During the 2018 LEGO® Idea Conference, we asked the Executive Director of Purposeful Productions Chernor Bah why parents play a crucial in education and the importance of ensuring equal access to education for boys and girls.
Chernor Bah's childhood was interrupted by the chaos brought about by the civil war in Sierra Leone, which started when he was six years old. To escape the fighting, he and his family were displaced countless times between 1992 and 2001, fleeing to displaced camps in Sierra Leone and refugee camps in neighboring Guinea.
On an emotional journey to my country Sierra Leone, I reveal the invisible crisis the girls faced even before the Ebola outbreak- and how that's been made worse. I talk to experts and girls themselves about what is needed now to change this story. Featuring Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma, members of the Sierra Leone Adolescent Girls Network and the super girls of my country.
Chernor is an acclaimed global advocate for education, a champion for girls and an expert in international development. As a teenager, he founded Sierra Leone’s Children’s Parliament to center youth voices in post-war reconstruction efforts. He went on to lead youth-related initiatives across three continents for organizations like UNFPA, Catholic Relief Services and Nike Foundation/Girl Effect. From 2015 until early 2017, Bah was at the Population Council leading an initiative to provide solutions to adolescent girls affected by the Ebola outbreak.
In 2012, Chernor was co-Founder of A World at School and was an influential leader of the "I am Malala" campaign. He has since been appointed three times by the United Nations Secretary-General to high-level committees.
A former refugee, Chernor has received numerous honors for his service to girls and young people. As Executive Director of Purposeful Productions, Chernor leads programs, advocacy and partnerships to empower young women around the world.
"By channeling the power of youth, especially young women, anything is possible."
- chernor bah
