Bernadette Lahai is a Sierra Leonean politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 and educationist from the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party

Sierra Leone People's Party

Sierra Leone People's Party is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with the All People's Congress .-Formation:...

 (SLPP) and currently a member of Sierra Leone's parliament representing Kenema District. In the 2002 general elections, Madam Lahai was elected Member of Parliament and won re-election again in the 2007 general elections.

Early life and education

Lahai was born in the village of Yomboma in Lower Bambara Chiefdom, Kenema District

Kenema District

Kenema District is a district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Kenema, which is also the third largest city in Sierra Leone. The other major towns in the district include Tongo and Blama. The district is the most populous district in the Eastern province with...

 in the Eastern Province

Eastern Province, Sierra Leone

Eastern Province is one of the four provinces of Sierra Leone. It covers an area of 15,553 km² and has a population of 1,187,532...

 of Sierra Leone to Mende

Mende people

The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...

 parents. Lahai started her schooling at the Independent Primary School in Tongo Field, Kenema District . She then proceeded to the Holy Rosary Secondary School in Pujehun

Pujehun

Pujehun is a rural town in Pujehun District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town is the capital and second largest city of the Pujehun District. The 1985 census gives pujehun a population of 3,859 with the population estimated to have grown to 9,121 in 2010. The Mende language along...

, Pujehun District

Pujehun District

Pujehun District is a district in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital is the town of Pujehun . The other major towns in the district include Gandorhun, Zimmi, Bomi and Potoru.The district has a 2010 estimated population of 276,970....

. After a successful 'O' Level

Ordinary Level

The O-level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education . It was introduced as part of British educational reform in the 1950s alongside the more in-depth and academically rigorous Advanced Level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland A-level...

s, she went for her advanced sixth form certificate at the Christ the King College

Christ the King College

This article is about Christ the King College in Sierra Leone, for the Christ the King College on the Isle Of Wight see Christ the King College, Isle of Wight...

 in Bo

Bo, Sierra Leone

Bo is the second largest city in Sierra Leone and the largest city in the Southern Province. It lies about 164 miles south-east of Freetown and had a population 149,957 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate is 231,494 . The city serve as the capital and administrative center of Bo District...

.

In her mid twenties, Lahai gained admission into the Fourah Bay College

Fourah Bay College

Fourah Bay College is the oldest university college in West Africa. It is located atop Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone...

 in Freetown

Freetown

Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...

 where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography

Geography

Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

 and Sociology

Sociology

Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...

. She was later re-admitted to Fourah College to pursue her Postgraduate diploma

Postgraduate diploma

A postgraduate diploma is a postgraduate qualification awarded typically after a bachelor's degree. It can be contrasted with a graduate diploma...

 in Education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

 to become a professional teacher. In her quest for knowledge, she proceeded to Njala University

Njala University

Njala University is a major Sierra Leonean university located in the country's second largest city of Bo and the town of Njala, Moyamba District, Sierra Leone...

 in Bo for a Master's Degree in Agricultural extension

Agricultural extension

Agricultural extension was once known as the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education...

 and Rural development

Rural development

Rural development in general denotes economic development and community development actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-urban neighbourhoods, remote villages and the countryside...

. For her exemplary academic performance, it pleased the University authorities to appoint her as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Agricultural Research of the college in which capacity she diligently served for few years.

Thereafter, Lahai secured a four-year scholarship

Scholarship

A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...

 to the University of Reading

University of Reading

The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...

 in Berkshire

Reading, Berkshire

Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 to embark on a PhD program in Agricultural extension and Rural development. She returned home in 1998 to help in the development of Sierra Leone. This took the dynamic academia back to the Institute of Agricultural Research as a full time lecturer. . with the Sierra Leone Vision 2025 Project.

Political career

In 2002, Lahai ran for one of Kenema District's seats in parliament as a member of the then ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). She was elected, gaining over 60% of the vote in Kenema District. She again won re-election in the 2007 general elections.

External links

• http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_20058805.shtml