Pujehun district is predominantly Mende-speaking, but the district has other ethnic groups including Vai, Krim, Fullah, Mandingo, Limba, and Temne scattered across the shorelines of the Wanjei and Moa rivers, the two lakes of Mabesi and Mape (Kasse), the periphery of Bo District and the southern edge of the Sierra Leone borders with Liberia.
Among the guests gracing the occasion were three prominent sons of Pujehun District: Ambassador Dr. Francis Kaikai, Sierra Leone Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Ambassador Saffa Woya Rogers, Deputy Ambassador to China; Steve Swarray, former Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone; and representatives of the Sierra Leone Embassy in Washington DC including Deputy Ambassador Sheik Mesali.
In their felicitations, the Sierra Leone Mission representatives brought messages of hope and mentioned the ambitious aspirations of the New Direction agenda of President Bio and his leadership, which Ambassador Kaikai said, “is driven by courage and discipline.”
“Our job as privileged descendants of Pujehun District is to ensure that every child in our district has a real and fair chance at success,” he said.
Other prominent speakers included Ambassador Saffa Woya Rogers of China, who spoke of a Chinese proverb which says: “Only when all contribute their firewood can they build up a big fire.”
Others were President of PDDA – USA, Dr. Joe A. Nuni, Paul Duwai-Sowa, Rosaline Bangura, Ms. Rosaline Bangura, Pastor Emmanuel Vandi Senesie, Alhaji Ibrahim Turay, and Giileh Kebbie Sholtz who sang the national anthem.
