by Fatima Babih, EdD
In a world still haunted by the ghosts of war and fractured by fear, a woman from Sierra Leone or Lion Mountain rises. Her life and work embody the transformative power of resilience, compassion, and purpose. Chief Superintendent Zainab Mbalu Gbla (CP Gbla), recently honored with the 2024 United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, is not merely a peacekeeper in uniform; she is a national treasure of Sierra Leone and a beacon of hope for girls across our nation and Africa.
From Conflict Survivor to Global Peacebuilder
CP Zainab Gbla’s story is a testament to the transformative power of resilience. She survived Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war, enduring displacement and the trauma of being a refugee. Instead of letting these experiences define her, she turned them into sources of strength and inspiration.
In a recent interview with Liberty TV Online, CP Gbla revealed that joining the police force was not her first career choice. When the Sierra Leone war ended, job opportunities were scarce in a still-healing and rebuilding fragile country. She recognized the nation’s need for dedicated service. In 2002, she joined the Sierra Leone Police Force, determined to serve with dignity and empathy.
Her journey eventually led her to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), a disputed border region between Sudan and South Sudan. In Abyei, she has served as a gender officer, trainer, and capacity and community builder, changing lives one initiative at a time.
Transforming Lives in Abyei
Chief Superintendent Gbla’s work in Abyei has been nothing short of extraordinary. Her mission in the remote village of Tajalei, where children lacked access to formal education, is a shining example of her impact. Her compassionate instincts, rooted in Sierra Leone’s tradition of women as sorry heart Mamie or compassionate mothers, drove her into action, bringing hope and change to the community.
Speaking over the phone to Maybel Kabba of Liberty TV Online, she described arriving in Tajalei to find children roaming in an area saturated with ammunition. Haunted by memories of child soldiers recruited during Sierra Leone’s war, she quickly recognized the vulnerability of these young lives. She was determined to break potential cycles of violence.
Using the philosophy of catch them while they are young, CP Gbla began teaching eight children basic lessons with her own limited resources. That small group quickly grew to twenty-eight, then more. What started as informal instruction evolved into a thriving school where she employed visual aids, music, and drama to engage young learners. Through her compassion, creativity, and resilience, she transformed an abandoned classroom into a sanctuary of hope for the children and women of Tajalei.
Her impact extended beyond education. CP Gbla launched a mentorship program for girls aged 14-20, teaching hygiene, self-confidence, and resilience while offering guidance to many who had never received any. Her vision encompassed the entire community’s well-being, empowering the next generation of leaders.
Building Sustainable Communities
Understanding that education alone wasn’t enough, CP Gbla addressed food security through agricultural initiatives. What began with her gardening efforts at her camp blossomed into collaboration with UN agencies, helping local women form farming cooperatives. They distributed seeds and promoted livestock rearing, creating sustainable livelihoods that enabled mothers to send their children to school, multiplying the impact of her service.
To foster community peace and trust, using sports as a bridge between cultures and generations, CP Gbla and her colleagues organized football matches between UN personnel and local youth.
Empowering Through Training
Currently serving as Chief Police Training Officer at UNISFA headquarters, CP Gbla conducts capacity-building sessions on early warning systems, child protection, community-oriented policing, road safety, and human rights. Her goal is simple and profound: empowering communities to protect and govern themselves with justice and compassion.
She credits her colleague Lilian Mariama Kamara as integral to these efforts and dedicates her award to her.
Pride Of A Nation
CP Gbla’s selection for the 2024 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award brings immense pride to her family and colleagues and an entire nation. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix praised her as someone who exemplifies the very essence of peacekeeping:
She is improving lives, protecting the vulnerable, and shaping the future.
With characteristic humility, Chief Superintendent Gbla received her award by stating:
This award is not just mine. It represents the tireless work of women in uniform serving under the UN flag.
She also delivered a powerful message to young people across Africa:
Embrace peace. We need a paradigm shift, so we must avoid negative thoughts and be positive. Just love one another; you are Africa’s future.
A Blueprint for Sierra Leonean Girls
In a country where many girls face systemic barriers, from early marriage to child labor and limited educational opportunities, CP Gbla’s story speaks directly to every young Sierra Leonean girl:
You are precious and worthy, and you can rise.
She proves that even those who have known loss, trauma, and poverty can ascend to global leadership and influential positions. Her story is a living blueprint of grit, service, and greatness.
Let us tell our daughters about Zainab Mbalu Gbla. Let us speak her name in classrooms and at family gatherings. Let us raise our girls with her story etched into their hearts so they know that a Sierra Leonean girl can grow into a woman who can lead, protect, and inspire the world.
A Personal Reflection
CP Zainab Mbalu Gbla’s story touches me personally in ways I can hardly describe. Her name bears two names that hold deep significance in my life: Zainab, my elder sister who served as my guiding light while growing up in Sierra Leone, and Mbalu, the name of my beloved mother and my remarkable first daughter.
In African tradition, names carry profound spiritual meaning. They connect generations, hold ancestral strength, and often foreshadow destiny. That a woman named Zainab Mbalu has risen to such heights of service, honor, and global recognition is deeply significant for me and all Sierra Leonean girls and women.
Her name alone evokes legacy, and her achievements give it power. She is a true Lioness of the Lion Mountain.
Zainab Mbalu Gbla represents our past and present and the promise of who our girls can become tomorrow.
A Cultural Salute
As we say in our beloved Sierra Leone:
No matter how long the night is, daylight will surely come.
For many girls living in Sierra Leone’s literal and proverbial darkness today, Zainab Gbla is that daylight. She is proof that a brighter day is possible and that women from post-conflict nations, can rise to shape history.
Let us celebrate Zainab Mbalu Gbla, but let us also commit to supporting and investing in more girls to become women like her:
- Support programs that empower women in law enforcement. Create pathways for young women to enter and excel in security and peacekeeping roles.
- Encourage mentorship for girls in underserved communities. Every girl deserves guidance and someone who believes in her potential.
- Speak the names of our heroines, especially those changing lives in silence. Recognition amplifies the impact and inspires others to follow similar paths.
Zainab Gbla has given Sierra Leone more than pride; she has given us an example. In her story, we find inspiration and a roadmap for raising a generation of Sierra Leonean and African women who know they can change their communities, their countries, and their world.
CP Zainab Mbalu Gbla is Sierra Leone’s daughter of peace, and in her light, we see the limitless potential of every Sierra Leonean girl!
References
MAMA SALONE ~ Lioness of the West Coast 