๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฌ ๐-๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ
๐๐จ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ- ๐-๐๐-๐๐๐๐
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 โ#YearofAction โ Delivering Tangible, High-Impact Interventions,โ the retreat brought together senior management, technical staff, partners, and key stakeholders to assess the Ministryโs 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, ๐๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ – ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ expressed profound gratitude to His Excellency Julius Maada Bio for creating an enabling environment of opportunity for Sierra Leoneโs 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 Ministryโs 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 countryโs 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 Ministryโs 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.
๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ, ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ญ:
๐๐๐ฅ๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐, ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ซ
+๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ | ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ.๐จ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ซ.๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฐ@๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐.๐ ๐จ๐ฏ.๐ฌ๐ฅ