17/09/2026
PEN-SiL Joins Regional Youth Convening on Health and Development in Freetown
Freetown, Sierra Leone — The Patriotic Empowerment Network Sierra Leone (PEN-SiL) has participating in the ongoing SWAG Regional Youth Convening on Health and Development, a two-day regional engagement bringing together young people and stakeholders from across West and Central Africa.
The convening, hosted by the Stand With A Girl (SWAG) Initiative, is being held from 16–17 September 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria, under the theme, “Policy pathways, regional solutions, and co-investment for lasting adolescent gains.”
To enable young people in Sierra Leone to participate, a watch party is being hosted at the UNFPA Office, Signal Hill, Freetown.
Representing PEN-SiL at the opening and Day One session at the watch party, was Alhaji Musa Bah, Communications and Media, who actively participated in the regional discussions. PEN-SiL Founder Buya Nabie Bangura, who is participating from Nigeria, also contributed to the programme as Co-Host of Day One and a panelist during a discussion on “Bridging Generations, Systems and Investment for Adolescent Health and Development,” where he spoke on the importance of meaningful youth engagement.
Speaking about the significance of the convening, Pharm Buya described the event as “timely and informative for shaping regional solidarity in fighting existing challenges on the health and development of adolescent and young people in West and Central Africa.” He added that representing Sierra Leone at the regional platform is a huge honour, particularly through active participation in discussions shaping the future of adolescent health and development.
According to our CEO, the convening also positions Sierra Leone within critical regional conversations around improved policy pathways, regional solutions and co-investment for lasting adolescent gains. He noted that lessons and experiences from the regional engagement will be localized and shared back home to contribute to Sierra Leone’s health and development efforts.
The two-day convening brings together young people and partners to discuss adolescent health, development, intergenerational engagement, policy, systems strengthening and investment, with the aim of identifying practical approaches that can advance health and development outcomes for adolescents and young people across the region.
The watch party continues today, 17 September 2026 at the UNFPA Office, Signal Hill, Freetown.