On June 20th, CODE held a 60th anniversary reception at the Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Ontario. On the evening of the reception, CODE’s staff, board members and guests had the opportunity to celebrate CODE’s accomplishments achieved together over the past 60 years. From humble beginnings in a church basement to becoming Canada’s leading international development agency focused solely on education and literacy, CODE has much to celebrate. Scott Walter, CODE’s Executive Director, gave a warm welcoming address to those in attendance and thanked CODE’s supporters for their unwavering commitment to CODE’s mission. A special thank you to Peter Mansbridge, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, the Honourable Emily Gogra (Sierra Leone), Fred Attakumah (Asanko Gold Ghana) and long-time supporter and former board member, Gwynneth Evans who all spoke at the celebration.
The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, thanked CODE and its supporters for ourdedication towards pursuing quality education for all. During her address, the Honourable Maryam Monsef shared,
“Canada is proud of its long-standing partnership with CODE and pleased to celebrate their 60th anniversary. Together, we have helped to improve access to quality education for hundreds of thousands of children. Education is key to advancing gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty. By providing equitable quality education to boys and girls, we are empowering them to reach their full potential.”
In efforts to further CODE’s work, the Honourable Maryam Monsef announced a $5-million contribution to support CODE’s Transforming Girls’ Education project in Sierra Leone. In partnership with CODE, Global Affairs Canada intends to support an initiative that will provide 200 educators at four teacher’s colleges with training enablingapproximately 160,000 students to access quality education moving forward.
Invited guests also had the opportunity to preview CODE’s photography exhibit titled Read. Learn. Live. by internationally renowned Canadian photojournalist Peter Bregg. Formerly the chief photographer of MacLean’s Magazine, a photographer and editor with the Canadian Press and Associated Press, and the official photographer to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1984-85, Peter Bregg has travelled to more than 70 countries capturing some of the world’s most compelling stories. This past May 2019, Mr. Bregg travelled to Sierra Leone to document CODE’s efforts.
Thank you again to everyone who joined us in celebrating this milestone. While we celebrate for how far we have come, we know our work is not yet done and look forward to what the next 60 years will hold.
