Staff – OLD - The Unforgotten

Project Staff, Sierra Leone

Our program in Sierra Leone continues to thrive, thanks to the dedication of our project staff.

Mariama Finda Jimmy – Programs Director and Project Manager for Wi Yone Moni Project

Mariama initially joined our staff as an Intern, and was soon hired on to a full time position because of her dedication to our mission. Mariama is a graduate of Njala University with a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors in Development Studies. Prior to joining the Unforgotten, Mariama worked as a volunteer for several NGOs working with disadvantaged and marginalized women and children. Mariama utilizes her experience working with disadvantaged and marginalized people to aid the communities in developing Women Self Help Groups. Implementation of the program has been a challenge being that many of the mothers cannot read or write, but Mariama has made great partnerships with NGOs and business to facilitate activities that can one day lead to our mothers becoming self-sufficient.

Mohamed E. Sesay – Field Officer & Substitute Teacher

Mohamed Sesay got his Certificate in Accounting from the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Sierra Leone. He served as the Chairman for implementing the WASH Project in his community, working in partnership with GOAL Sierra Leone and ACF (Action against Hunger). He also worked as a community facilitator, teaching vulnerable children. Later he became a volunteer with CEFORD (Community Empowerment for Rural Development) to implementing a savings and loan program in marginalized communities in Freetown.

After hearing about the UNFF, Sierra Leone program for teaching girls in the Bridge School and creating Village Savings and Loan Associations, he joined UNFF as a substitute teacher and Field Officer. Due to his dedication to his work, he is now employed as a full time staff member. As a Field Officer, Mohamed Sesay has created six savings groups, three in each of the two operational communities. He also manages the training program for hand-sewing skills, where more than five beneficiaries are currently using their skills to secure a livelihood. His vision is to encourage and extent the Village Savings and Loan Program to all vulnerable women in his operational communities and ensure that at least 80% of them operate a bank account as a formal financial service.

Edward Von Villa – Project Manager for the Aid for Trash Dump Children Project

Edward Von Villa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He has worked with reputable International Humanitarian Aid Organisations during and after the Ebola Disease outbreak in the country. He has also worked with IsraAID as Psychosocial Field Rehabilitation Office and with International Medical Corps as Field Officer on the post Ebola Recovery Project in Kambia District.

As a Project Manager for the Aid for Trash Dump Children Project, he is responsible for project planing, managing the project funds and budget, monitoring the children and tracking their progress, making home visits to monitor the girls, ensuring that girls are committed to their studies or schoolwork, recruiting new children into the project, maintaining progress records of all girls and keeping stakeholders informed about project activities.

Senesie Salia – Office Assistant

Senesie Salia is a Sierra Leonean by nationality. He speaks Mende, Krio and English. He attended Nasir Ahmadiyya Muslim Senior Secondary Kenema and had also appeared for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), where he secured very good grades.

He joined The Unforgotten, Sierra Leone as a volunteer and was later employed as full-time staff member due to his dedication to the mission. He was recently promoted to the position of Office Assistant. He works sincerely, focusing on meeting the aims and objectives of UNFF, Sierra Leone.