SierrAfrica Diaspora Connect (SADC) will host a free 90-minute webinar, "Education & Digitalization: The Engine of Personal Growth and National Transformation," on Thursday, October 15, at 3:00 p.m. EDT (8:00 p.m. BST; 7:00 p.m. GMT). The session will examine how education, energy access, and artificial intelligence can open doors for young Sierra Leoneans, using the composite story of Aminata, a 17-year-old from Falaba District who studies by the light of a phone charged at a shop down the road.
Moderator Golda Fania Kamara, who implemented Sierra Leone's first National Health Information Hub, will lead four panelists: accountant and nonprofit leader Bamikole Roberts; international education specialist Sajdah Ali; cybersecurity professional and entrepreneur James Kamara; and clean-energy entrepreneur Mariama Kamara, co-founder of the African-language AI venture SanKam. Topics will range from teaching students with intermittent power to the risks of rogue AI agents for a country just beginning to adopt AI.
Golda Kamara emphasized that technology alone is not the answer: "Technology does not transform societies. People do. Skills, institutions, trust and opportunity do. The goal isn't to build for Sierra Leone. It's to build with Sierra Leoneans." Her statement underscores the webinar's focus on human capacity and local ownership.
To attend, participants must complete two steps: visit the SADC website to fill out an interest form and then finish registering on Zoom. The Register link provides access to the event page. Both steps are required to secure a spot.
The webinar is the second in SADC's Global Webinar Series, following September 24's "Culture as a Connector." Upcoming sessions include Agriculture, Health & Foodways on November 5; Homecoming with Purpose on November 19; and Investing in Sierra Leone on December 10. The series builds toward SADC's 10-Day Heritage & Legacy Tour, scheduled for March 7–16, 2027. The tour will visit Bunce and Tasso Islands, Bo District, Mozza Beach, and include a historical immersion in the inaugural Freedom Day commemoration. Limited to 30 travelers at $2,500 per person (double occupancy), the tour includes a legacy gift to support the 5,500 residents of historic Tasso Island.
This year, SADC partnered with LifeStraw to provide water purifiers in the five schools on Tasso Island. That initiative highlights SADC's broader commitment to community development and cultural exchange.
For Sierra Leone, a nation where many youths face barriers to reliable electricity and digital access, the webinar's discussions could inform strategies to bridge gaps in education and technology. The focus on AI risks and clean energy solutions may also guide policymakers and entrepreneurs as the country navigates digital transformation. For the global diaspora, the event offers a chance to contribute skills and resources, reinforcing SADC's mission to strengthen ties between Sierra Leone and the diaspora through heritage, community development, cultural exchange, tourism, and investment.
