. She highlighted that economic growth cannot be sustained without strong social systems that place families, communities, and vulnerable groups at the centre of planning.
Minister Barley praised the Ministry’s efforts to professionalise social work and encouraged participants to align their strategies with national priorities, including human capital development, inclusion of persons with disabilities, youth empowerment, and effective resource allocation. She concluded by noting that the retreat was not only a planning exercise but also a call to action, one that strengthens institutional alignment, improves decision-making, and positions the Ministry to deliver meaningful, high-impact interventions for the people of Sierra Leone in 2026 and beyond.
𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭:
𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚, 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫
+𝟐𝟑𝟐 𝟕𝟐 𝟓𝟑𝟕 𝟎𝟑𝟓 | 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦.𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫.𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐰@𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐜.𝐠𝐨𝐯.𝐬𝐥