Mariama Kamara

Sierra Leonean educator building schools in post-conflict zones

Mariama Kamara (b.1979) is a visionary educator who has constructed over 80 schools in war-torn regions of West Africa. Born in Freetown during the Sierra Leone Civil War, she fled with her family to Guinea where she witnessed the education system's collapse. After earning a teaching degree from Fourah Bay College, she founded the Africa Educators Network in 2005.

Her innovative "School-in-a-Box" program provides temporary classrooms and teacher training in conflict zones, reaching 35,000 students annually. In 2013, she pioneered the Girls' Empowerment Curriculum, which includes STEM education and leadership training, increasing female enrollment by 400% in Liberia's Lofa County. Her 2018 partnership with UNICEF established the first solar-powered schools in Ebola-affected areas.

Mrs. Kamara's advocacy led to Sierra Leone's 2019 education reform laws mandating free primary schooling. Her memoir Pages of Progress shares her journey, while her documentary Building Tomorrow's Classrooms (2022) highlights her work. She was named a Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship recipient in 2020.