Ing. Makuta S. Kamara, Ing. Oba F. Jones, Ing. Trudy Morgan, Ing. Michael Paulsen, Hafsatu Rakie Sesay, Ing. Abdul R. Conteh, Memuna Mbayoh. (Left to Right) PC: Mustapha A. Fofanah The Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers (SLIE)’s strategic objectives include demonstrating the value of maintaining registration with SLIE as a professional institution as well as demonstrating the role and value of competent and regulated engineering profession to society. On the 16th of July 2021 SLIE held its first meeting with its partners the Engineers Without Borders-Denmark and (EWB-DK) and the Association of Nordic Engineers (ANE) on their collaborative project “SLIE’s contribution to engineering the future in Sierra Leone”. This project, funded by the Danish Government through EWB-DK, is a deliberate attempt to improve the Institution’s competence and capacity to influence relevant stakeholders, whilst ensuring an alignment with the UN SDG’s sustainable goals in the engineering sector in of Sierra Leone. Chaired by Ing Trudy Morgan, President of SLIE, she explained that the project was designed by SLIE’s council members and the SLIE Secretariat and would run for 12 months. The project captures essential areas for the growth of the Institution and will provide the medium for SLIE’s vision–to become an influential and competent engineering institution in Sierra Leone that will serve the needs of the citizens by driving high standards in engineering, empowering students, engineering technicians and professionals through training and practice of engineering at all levels to advance the development of the country—to become a reality. These are the development of a strategy and action plan for SLIE–aligned with its strategic objectives and a communication plan to ensure engineers and society at large are aware of the activities of the Institution and the benefit it provides to engineers and society at large. EWB-DK and ANE would provide training in the SDGs and sustainable engineering for interested engineers and the last component is the support to an EWB WASH project in Sierra Leone. This ongoing WASH project entails the inclusion of student engineers from the Fourah Bay College taking part in activities being undertaken in Grafton with Water4ever – an American company that is based at Four Mile. One designer of the project Ing Oba Jones, supported the project and added that the project would establish a direction and clear path for SLIE through the revision of its mission, vision and strategic goals over a 5-year period, as well as identify goals and targets for the institution. This would help SLIE becomes more relevant to members and influence the national agenda and policy formulation to promote sustainable development. Vice President Ing Christo Forster discussed the need for a robust communication and marketing campaign for SLIE and highlighted that the project additionally offered young graduate engineers the opportunity to participate in an innovative water engineering training in Denmark. The SLIE Conference Secretary, Ing Abdul Rahman Conteh added “this is a great project and with the bill in Parliament that will make it mandatory for engineers to be certified by SLIE before they will be allowed to practice in the country – combined with this initiative, there is going to be a huge boost for the engineering profession in the country”. In her concluding remarks, Ing Morgan thanked everyone for their participation and emphasized the determination by SLIE’s Council to ensure that SLIE becomes relevant to all its members. She encouraged all participants to become champions of the strategic development process and asked that all SLIE Committees be alerted to take part in these very important upcoming sessions.