President Julius Maada Bio and First Lady Fatima Maada Bio have honoured Rokel Commercial Bank for its sustained support to the “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign and other national development initiatives, citing the bank’s strong commitment to social protection and corporate responsibility.
The recognition was presented during events marking the seventh anniversary of the Hands Off Our Girls campaign and was received by the bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ekundayo Walton Gilpin. The award acknowledges the collective efforts of RCBank’s leadership and staff in the protection, empowerment and advancement of girls across Sierra Leone.
Presenting the award, President Bio and the First Lady commended the bank for standing with the campaign since its launch in 2018, noting that such partnerships are critical to sustaining national advocacy efforts against sexual and gender-based violence. They also praised the bank’s support for other initiatives aimed at building resilience, inclusion and social development.
The president described girls as “the leaders of tomorrow” and offered prayers for continued collaboration to ensure their safety and opportunities to achieve their aspirations.
The honour was conferred at a high-level dinner hosted on December 13 by President Bio and the First Lady for visiting first ladies and distinguished guests. The occasion also marked the launch of the National Building Resilience Campaign.
In a message after the event, First Lady Fatima Bio described the evening as vibrant, featuring Sierra Leonean cuisine and meaningful engagement among government officials, policymakers and development partners on addressing key social challenges.
