By Emmanuel Mbowa
Freetown, 19th May, 2026 – Youth advocate Sovula Bockarie is representing Sierra Leone at the Global Partnerships Conference, joining world leaders to reshape international development. The Conference, underway in London, started on the 19th May and is expected to end on 20th May, 2026.
Bockarie describes himself as an innovator, feminist, and inclusion champion for children, youth, and persons with disabilities. He says the conference is elevating him “from a local advocate to an international youth speaker,” building his capacity in high-level negotiation and cross-sector collaboration.
For Sierra Leone, Bockarie is bringing “the distinct, lived realities” of children and rural communities directly to global policymakers. By championing “local leadership” and “partnership, not paternalism,” he is pushing to challenge top-down models and unlock fairer investment into civil society and climate resilience efforts.
Bockarie expects a genuine shift where young leaders are recognized as equal decision-makers, backed by “clear actionable commitments” between governments, business, and civil society.
“I feel a deep sense of honour and responsibility stepping onto this global stage,” Bockarie said. “Seeing this event push boundaries and move past paternalism brings great hope for a more just, collaborative future.”
The Conference is co-hosted by the UK, Republic of South Africa, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and British International Investment (BII). The flagship event is convening governments, innovators, philanthropists, civil society, and business leaders to build new coalitions for tackling economic instability, climate change, global health threats, and violence against women and girls.
The conference aims to drive practical, people-focused solutions by uniting partners who don’t usually work side by side, combining finance, technology, and local expertise to address shared challenges.
