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In May 2024, leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met with representatives of the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio, to formally invite Freetown, Sierra Leone to host the 2025 Strengthening Families Conference. During a meeting on 30 May, Church leaders provided the first ladies staff with a detailed presentation on the Conference.
Representing the Church was Elder Kenneth Pambu, an Area Seventy serving members and leaders of the Church in Sierra Leone and Liberia. He was joined by President Julius Rowe of the Freetown Sierra Leone Stake, and James Owusu Ansah, Director of Communications for the Africa West Area of the Church.
Sheik Salim Feika, the first lady’s chief of staff, led the Leonian delegation and will work with local Church leaders during the planning of the conference.
“Both the President and First Lady are aware of this great honor and anxious to participate in the planning and execution of this great conference,” said Feika. “The First Ladies priorities are women’s empowerment, and the protection of our young children. The Strengthening Families Conference will be a tremendous platform to show Sierra Leone’s desire to raise strong families to God.”
In November 2023, Emily Belle Freeman, President of the General Young Women’s organization of the Church, and J. Anette Dennis, a counselor in the General Relief Society presidency, met with the President and First Lady in Freetown. Together they attended and spoke at the United Nations World Day for the Prevention and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence, in Sierra Leone.
The Strengthening Families Conference is an international, inter-faith event sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which brings together family experts and performers from around the globe. Speakers and panelists use innovative approaches to help participants strengthen families and marriages.
The conference leverages the collective impact of inter-faith, traditional, educational, and government experts to champion quality family and marriage supports. The event is held every year in June over a two-day period.
“We all recognize the importance of families; they are ordained by God. We need to break down barriers, remove all labels, and work together to strengthen marriages and families in all of Africa,” said James Owusu Ansah in his presentation. “We know the First Ladies heart, her desire to bless the lives of women and children in Sierra Leone. We look forward to working together to achieve the outcomes that she desires.”
The 2024 Conference will be held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on 21-22 June at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre. Last years conference was held in Abuja, Nigeria and had over 4000 in-person attendees, with over 200,000 individuals participating in the conference on-line. All Church members and their friends are invited to participate, wherever they are in the world. For more information on the conference and for free registration, please visit: strengthenfamilies.org