The King Jessie Foundation successfully concluded a two-round Spelling Bee competition for primary and secondary school pupils on Friday, September 5, 2025. The event, held at the Police Wives Hall in King Ton, Freetown, brought together young learners from underserved communities across the city as part of the foundation’s ongoing efforts to support children’s education.
Founder and CEO Joseph Jessie Kamara addressed participants during the ceremony, emphasizing the importance of educational competitions. “Doing spelling competitions and providing for less privileged children has always been my passion,” Kamara stated. He highlighted the foundation’s comprehensive support system, which extends beyond the competition to include payment of school fees, provision of educational materials, and other academic support initiatives.
The competition involved participants from ten communities across Freetown: Wellington, Kroo Bay, Kolleh Town, Crab Town, New London, Kangama Barracks, Big Barracks, BEG Community (comprising Bandset Barracks, Edwards Compound and Gun Boat Community), and OSD Compound. Each community sent ten participants, totaling forty students in the competition.
All participants received educational support packages containing school bags and Le 1,000 each. The competition winners included Samuel Sesay as first runner-up in the Junior Secondary School category and Francis Conteh as second runner-up. In the primary category, Mavica Kamara emerged as winner while Isaiah Kamara secured first runner-up position.
The foundation’s initiative comes at a critical time for education in Sierra Leone, demonstrating community-driven efforts to supplement formal education systems. The Spelling Bee competition represents one of many programs the King Jessie Foundation has implemented to enhance educational opportunities for vulnerable children across the country.
Kamara reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to expanding these educational initiatives, noting that supporting children’s education remains a priority for the organization. The foundation plans to continue providing both academic competitions and material support to ensure children from all backgrounds have opportunities to succeed in their educational pursuits.
The event concluded with participants expressing gratitude for the opportunity to showcase their academic abilities while receiving much-needed educational support. The foundation anticipates making the Spelling Bee competition an annual event, potentially expanding to include more communities in future editions.
