President Emily Belle Freeman and Sister J. Anette Dennis Meet with President and First Lady of Sierra Leone

Download Photo

On 17 November 2023, President Emily Belle Freeman of the General Young Women’s organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Sister J. Anette Dennis, first counselor in the General Relief Society presidency, met with the President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Dr Julius Maada Bio, and First Lady of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Fatima Jabbe-Bio.  President Freeman and Sister Dennis are in the midst of a ten-day tour of the Africa West Area of the Church which also includes visits to Ghana and Nigeria. 

The visit was held at the State House, which is the official residence of the President of Sierra Leone. The State House is located in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

Accompanying the Church leaders were Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, General Authority Seventy and President of the Africa West Area of the Church, and Sister Wendy Nielsen.  Also attending the meeting were Brother Jorge Dennis and Brother Gregory G. Freeman.  The meeting was arranged by Elder Kenneth Pambu, Area Seventy for the Church, who attended with Sister Susan Pambu.

Download Photo

During the visit, the Church leaders also had the honor to meet with Sierra Leone’s Vice- President Alhaji Juldeh Jalloh, Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of the Republic of Nigeria, and Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Republic of Angola, Dr. Ana Dias Lourenco.   The dignitaries were in Sierra Leone to commemorate the United Nations World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence, to be celebrated on November 18, 2023.  

President Bio was inaugurated as the fifth president of the Republic of Sierra Leon in 2018.   Fatima Jabbe-Bio has been active in many causes as the First Lady. She has   been a champion of religious tolerance and encourages the people of Sierra Leone to respect each other regardless of their religious beliefs. She is also known throughout the world for her work advocating for gender equality and fighting child exploitation.

Before meeting with the first lady and the president, the visiting Church leaders had a chance to meet Major General Taluva, the Chief of Defense Staff of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. Elder Pambu expressed his gratitude for Major General Taluva's instrumental support to the church in Sierra Leone, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when movement restrictions were in place. Major General Taluva had provided vehicles and security personnel to ease the church's operations.

Following their introductions to the First Ladies and President Julius Maada Bio, the visiting Church leaders presented a gift of the Family Circle statuette to the first family. The First Lady then invited the leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to join her in a Muslim prayer ceremony to commemorate the United Nations World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence.  The commemoration was held on the State House grounds and included Muslim and Christian leaders from throughout Africa.

During the commemoration event, Dr Fatima Maada Bio emphasized the importance of protecting children from exploitation, abuse, and violence. She stressed the need for collective action to establish a safe environment for their well-being. First Lady Bio, who is a Muslim, highlighted Sierra Leone's commitment to gender equality and expressed appreciation for the religious tolerance displayed in her marriage to President Julius Maada Bio, a devout Catholic. Dr. Bio acknowledged the presence of members from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and thanked them for their attendance.

President Freeman had the opportunity to deliver a goodwill statement, expressing gratitude to Sierra Leone's First Lady for her efforts in the fight against sexual exploitation and gender-based violence.

"It was an honor to meet with the First Lady of Sierra Leone especially with our Organizational leaders visiting. Her Excellency is bringing awareness to the serious problem of abuse to women and children," said S. Gifford Nielsen, President of the Africa West Area. " That is a significant focus of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We will support  this cause in Sierra Leone and throughout the Africa West Area."

Despite many years of civil war, other regional conflicts, epidemics, and famine in Sierra Leone, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has witnessed miraculous growth.  The first branch of the Church was established at Freetown in 1988, and in the ensuing 35 years, membership in the Church has increased to 30,000, with 93 congregations.  The first mission in Sierra Leone was created in 2007 and on 1 November 2023 the Church announced the creation of the Sierra Leone Bo Mission.  In 2019, President Russell M. Nelson announced that the Freetown Sierra Leone Temple would be built, and construction of the Temple began in 2022.