New York, August 10, 2025
At the closing ceremony of Sierra Leone’s dynamic side event at the annual AFS Youth Assembly, Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor, Bah; and Daniel Obst, President and CEO of AFS Intercultural Programs, signed a ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that cements a strategic partnership two years in the making.
AFS Intercultural Programs — a century-old global non-profit present in over 60 countries — is dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world through intercultural learning, global education, and life-changing exchange programs. This agreement will bring Sierra Leone’s young leaders, educators, and students into the heart of these opportunities, opening doors to programs such as the prestigious AFS Global STEM Accelerators, the AFS Global STEM Educator initiative, and the Effect+ for the Classroom program, alongside participation in the AFS Youth Assembly itself.
“This partnership is both deeply personal and nationally significant,” said Minister Bah, recalling his long-standing relationship with AFS since his early youth advocacy days, including serving as a keynote speaker at their centennial celebration in Paris in 2014. “AFS has been part of my own journey; and now it will be part of Sierra Leone’s journey to develop a generation of confident, globally minded change makers.”
Under the agreement, Sierra Leone and AFS will work together to provide cross-cultural training, leadership development, and exchange programs that will build global competencies, nurture social entrepreneurship, and inspire civic engagement at home and abroad.
Daniel Obst welcomed the agreement as a milestone: “We are thrilled to partner with Sierra Leone in expanding access to transformative intercultural experiences. Together, we will ensure that young people gain the skills, networks, and perspectives they need to tackle global challenges and lead in their communities.”
The signing marks not only the culmination of two years of strategic engagement and planning, but also the start of a powerful chapter in Sierra Leone’s commitment to building an inclusive, empowered, and globally connected future.
