Naimeh Ada Jeredeen Ishmail has been appointed by the Young African Women Congress (YAWC) Network council as the President of the YAWC Network, Sierra Leone Chapter in accordance with Article 15 section 2 which elaborates the eligibility of a person to be a Chapter President. Naimeh has always been poised for action and successful in every endeavour she finds herself. This reflected in her activities as the acting president for the Sierra Leone Chapter as she worked assiduously for the good of all. This necessitated her appointment as the substantive president for the network for the next two years.

She has a little over ten years’ experience in child/youth advocacy, feminism and girls’ rights campaign. Currently, she is one of the campaigners against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) at the Amazonian Initiative Movement, Sierra Leone, where she focuses on awareness raising and sensitisation on the effects of FGM, while encouraging young girls and parents to prioritise education, as well as reporting potential FGM cases to the appropriate authorities.

She also volunteers as a Marketing Coordinator for Ad Radio (radio “S’bagbethen”) in Sierra Leone which advocates and empowers youth and children. Naimeh is a strong and passionate feminist and a life coach champion for girls’ empowerment and education. Presently, she has a group of girls she mentors. She is the founder of the “ABC class”, the English programme under Kids Arise “Baskit Yus” weekly radio programme in Sierra Leone that seeks to empower children to take lead roles in advocating issues on child rights.

Through Plan International Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) and United Nations Volunteers (UNV), she engaged in series of awareness raising ventures on the prevention, control and spread of Ebola, which helped to curb the spread of the disease in the country.

She is currently a staff at Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM) as a Focal Person for FGM clubs of influence, empowering and supporting girls via the “Girls’ Clubs of Influence” in various communities across the country.

Naimeh holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration at the University Sierra Leone (IPAM).

In the same vein, Michaela Ya-Alimamy KargboI has been appointed as the functional Vice President for the chapter. Michaela also acted as the Vice President and has been nominated to assist Naimeh based on her collaborative efforts and team spirit she exhibited while acting as the vice.

Michaela Ya-Alimamy Kargbo        

Michaela has always been a lover of advocacy. This has been displayed in her choice of being a legal practitioner (in not too distance a future) as well as her involvement in many activities which has made her a member of many human rights organizations. With extensive experience in the field of advocacy and a Degree in Law, she has the proven ability and organizational skill in working with women, children and other marginalized set of people to ensure equality in society. She also has an in-depth understanding on human rights issues and ways in which they can be addressed.

Michaela has worked as a paralegal volunteer for Justice and Peace Commission at Caritas Makeni. She conducted base-line surveys in the correctional centres, in search of and selecting cases from the police stations and correctional centres, among others. Again, she served as an intern at Rokel Commercial Bank Ltd (Legal Department) Head Office, Sierra Leon and also at Access to Justice Law Centre, Port Loko, Sierra Leone. She has also volunteered as an English news reader, continuity announcer and reporter at the port Loko district children’s advocacy radio. All these trainings have shaped her to be the woman she is now.

Michaela graduated with Diploma in Law (Division II) and Bachelor of Laws with Honours (LLB Hons) Division II from University of Makeni. She is currently enrolled at the Sierra Leone Law School.