EducAid and Education in Sierra Leone

Ann is going back to the UK .....but not for long - we won't allow it :-)

2012-01-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

Ann Beatty has been supporting EducAid since before she visited for the first time some 4 years ago but she moved out to live in Maronka and head up the Girls' Safe House in September 2011 and has become a completely invaluable member of the team. She is thinking, hard-working, committed and has the kindest heart you could hope to find anywhere.
Sad day today as she heads back to the UK to see family and friends but..... not for too long. We think the feelings are mutual. Ann has fallen in love with the kids at Maronka and EducAid's work as much as we have with her!
Ann plans to be back in April to continue her good work on the self esteem projects with the girls, capacity building and coaching of the staff, supervision of construction and so much more.
She will be greatly missed and we will all be waiting with open arms for her return.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Working in partnership with the Sierra Leone Teachers' Union

2012-01-25T03:59:00.000-08:00

I was visited a few days ago by the head of the Sierra Leone Teachers' Union (SLTU) and was very encouraged to receive this email from him this morning:

Miriam,

It was good to see educaid and the effort you are making to get our children go to schjool and get our teachers trained in a way to help the education process.

SLTU will be prepared to be with you for the mutual benefits of our joint programmes and we are prepared to share with you at all stages of our work to build a strong education process in Sierra Leone.

Please let us know of you schedule of programmes to ensure we take part in some of them to learn of them and contribute on how to strengthen each other.

Thank you very much for your time and effort so far.

Davidson Kuyateh

We look forward to a constructive partnership where we all work to build capacity and support the transformation of competence within the education sector here.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

The Bike Ride - Let's get cycling

2012-01-24T02:27:00.000-08:00

Sponsored Bicycle Ride from

Hoek van Holland to Brussels via Amsterdam outskirts

30^th August to 2^nd September 2012

Proceeds to benefit Educaid, Sierra Leone

The trip will start with all cyclists catching the 20.00 train from London, Liverpool Street station to Harwich on Thursday 30^th August and boarding the overnight ferry which departs at 23.15. The ferry will arrive in Hoek van Holland at 07.45. Bikes will be unloaded and cycling will start along the coastal route towards Haarlem and then south towards Gouda (80 - 85miles).

On the second day cyclists will ride along picturesque canal paths catching a glimpse of Dutch countryside and sampling delicious food. The second day (75 miles) will end close to Antwerp. The final day will be a short cycle ride (50 miles) into Brussels ending with a celebratory meal before boarding the 17.59 Eurostar arriving in London at 19.03.

A support vehicle will accompany the cyclists throughout the ride as well as a catering vehicle which will carry supplies to sustain cyclists. Paul Gage the ‘Bike Mechanic’ will cycle with the group to support any cyclists requiring maintenance for their bikes. All bikes will be transported to Holland in a van which will be loaded on Wednesday evening in London and will return with the bikes to London after the ride. Bikes can be collected on Monday morning.

In order to raise funds for the project we are asking participants to raise a minimum of £1,000 each in sponsorship and to cover their own costs, which are estimated at £300 per person which will include Eurostar tickets, ferry ticket and cabin, two overnight stays as well as food during the ride. A limited number of places will be available for full-time students who will be asked to fund 3/4 of their costs and to raise a minimum of £500 in sponsorship.

With only 50 spaces available don’t miss out on this great opportunity to have lots of fun while supporting Educaid!!! Contact Janet Broadhurst as soon as possible with your £200 deposit (cheques made payable to EducAid bike ride).

We will arrange for sponsorship donations to be made on-line through www.justgiving.com. Sponsorship forms with gift aid facilities will be available too.

Janet Broadhurst can be contacted on 07956 423 223 or janetbroadhurst@aol.com www.educaid.org.uk

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

A Long Dry Season

2012-01-17T16:24:00.000-08:00

We have had lock down on the well today. Drinking water pumped up first thing in the morning and then the whole thing locked so that all washing and laundry water be taken from the swamp.

The Maronka well when it was first dug,
capped and producing clean water.

This is really just the first half of dry season so it was more than a touch disconcerting to realise that the well was almost dry yesterday.
The 'well man' has been round today and we will be getting it dug out further, on Sunday.
Let's really hope that this will be enough to keep things healthy and safe for the whole population which has so significantly increased since the well was dug originally.
Note to self: wash when the sun is still hot - swamp / river water is much much colder than well water!!!!
If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Radio Bankasoka

2012-01-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

We have just got back, in the middle of the night from a good session at the Radio Bankasoka, the local information station. Reverend Andy interviewed Isata M, ex-EducAid student who is currently working in the Girls' Safe House, Sumaila Bockarie, ex-EducAid student who is currently teaching in the Maronka primary school and me about EducAid.
There were a good number of callers and Sumaila and Isata had so much to say, they left with a strong desire to go back and say more.
Isata is hoping to go and study Development Studies at the University of Makeni, with the hope of contributing to their local Radio station while she is there.
This gave her a taste of being on air and she greatly enjoyed it.
May this be the beginning of many sessions where she can stir things up, make people think and laugh and engage people's concern as she speaks to them.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Family Literacy has started in Maronka

2012-01-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

Having mentioned the idea over a year ago, of getting the parents and families involved in literacy classes, it has taken us too long to get round to starting. Obai and indeed his wives have been on my case gently reminding and at long last we have started.

Ann, Jane and Isata registered over twenty-two adults in the classes last Friday and they have enthusiastically attended each session since. Three times a week from nine til ten o'clock the whole group is learning to read, write and speak in English. Their clearly stated purpose of learning is so they can support their children's education better.

The Maronka community continue to be a delight to work with: always enthusiastic for the next step forward; always willing to take a risk or to make an extra effort if it means development for their community and their children. If there were many such, Sierra Leone would be a different place!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Rolal Training Centre starts phase one of the Quality Enhancement Programme

2012-01-13T06:14:00.000-08:00

From 6th to 8th January 2012, the principals from our new partner schools, the target for our Quality Enhancement Programme, attended the Rolal Teacher Training Centre to launch the training cycle.
Running small junior secondary schools in rural Port Loko District, these men have a tough task. One aspect that makes it particularly challenging is the lack of trained and qualified teachers available to teach in these schools. Many principals are nevertheless loath to let their underlings develop lest they threaten their position and authority. It is a great shame but happens frequently. We have sought to undermine this possibility by involving the communities who are the only people in a position to hold them to account. In reality, those that attended were very enthusiastic about the programme and were thirsty for the support EducAid will offer. Some did not make it however, and we know they will be a blockage to any further development there unless the communities are strong and willing to take up the fight.
The needs are great: at present, students trying to gain an education in rural Sierra Leone are really in trouble: approximately 40% of teachers are trained and qualified and while many of them are doing their best but that is simply not enough. Approximately 40% of students sitting the junior secondary exams, BECE, pass them.
By being very practical in our support, we hope to have a very quick impact on these horrible statistics, at least in the schools where we are invited to work.
If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

UniMak - looking good

2012-01-13T02:06:00.000-08:00

Isata contemplating a future in development work and communication.

The tertiary education options in Sierra Leone often leave me feeling almost desperate. We preach a message of destruction of inequalities through education but in practice we find that the right connections and the willingness to pay on the side is what really makes it possible to make progress at tertiary level. Our students, not having access to either short cut, are seriously disadvantaged, not that we would want them to use those means but we do want them to have equal access to progress and get the grades they deserve when they study hard.

Yesterday, a small delegation went to visit the University of Makeni, UniMak. What a difference! Their reputation is indeed in strong contrast to that of all other tertiary institutions in the country but it was great to see and get a feel for the place for ourselves. UniMak is run by the Roman Catholic Church and seeks to give good quality education to poorer people and to have an ethos that tackles the daily corruption that suppresses progress in the country. Sound familiar? It felt like meeting EducAid's big brother. There are fees to pay but they also seek scholarships for needy cases when they can. A lot of energy is going into improving the facilities and getting good quality lecturers and making sure that the education provided is of the highest standard possible.

We really hope that this will become a good solution for many of our young people who gain sponsorship into tertiary education. It is not encouraging to get sponsors to may for something that will never be forthcoming in full because of corrupt systems. If our students get in to UniMak we are far more confident that sponsors will get what they are paying for. Hopefully, Isata, currently working in the Girls' Safe House, will be one of the first to put this theory to the test. She seemed excited by her findings yesterday and will confirm her choice in the next few weeks. The prospect of doing Development Studies with a possibility of working with the local radio station as part of her course had her beaming with delight!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk or www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Emily hits the roads of Paris for EducAid

2012-01-08T02:19:00.000-08:00

Emily née Inman

Emily is training for the Paris marathon and will run to raise monies for EducAid. She has set up a Just-Giving page: http://www.justgiving.com/Emily-OHare.
Please do support her!

We are happy to be able to confirm that, as all overheads are covered by the trustees, all donations will go directly to the project and change the lives of some of the most vulnerable young people in the world.

It costs approximately £10 per month to educate one student for a month (£120 per year). It costs approximately £100 per month to cover the costs for one teacher (£1200 per year). It costs approximately £1000 per year to support a quality enhancement programme for teacher training for a whole school (EducAid has a project supporting subject teacher upgrading for some of the schools around the Port Loko area where less than 40% of teachers are trained and qualified. We hope to have an impact on a really good number of children through this new initiative.)

All the best with your training, Emily.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Easy Fundraising

2011-12-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/educaidsierraleone

If you follow this link, you can raise money for free by doing your online shopping through this link. Please do, it is very quick and easy to do and EducAid benefits from every online penny you spend.

Thank you.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Drs Rebecca Horn and Sean Higgins complete the first round of research skills training

2011-12-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

Big smiles for the end of the first course.

The new Rolal Teacher Training and Resource centre is in action. There are a couple of things to finish off in terms of plastering and fixing doors and windows but the centre is usable as is. It is a wonderful airy space which will be used by many teachers over the months and years to come.

It was great to see the new space in use by the Research Skills trainees. A mixture of staff and students were trained by Rebecca and Sean in some very active research skills for two excitable weeks. There are two more weeks of putting the new knowledge into practice to produce some research reports about some key educational issues relevant to the Port Loko area and indeed to EducAid's work.

Rebecca is now writing up the handbook that will make it possible for the staff to pass on the training to other groups for which there is much enthusiasm!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Surprising she only lost her voice!

2011-12-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

With Jane's enthusiastic leaping about and charging round the village, with the Sparrows class, we are quite surprised she has only lost her voice!

Jane Harris, criminology lecturer from the UK, has been in Maronka for three weeks and is settling in well. She left her academic work so that she could 'get her hands dirty' and she is as good as her word. Nervous that she would not have the requisite skills when she joined forces with ABJ, the sparrows class teacher, to teach the little ones their letters and sound, she has quickly found her feet and realises that she has lots and lots to offer.

Not only has Jane been teaching phonics but has realised that she can do very important work even training them in following instructions and simple following of routines.

A big thank you for all her hard work. It is greatly appreciated.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com

Registration of all schools! Yes Yes Yes!

2011-12-08T15:24:00.000-08:00

Mabinty, in class 4, will be able to sit the exams under
EducAid Maronka when she gets to the top of the school.

In the early days, I had to try and register some of the schools. I went to the Ministry of Education zillions of times. I filled in the forms to have them 'lost' three times. It was made clear that if I had no little (or big) envelopes for those concerned with doing the stamping and signing, I could forget it. In fact, I was even threatened with being fined for running illegal schools! After five years of being treated like a complete idiot because I would not bribe, I eventually had break through when the government changed and the new minister wanted to be seen to be doing good things. I nearly cried when I was handed the exam centre numbers - the evidence of our new legal status.

Recently, we have had to get some further EducAid sites registered. My heart sank at the likely game playing and time wasting I was to face. I did waste 1 year hoping that the then Deputy Director of Education for Port Loko was doing what he promised but..........
However, I was given the opportunity, in September, to meet the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Mrs Sia Koroma, when she was travelling through Lungi when I was there meeting somebody and she told me to come back and meet her in her office so she could help me. She has! Her little note to the Minister has opened the doors of the ministry and within 1 month of completing our application forms for the registration Rolal Senior Secondary School, Rogbere Junior Secondary School and Maronka Primary School are all registered and have their official legal exam centre status. The kids will be able to take public exams under their own centres and not be removed to another part of the country.

What an enormous relief!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young people, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Easy fundraising

2011-12-08T15:07:00.000-08:00

This is for all you online shoppers...... If you register online by clicking on the link below, the Easy Fundraising website will send us a cheque periodically with money that gets generated on the side of all your online purchases.

Please do. I just did and it takes only moments. As most of you are aware, things are difficult all across the non-profit sector at the moment. This is not different for EducAid and recently we have had to cut into some of our core activities in order to keep our heads above water. e.g. We are looking at shortening the school day as of January as we are no longer able to feed the day students. ..... so every bit helps!

If you ever do any online shopping, or even if you think you don't (because you might in the process find it is cheap and easy to do so) please do sign up. We will be most appreciative and you will definitely be making a difference to our work in Sierra Leone.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/educaidsierraleone

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Financial crisis

2011-11-11T04:21:00.000-08:00

The Global Financial Crisis is kicking in. Reduced giving means that at the meeting with the EducAid trustees this week, we have been told that all discretionary spending must stop and with immediate effect on my return to Sierra Leone, we must do a staff review and reduce staff and we will have to stop feeding the day students.

This is a very very hard message. After 11 years of building things up, and at a time when staff and students are doing such a fantastic job, it is very difficult to hear that we must cut back. If we don't feed the day students, particularly in the provinces, many will drop out. They will not be able to afford to go to school if they are not fed as they will have to find food elsewhere. If things are tough in the western world with the financial crisis, they are a lot harder already in Sierra Leone.

If you are a regular donor already and are in a position to increase your donation please consider doing so; if you are not a donor but would like to be one, please go to the donate page of the EducAid website and sign up. If you know of anyone looking to make a donation where they are sure that their money will make a difference, please put us in touch. If you know of schools or churches, organisations or clubs that might be prepared to fundraise for EducAid please do introduce us. If you are in a position to undertake a fundraising event for EducAid, please let us know if there is any information we could supply in order to support you in this.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

One off opportunity - Thank you so much to the Steve Sinnott Foundation

2011-11-11T02:05:00.000-08:00

.....ready for lift off!

Something EducAid would never have afforded in a million years! A trip to the UK for 12 staff was paid for by the Steve Sinnott Foundation. The staff have spent a week in the Premier Inn at Euston and after a couple of days of sight seeing, got stuck into an intensive course in teacher training.

The idea being that those on the receiving end of this will take back their new found knowledge and use it not only in training EducAid staff but in training teachers from schools around us so we can have a maximum impact on teaching and learning in the area.

We are coming to the end of the most wonderful trip and we are very very appreciative of all those who have made it possible: The Broadhursts for everything from warm coats to stew to lifts to and from the tube to goodbye Christmas dinner for the hoards; all the schools that have welcomed the team so warmly and shared ideas and resources; my long suffering parents for hosting the whole team in Aston-le-Walls; the Steve Sinnott Foundation for paying for everything and exciting the staff with the 1st week of training; numerous friends from Muswell Hill and around for meals and treats and warm clothes and so on and so on.....

We are looking forward to taking back our new found learning and experiences and putting things into practice. Horizons have been expanded. Creativity and imagination have been sparked. Determination has been ignited.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Women's Project girls - exam success encourages the others.

2011-10-27T23:32:00.000-07:00

Some of this year's ex-women's project girls who sat and
passed their first round of public exams
along with a couple of their Women's Project teachers.

It is always a big boost to the confidence of the girls coming up behind them when they see that it is an accomplishable feat! Each year now more and more past women's project pupils show that it can be done.
When the girls enter the women's project [EducAid's catch up education programme for girls who have had their primary education neglected but who want to enter secondary school] the road ahead can look very long for some. When they get this sort of example it makes a big difference to their confidence that it can be done.
Well done to this year's exam successes and good luck with the next stage!
If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Excellent job done!

2011-10-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

Mohamed T Koroma

Key to our positive discipline systems are our merit and demerit cards. One young man has truly entered into the spirit of the task at hand. Mohamed T Koroma has completed his merit card with merits before the first half term of the year [and not a single demerit!]

A wonderful effort Mohamed - congratulations.

If you are interested in knowing any more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com and www.educaid.org.uk

One happy young man!

2011-10-27T05:28:00.000-07:00

Yayah A Kamara

Yayah A Kamara - a quiet smiley member of the junior staff - has not only just won the much prized bag of rice for being the teacher with the best public exam results in this year's BECE but he has also just discovered that his dream will come true.
Yayah studied sciences and got very good results. He has heard that a friend of EducAid's will pay for his studies in medical school. Without this assistance such a step would be completely impossible for him.
We now have ex-EducAid students in all the major tertiary institutions in Sierra Leone thanks to friends of EducAid who choose to sponsor some of our bright young things who lack the financial means to achieve their potential unassisted. We are very grateful for this help. It is life transforming.
If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Isn't this what it is all about?

2011-10-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

On our way!

2011-10-14T10:17:00.001-07:00

Fantastic news.
After months of planning and hoping and meetings, calls and emails, we got the news today: 13 EducAid staff are on their way to the UK for a wonderful training opportunity.
A couple of years ago, the Steve Sinnott Foundation contacted me about collaborating on development education.
In the end, they decided to offer a training in London to our lead teachers in support of the new teacher training centre in Rolal.
Entirely funded by the SS Foundation,the selected staff will have 1 week being trained in teacher training techniques and another visiting some of our partner schools to see different teaching styles in operation.
Today we got the exciting news that the visas have all been granted and, amazingly, their tickets are still available.
There are some very happy staff going all out to get warm enough clothes to cope with the harsh realities of the UK in November. Action research cycle reports are being completed. The schools having started early on purpose will shut for a 2 week half term except for the exam kids and much more besides.
Kofi and I will be travelling at the same time for our usual fundraising trip and we are all really looking forward to having a fruitful and fun time in the big smoke.
Thanks especially to Sam and all the friends of EducAid who helped compile the documents we needed for the visa applications.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

2nd in the country in the senior public exams

2011-09-25T03:34:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, the public exam results have been very disappointing country wide this year. However, this has once again, not been the case in EducAid.

We have seen student after student come with absolutely excellent grades which opens the doors for their future.

This is a sign of great patience and endurance through very difficult circumstances on the part of the majority of the students as well as much hard work from the staff.

According to the West African Exams Council only one international school was able to beat EducAid but they have refused to name it!

26 students entered the exams and despite a wide range of ability in the group, only 2 have failed to get clear grades for University. Several got 9 out of 9 credits and above and a number got a stream of merits.

We are very proud of staff and students and hope that this will provide an even greater incentive to those following in their footsteps.

Brima Will receiving his bag of rice for achieving the best results in the school. Brima teaches Literature in English and no student got less than a credit.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please see www.educaid.org.uk and www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com

Proud of them

2011-09-19T08:30:00.001-07:00

I am working this term based in Maronka, a tiny village in the Northern province. Kofi is attending our primary school here too.
The school is run by a number of 'junior staff' i.e. Our past students who are hoping for sponsorship or already under-going distance teacher training.
Although we have junior staff in all locations the Maronka deal is a much more full-on option than all the others. There are over 80 little ones that live with us and the junior staff are in loco parentis for the hoards.
Sumaila Bockarie is the latest addition to the staff. He got 9 credits in the senior public exams last year and is clearly very bright. He hopes to do engineering at Uni if he can find a sponsor (fingers crossed for that).
When I told him he had been placed in Maronka, he was clearly somewhat perturbed. It turns out that he has hardly ever left Freetown previously, never mind live in a tiny remote village with 10 buildings making up its entirety!
I have to admit to being very impressed with his attitude and approach once he had got passed the original gulp moment. He is creative, hard working and committed to his students. I am working particularly with him over the next weeks and am really looking forward to it.
I am increasingly very proud of how these youngsters are willing to use their education for the benefit of those coming up after them. If this attitude continues there is much hope for the future.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's'work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

New term

2011-09-08T13:41:00.001-07:00

Some real enthusiasm for the new term and some incredibly frustrating casual attitudes born of their experience in the government schools where nobody starts at the beginning and lessons are effective from approximately 2 weeks into term.
So many of the kids are to be found engaged in selling various items. Their parents (guardians) can take weeks to release them.
One day we may break through this and get the guardians to see the need for a change of approach but we certainly have not managed this year. It is also compounded by the fact that the government schools are starting particularly late due to disputes over teachers' salaries.
Meanwhile though there are high levels of motivation among the kids that are in Maronka. I had to kick half the class out today to go and get their lunch, they were so keen to meet the day's challenge and collect their stars.
Kofi is settling in well and I am loving being here albeit feeling a little sorry for myself with a rare bout of malaria :(

New term

2011-09-03T01:03:00.000-07:00

Staff numbers just over 70 now and we are all re-dispersing after a good but exhausting week together of meetings and training. The 70+ included a good group of our most recent ex-students who are now joining the ranks of the educators. Great to see!

Term starts on Monday and nearly everything is set.

Good luck for a great year, everyone!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Issa - in China

2011-09-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Issa - in China - working hard and having a fair amount of fun at the same time, by the looks of things......

Issa is now in his second year of engineering proper - all his studies are now in Chinese!!!!

Keep it up, Issa. We miss you but we are very proud of your achievements so far - you are a wonderful role model to those coming up behind you.

If you would like to know more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to, www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

For those who already have everything, why don't you......

2011-08-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

.......give them the pleasure of making a difference to someone in need?

When a friend of yours has a birthday or anniversary and you are searching to give them something that they might want when they have any number of nicknacks already, why don't you give a gift off the EducAid Wish List in their name?

There are any number of cool games, books and more that we would love to get our hands on.

By clicking on this link: EducAid Wish List, you will access all the information you need.

When you think of what you hope for, for the little people in your life: your kids, cousins, brothers and sisters and so on, you want the best and it is probably available for them.

Please help us achieve as close as we can to the same thing for the children we work with in Sierra Leone.

Thank you in advance.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Balla Turay in Caracas

2011-08-30T02:22:00.000-07:00

Balla (an EducAid student who received scholarship to study ICT) has been in Venezuela for a month or so now. He has finally been allowed to get out and about. At first, they were banned from receiving visitors or phone calls and even from leaving the compound! Very strange and not a little disquieting.

Now, at last, he has been permitted to go on a tour of Caracas. Here are some photos to prove it:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.203391589723079.53467.100001567194774

Apparently Spanish is going well too!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Stop jumping up and down like a cricket? Me? Why?

2011-08-30T01:07:00.000-07:00

L'École, 5th of 6 children, and the first in his family to go past BECE (the junior public exams), can't contain himself. His smile is so big, and his laugh so infectious, you can't help but laugh with him. [net too slow for the photo to prove it]
Sheak, a little quieter still can't help chuckling to himself as he re-re-re-reads his results.
They both have passed 9 out of 9 subjects and so excellently that, if sponsors can be found, they will go straight through to tertiary studies.
Both of these lads are from homes with no hope of helping them to finish their education. With real determination and patience, they have battled on, despite quite difficult odds. Today is pay back time.
Their fellow students are full of it. 'You see EducAid students!' 'You see how good we are !'

If you would like to know more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Drivers needed

2011-08-23T15:03:00.001-07:00

If you are a driver and you are free the 2nd weekend in September, we need you!

We urgently need drivers for the bike ride (see previous post) from Thursday morning to Monday norning.

Please contact Janetbroadhurst@aol.com URGENTLY

Thank you

Rupert Eastell's involvement with EducAid

2011-08-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

Rupert and his daughter Georgie talk with the scientists in Rolal

I have had the privilege of visiting Port Loko 5 times over the past 4 years, and have always left wanting to go back and spend more time there. The last visit in April was the longest and the most enjoyable – my son (Tom) and I spent 2 weeks in the country and stayed at Rolal for 1 of them.

Stefan listens to the 'Virtual palaeontologists'
at the opening of the Rolal Senior Secondary School

We have great memories of being part of the EducAid family – we sang the school song and played rugby (of sorts) also. Whilst the food was a bit alien to us, we loved the way that we were welcomed by everyone there: pupils and staff alike. We want to apologise to Mr SS for being late for the staff briefings though!

We were struck by the potential for moving things forward by focusing on the quality of life for the pupils and the necessity for training the staff. It is for these reasons that we are really pleased to support the Maronka Safe House and Rolal Teacher Resource Centre over the next 3 years.

These are great examples of how EducAid can lead the way and we are delighted to stay involved. We are also hoping to visit again although it may not be until 2012.

Thanks Miriam and everyone at EducAid.

Rupert Eastell

Are you a cyclist? How about it then!

2011-08-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Bicycle Ride from

Hoek van Holland to Brussels via Amsterdam outskirts

8^th to 11^th September 2011

Proceeds to benefit Educaid, Sierra Leone

The trip will start with all cyclists catching the 18.20 train from London, Liverpool Street station to Harwich on Thursday 8 September and boarding the overnight ferry which departs at 23.15. The ferry will arrive in Hoek van Holland at 07.45. Bikes will be unloaded and cycling will start along the coastal route towards Haarlem and then south towards Gouda (80 - 85miles).

Arrival in Paris after 2 days cycling from London, in June 2007

Arrival in Brussels after 3 days of cycling in September 2009

A support vehicle will accompany the cyclists throughout the ride as well as a catering vehicle which will carry supplies to sustain cyclists. Phil Magnus and Paul Gage the ‘Bike Mechanics’ will cycle with the group to support any cyclists requiring maintenance for their bikes. All bikes will be transported to Holland in a van which will be loaded on Wednesday evening in Muswell Hill and will return with the bikes to London after the ride. Bikes can be collected from St James on Monday morning.

We have 50 spaces booked so need to know by 28 July if you are able to join us!!!

We will arrange for sponsorship donations to be made on-line through www.justgiving.com. Sponsorship forms with gift aid facilities will be available too.

If you would like any further information please speak to Janet Broadhurst who can be contacted on 07956 423 223 or janetbroadhurst@aol.com

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Back home in Sweet Salone!

2011-08-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

Although I have been coming backwards and forwards, for a week or so at a time, all year, it feels like a great relief to be back without the DRC project in the back of my mind.

Without going into too much detail, my year in the Congo has reconfirmed my confidence that EducAid does quite a good job at getting the balance right on quality of input, value for money, respect for beneficiaries and genuine capacity building. Apparently harder than you would think.

In truth, there is a mountain of work to do against a fairly tough background but it goes a long way to making it more exciting than daunting, to know that we are almost certain to continue making a significant positive impact on individuals' poverty. Even more exciting, with the new teacher training and resource centres in Rolal and Maronka, we expect to make a difference to whole communities as we reach out to schools in rural areas that are almost untouched by all the other NGO activities and workshops.

The leadership team have done a wonderful job at keeping things moving forwards and I am really looking forward to getting alongside them again as we bring a number of new projects online: chief among them the Girls' Safe House and the 2 new teacher training and resource centres. It will be good to be living in Maronka too.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Exciting opportunity

2011-07-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Excited team work - going through the online applications for UK visas

A few months ago, the Steve Sinnott Foundation, [set up by Steve Sinnott's widow in order to continue his work in development education] found EducAid online and became interested.
After a couple of meetings, SSF have worked with a funding agency to propose an exciting training visit for some of EducAid's staff. The hope is that 12 of the leadership team and middle management will go to the UK at the beginning of November for a week of training and a week of observations in other schools.
This is a wonderful opportunity for them and for EducAid and will enable the concerned staff to come back and really make a difference in our new teacher training centres.
The big hurdle: visas for the UK. We are collecting documents and trying to outguess all possible blockages. The systems have got harder and harder [and not any fairer for it!]. One is no longer invited for an interview but has to think ahead of all possible reasons they might want to stop you for and put a document in place to preempt.
Anybody with any legal or immigration know how that would like to give us some advice would be greatly appreciated!
If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Balla Turay - patience and integrity win in the end and he is on his way!

2011-07-20T04:15:00.000-07:00

Great Excitement as the lads wish Balla safe journey.

Balla on his way to the airport.....

Goodbyes at Lungi airport.

A life changing journey...... [hopefully the breakdown on the way to the ferry will be the last of the hiccups he has to face!]

Balla Turay, was awarded a grant to go and study ICT in Venezuela in March 2010 [see blog post at the time]. After a ridiculous amount of 'to'ing and 'fro'ing to the ministry of Foreign Affairs, sending of passports, returning of passports, undertaking medical tests, redoing medical tests and so on and so on, when almost all hope had gone that it would ever materialise, Balla is on his way 17 months later.

It is common place for all such offers to go to the rich and well connected and Balla lacked both attributes. His patience and integrity has paid off today though and he is flying tonight.

Balla comes from a home where finances were such that finishing his secondary education was not going to happen unaided. It was his hard work, excellent exam results, community service certificate! and determination that have enabled him to break out of the cycle of poverty. This will change the options he has forever.

Balla will be the 4th EducAidian to travel out of the country on a grant for study: Kema Gondo is in China studying medicine; Issa Fowai is in China studying engineering; Musa Koroma is in Russia studying engineering and Balla will be in Venezuela doing Information and Communication Technology.

We wish him every success in his studies [3 months of Spanish first] and look forward to welcoming him back with all his new found knowledge, skills and vision when he finishes.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Urgent Please - Day Dream Education Products

2011-07-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

Today and Every Friday til 3rd September [set a reminder on your phone!].........

Please everyone who is on Facebook or Twitter can you do this so we can get as many of these as possible for the schools:

If you follow this link DayDream Facebook page all you have to do is post on their wall: 'My favourite DayDream is...... ' and enter a day dream product.

If you post this on their Facebook page they will ask you for your details and will post you a free product. Not sure if it is the product you ask for or if they select one and send it anyway. Either way, we win!

They have some excellent wall charts, desk charts, interactive software, pocket posters and worksheets. Nearly all of which are relevant and useful for use in our EducAid schools. My favourites are the science, maths and English products but..... let's see what we can get.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

Oooooh - it's the holidays..........oh no it's not - it's debating training

2011-07-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

But....staff and students are joining in with great enthusiasm.

They have taken over the library.
Aruna Bangura of the leadership team underwent training and is now delivering
sessions on key thinking skills for debating.

Bhumi Purohit, of SLEEP an American based organisation which has been working in partnership with EducAid for some time, is over in Sierra Leone for a few weeks and is using her time to train some staff and students in debating techniques [and in teaching debating techniques].

There is a lot of research showing the fantastic benefits of debate training in terms of thinking and analytical skills as well as behavioural and attitudinal change. We look forward to those being trained this week and next benefitting from this but also, we plan to role out the opportunity to as many other youngsters as we can during the coming year.

This is what a couple of the youngsters have to say about it, themselves:

'I am enjoying the programme so much because we are exchanging ideas' says Isatu Kamara.

'The thing I enjoyed the most during the training was the interaction and discussion. I specially liked working in groups,' said Baimba S Kamara.

'I like the fact that I can discuss with the staff too,' says Mohamed E Bangura.

A great opportunity. Thank you so much Bhumi for the initiative and for so willingly giving your time and expertise.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young people, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleone.blogspot.com

Getting closer to being able to imagine it in action!

2011-07-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

The roof is going on to the Rolal Teacher Training Centre and, wow, what a difference it makes!

It is now easy to imagine it in action. This is going to be a fantastic space where we can bring teachers from other schools in the Port Loko District and thus help raise the quality of education available in more and more communities.

We aim to launch our Quality Enhancement Programme in Rolal for approximately 10 partner schools in November. There is plenty of work to do still but we are excited.

Thank you to so many who have contributed and continue to contribute to the whole Rolal education project from donors to staff and volunteers.

If you would like to know more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com

New project....new blog

2011-06-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

Girls' Safe House in Maronka - under construction.

To chronicle the ups and downs of all the preparations and day to day functioning of the Girls' Safe House in Maronka, we have set up a new blog: www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com
Have a look and see what you think.
This new project responds to many of the challenges and issues that we have faced before, in particular with regards to women achieving their full potential in education, by seeking to pre-empt so many of the elements of society which threaten women's self esteem and ambition.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Dress a girl around the world.com sewing for Maronka

2011-06-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Imagine a world where every girl had at least one dress!

Wow - what beautiful pillow cases!

This is how their website opens.

www.dressagirlaroundtheworld.com is an organisation with a non denominational Christian foundation with the aim of giving a little bit of value and feeling special and pretty to as many little girls around the world as it can. They sew pillow cases into dresses. When I went on the website this evening, they had delivered 31,804 dresses in 47 countries.

Now, Esther's craft group has joined the ranks of the sewing enthusiasts and they are producing beautiful dresses for the girls in Maronka.

It is one of the things that sticks in my mind from when I first went to Maronka, 11 years ago: there were three houses and the children were rag poor. If a kid had pants, he didn't have a T-shirt and those who had a top did not have pants and a good proportion of the smaller ones had neither.

Over the years, with the ending of the war, the coming of the school and various donations, things have looked up. Now, most children would have a pair of flip flops [often worn right through underneath but....present] and a handful of clothes even if they don't fit properly and often have great holes in them. However, pretty things that are the personal property of an individual are very rare events!

This is a lovely project and we are greatly appreciative of Esther and her team!

Thank you all.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk and www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com

Another set of important funding approved - Yes!

2011-06-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

Thinking it through!

Bhumi of SLEEP, an organisation based in the United States of America has been battling away at a bid for funding to introduce a debate training programme.

Staff and students will be selected for training in research, analysis, argument construction and presentation following a programme of debate training which has seen significant improvements in many aspects of students' learning in numerous similar projects across the world.

The skills acquired will benefit the actual participants themselves but, also, the idea is that regular sessions will be undertaken with other students in both the senior secondary schools through the rest of the year.

In general, in Sierra Leone, questions, analysis, reflection, the development and ability to defend one's own opinion, are all actively discouraged. It is clear however, that without these, it is impossible for the population to participate in a genuine democratic process.

We actively encourage these fundamental skills and are very proud of our students in general. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to build up these aspects and help their peers do so to.

The topic is pertinent too. They will be discussing women's rights and participation in key institutions in Sierra Leone! Women are generally not even 2nd class citizens in most of Sierra Leone. They often come in a lowly 3rd, after their children.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

What? Where? Why? When? Maronka Primary teacher training / resource centre

2011-06-08T00:32:00.000-07:00

Lots to do!

This morning I received an exciting email..... funding for a new project!

What?

A teacher development facility providing short capacity building courses for teachers without qualifications or whose skill base needs reinforcement.

40% of Sierra Leonean teachers are trained and qualified. There is a new distance course providing the possibility of training without leaving work. This course however is not accessible to all because of the cost and also the entry requirements, which many are unable to attain.

Courses can be designed for a variety of needs. Some examples might include:

· Once a week [maybe evening] sessions for Port Loko based teachers who need some reinforcement in particular aspects of their subjects

· A week at a time [hopefully returnees would come for 1 week per term] training in different methodologies [e.g. phonics for literacy, using Bloom’s taxonomy, skills focused teaching etc]

We would expect training courses to be a mixture of:

· Observation of different methodologies,
· Group study, reflection on what has been observed,
· Opportunities for micro-teaching to try out different things they have learned, be videoed while doing it and then discuss with the group, how the session went.

Where?

EducAid has had a primary school in Maronka for over 5 years.

The new teacher training facility would be in the village alongside the primary school. This will mean that it is conveniently placed for access to the primary school classes for observation and micro-teaching.

It will be easy to lodge teachers on site as we will include a dormitory facility in the new construction.

Maronka is 2.5 miles away from Port Loko the district capital.

Girls' Safe House under construction at the top of the village

The teacher resource centre would probably be where the photographer was standing or behind the primary school building.

All of the school buildings are at the top end of the village.

View from the girls' safe house looking down into the village.

Why?

Provision of free (or low cost – there is a debate to be had about how much people value things that they have paid even a small amount for as opposed to something free), capacity-building opportunities could significantly change the impact of the teachers on their students. Currently, students arrive in our secondary schools from local primary schools, incapable of independent reading, writing, thinking or learning. In the NPSE, National Primary School Exams the tests are largely meaningless, as most teachers know their students will not pass and it is totally standard practice for them to stand in the middle and read the multiple choice answers to everyone. Nationwide, approximately 40% of students entering the BECE (junior secondary exams) pass. Approximately 17% of students entering WASSCE (senior secondary exams) pass.

Generally, students are taught not to think, question or analyse, on pain of being thrown out of the class for insubordination and trying to embarrass the teacher.

Teachers able to teach thinking skills, how to evolve and defend an argument, how to retrieve and evaluate information and so on, without feeling threatened themselves, will have a significant impact on their students and on the future of democracy in Sierra Leone.

When?

The construction will take 3 months approximately and could be started at the end of the rainy season i.e. October or so.

With appropriate recruitment and training of staff to run the programme, we could hope to get started in the spring of 2012.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

New girls' quarters in Magbeni

2011-06-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

Alice, head girl, has moved in.

A couple of months ago, I gave the go ahead to AA's building project for a new girls and female staff quarters as they were overflowing out of the women's project classroom where they had all been sleeping.

Now, it is already in use by the girls and there is just a ceiling to be added!

Bricks and much of the labour was courtesy of the staff and students. A technician was brought in to ensure the quality of the work, otherwise this was an EducAid Magbeni home grown project.

Fantastic job by all.

Well done!

That was quick!

AA - lead teacher and chief organiser - Magbeni.

If you want to know more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Maronka Girls Safe House - on its way!

2011-05-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

The context
Sierra Leone ranks 100 out 102 on the Social Institutions Gender Index [SIGI] because of statistics like:
·        47 per cent of girls between 15 and 19 years of age are married, divorced or widowed.
·        Between 80 and 90 per cent of women are circumcised.
·        77 per cent of Sierra Leonean women think that gift marriage is acceptable.
·        9.5 per cent of women [20.4 per cent of men] have secondary education or above.
The above statistics add up to an environment where it is extremely hard for any girl to achieve her full potential in any aspect of life and thus overall as a woman.
There is little or nothing in the life of an average little Sierra Leonean girl to make her feel of value.

The aim
The purpose of the Girls Safe House in Maronka is to provide a home in which girls who would otherwise be vulnerable to a wide variety of emotional, mental and physical threats, can grow up strong in spirit, mind and body so they can live their lives to the full and contribute fully to society.

Girls' Safe House under construction - looking over the village.

Concreting of lintels

Specifically, who will live in the safe house?
Maronka is a tiny village of approximately 20 adults, 2 miles from Port Loko in the north of Sierra Leone.EducAid has a small primary school in Maronka of 180 children, of which 30 + stay in the village but are not originally from there. 15 of them are girls. There are also a number of girls who walk long distances to come to school each day from the surrounding area.This home will accommodate the 15 little girls who currently live scattered across the village, many of the village girls themselves and will provide the opportunity for many others from distant villages to stay at least during the week.

Little girls like:
Isatu, who we found living on the beach and hungry. She had run away from a difficult and very deprived home situation and had never been to school. She had learned to survive on the streets and some of her habits were not great. Now, she is catching up at school and is a much-loved member of the village community – a changed young woman on the way to being somebody.

Isatu

Mariama was kitchen skivvy to a family in Freetown; a difficult little miss who did the opposite of everything she was asked to do and got herself a regular beating as a result. Taken to Maronka to start school, at long last, she is now a delightful little girl responding to love far better than she ever did to violence. She is nearly always top of her class.

Mariama

Binta was left to bring herself up at 2 when her mother was sent to prison. She has clearly been seriously neglected for the best part of her little life. She had a heart-breaking habit of throwing herself into the arms of all visitors, seeking a bit of love and attention. She speaks now, though, and is starting to hold her own with her new playmates.

Binta

EducAid and Women

EducAid runs the only free secondary schools in Sierra Leone and our target has always been to have an equal number of boys and girls in all our schools. This proved impossible until we introduced our catch up programme for girls: The Women’s Project. The WP works with girls of all ages and standards who are beyond primary age but have not effectively finished their primary education. However long it takes: 2 weeks or 2 years, a girl can stay in the women’s project working on basic skill acquisition until she is competent and confident to enter the mainstream secondary school.

The Women’s Project has been very successful at getting girls into school but we still see a lot of underachievement due to low self esteem, low expectations and social and family pressure. To address these issues we now have a Girl Power Group, which teaches girls and young women about their rights and seeks to enable them to achieve more completely.

The Girls Safe House aims to address these issues at an even earlier stage and pre-empt the problem before low self-regard is allowed to take root.

Want to help?

We need:

· Donations – see the Standing Order & Gift Aid Forms incorporated into this brochure

· Volunteers – strong women to be live in house mothers in the home – see the volunteering pages on the website: www.educaid.org.uk or email Miriam@educaid.org.uk

·       Materials: nice things to equip the house with; clothes, toiletries, starter kits [see suggestions above] – please contact Miriam@educaid.org.uk

   If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Funky ads for EducAid

2011-05-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

A fruitful partnership........

North Oxfordshire Academy have been supporting EducAid in numerous ways over the last few years and we are now rearing our heads in various bits of the curriculum too.

Roland Howard and the ICT department had their students ask me lots of questions and try and get their head round our 'brand image' [Roland's words not mine!] and set to work on some viral ads.

The most finished ones had their first public viewing a week or two ago and here they are again for a wider audience.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhWxgIG1LoU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr_eN5689D4

Funky? Wacky? Fun?.......Definitely creative!

Thanks to all involved!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Alex Channon spreads his enthusiasm for Sierra Leone

2011-04-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

After his visit to Sierra Leone and the EducAid schools, Alex Channon has sought to raise interest in and awareness of both the country and the programme. Here he is telling the youngsters he teaches, about Sierra Leone, during a non-uniform fund-raising day for EducAid.

Thank you Alex and Thank you St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary school, Salford.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

The assessment of some recent visitors to EducAid Lumley

2011-04-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

It was quite some time before coming to Sierra Leone, that a friend sent us an article from a British newspaper featuring a school in Freetown. It had been started by Miriam, who as a young woman, in post war Sierra Leone in 2000, recognised the urgent need for access to secondary education for all, and not just those who could afford both the fees and a school uniform. And so, education to aid those who had no means to attend school, started on Miriam’s veranda. The programme is now known as EducAid.

We had heard about EducAid from many different people, and as Janice was preparing a course on curriculum development, a visit to EducAid was well overdue. Situated in a densely populated area of Freetown called Lumley, it took us time to find it, although we had been sent directions. Housed in an incomplete three-storey concrete building, EducAid demonstrates a unique form of education in Sierra Leone. Unlike other forms of secondary education, it is free and the students do not wear a uniform. Its ethos is that of holistic education, developing all aspects of what it means to be human. This is done, not through a didactic teacher dominated approach, with passive students, occasionally answering a question or copying from the board, then learning what you have copied for exam purposes. Instead, EducAid has developed hundreds of packs of materials that the students need to work through, at their own pace, following an entrance assessment of what stage they are at. The philosophy of the school is not geared towards passing exams or getting a good job, but to provide the students with critical and analytical skills to gain knowledge, and also to apply that knowledge to other aspects of life.

EducAid now has five schools in different locations across Sierra Leone. Although heavily dependent on donations of cash and kind in order to ensure that quality education is available to the poor, the characters that the school builds are not dependent on others, as the skills they have developed and the knowledge they have received enhance their personal, social and economic well-being. Being a student at EducAid is demanding, although free, it is not an easy option. If you are not prepared to be accountable for your work, to be challenged, and to think for yourself, then you will not succeed. But with commitment and determination each of the graduating students will make a dynamic and life enhancing contribution to the future of Sierra Leone.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Putting EducAid Rolal on the map with a winning drama

2011-04-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

Abdul Dumbuya and his drama group are the talk of the town in Port Loko.

The HIV/AIDS Media Global Fund Project organised a drama competition to which EducAid Rolal was invited.

Once again, the EducAid team walked away with the honours.

Congratulations to all of you who competed and well done too to Abdul who trained the team!

Trophy awarded to the EducAid Rolal drama group for their contribution to the HIV/AIDS drama competition.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Ali takes to the hills for EducAid

2011-03-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

Alison in training for her big run.

Alison Higgs, long term friend of EducAid, who was last featured on this blog in a very fetching Santa outfit, is on the run again.

Alison teaches art at the Bridge Academy in Fulham and has got the whole school behind her fundraising (and awareness raising) campaign. She will be running the Munro half marathon (all uphill - the woman must be mad!) to raise £2000 for EducAid.

Here is the link to her webpage: http://www.justgiving.com/Team-Bridge-Academy

All the very best with your training and getting the cash in!

Many many thanks.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Lily and Richard develop their new radio interest during their trip to SL

2011-03-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

In Lily's own words.......

Mics, Chimps and Angel Delight Lily Johnson

I was thinking of going to Alton Towers in February half term, but then I got an invitation to spend two weeks with EducAid in Sierra Leone. Guess which one I chose?

My dad, Richard, and I set off with a suitcase full of computer bits and science books for the students (along with Angel Delight and Ainsley Harriott’s ‘Cook in a Cup Cous Cous’ to keep us going). After spending our first weekend in Freetown, the capital of SL, we made the 5 hour journey, to Port Loko, along the dusty road, full of potholes. Well, more like dirt track! Thank goodness we weren’t there in the rainy season. When we arrived at Rolal School, we were given more than a warm welcome with people waving and greeting us. We had been given a project – to lead the students in making a radio programme. Their microphones had been sitting in a cupboard for several months. But briefed by Chris and Julia Mann in radio techniques, we managed to get the equipment up and running. The students were very enthusiastic and formed their own production crew. Chairman was Mohammed. A confident young man who liked to get things done. After 4 days of interviewing, singing, editing and voice overs, the crew had produced a 20 minute radio programme. All 14 members were rewarded for their efforts with a packet of Haribo and a pen. All gratefully received!

After 7 days in such a remote area, Dad and I retreated to the chimp sanctuary called Tacugama, along with two other English volunteers – Kit and Eddie – for a couple of days R&R. In the middle of the forest where all we could hear were the sounds of woodpeckers, the chimps singing and the odd bush baby at night! However, we were quite spooked by the stories of Bruno and the other 30 chimpanzees who had escaped in 2007. Remember, chimps are 5-8 times stronger than a grown man! Although most of them returned of their own accord to the sanctuary, Bruno is still on the loose!

Fed, showered and refuelled with Laughing Cow cheese and Dolmio pasta, we returned to Lumley school in Freetown. This time we were staying in Miriam’s flat (which thankfully has a flush toilet and not just a lizard infested latrine). We did a similar project with the Lumley crew, but this time there was a theme of TB. Over the past few years, EducAid has lost several students to this disease. Like most African countries, TB is endemic in Sierra Leone. Treatment is free and very effective. However, sadly TB often goes undiagnosed. The radio programme was a follow up to the recent awareness campaign the school had been promoting in assemblies. This time, after just 3 days, we had a finished product. Both programmes were played to both schools in assembly and were very successful!

Dad and I spent the final couple of days soaking up the sun. On the very last day we visited the children’s hospital. This was the biggest eye opener for me. It really hit me how lucky we are to have just the basics in hospitals, like a bed per patient, working fridges which store bloods and medicines, not having to share oxygen masks and even space for mummies to stay with their new born babies.

Then I headed back on the 20 hour journey alone. I had the most amazing and extraordinary two weeks, I’ve learnt and seen so much, but the memories that will stay with me are the stories from the individual students. From the most hideous stories of the war, to their achievements through EducAid’s support. The friends and smiles that I have met have all been amazing. The trip just wouldn’t have been possible without other people’s help. I’d like to thank all the lovely staff and students who were welcoming, smiley and made living in those conditions bearable. Also thank you to the other English volunteers out there – Pat, Kit, Eddie and Sean who showed us around and were a great team. And finally, a big thank you to Miriam Mason-Sesay for inviting me to see the amazing work EducAid is doing.

www.educaid.org.uk

www.tacugama.com

www.welbodipartnership.org/our_work.html

And the links to the radio programmes are:

http://www.communityalbums.com/music/tb-can-be-cured
http://www.communityalbums.com/music/educaid-rolal-today

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Great initiative taken by the Magbeni staff and students

2011-03-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

It is incredibly encouraging when staff and students take unprompted initiatives, for the improvement of the service provided by EducAid, even at considerable personal effort.

The photo below is of the first half of a girls' dormitory and female staff quarters being built with great support from staff and students. The students have made the bricks themselves and are helping as much as possible with the construction.

This was not a planned activity and had it been, we would have expected a far greater cost but their willingness to contribute has made the whole structure possible at under £1500!

Well done AA and well done the Magbeni team.

Please keep up the good work!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Mohamed Sannoh continues his studies

2011-03-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Mohamed Sannoh, one of EducAid's earliest students (he joined us at the age of 10 when we sponsored him at primary school before we had our own schools) is celebrating again.

We were very proud of Mohamed's achievements when he became our first EducAidian graduate to finish his degree, completing a four year Accounting course at Fourah Bay College. He was supported through his studies by friends of EducAid.

He has subsequently served his alma mater, working as accountant and logistician. It is wonderful to have one of our own, trustworthy and committed, taking on this vital role.

Thanks to further friends of EducAid, Mohamed will continue his accounting studies undertaking a distance CIMA course, an internationally recognised professional accounting qualification.

Not bad for a boy who ran away from his war ridden village at the age of 6 who, after losing all family, ended up living on market tables and pushing barrows in the central Freetown market!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to educaid.org.uk .

Marie-Aimé tells her story......

2011-03-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

On the way to Educaid…

I first heard of Educaid from the website stuffyourrucksack.com. I was still in London planning my move to Freetown and some friends were heading over so I was determined to make good use of their spare rucksack space…

Having bullied / guilt tripped / enticed / encouraged them into bringing various stationery items over, it was then left to me to bring over the cargo to the school… So having arranged for my new favourite taxi driver Farrah to come and pick me up, I set off on the 45 min drive down to Lumley in search of the elusive Educaid. On the way down, I explained to Farrah where I was going and what Educaid did, that it provided free education for secondary school students and literacy and numeracy catch up for women who needed it. He looked thoughtful for a while and then asked: would my daughter be able to go?

The fact that Farrah and his family live about an hour’s drive (on a good day) from the Educaid School gives an idea of how precious a place like Educaid is in Freetown and Sierra Leone. Even government’s primary schools are only free in principle and students have to pay for uniform, books, etc. School kids might look cute in their little dresses / dungarees but it does come at a price…

Back to Educaid though… After some meandering through the bumpy back streets of Lumley we eventually found the building and not being quite sure whether I was in the right place, I asked Farrah to wait for me. Turns out it was quite unnecessary as not only was I in the right place but once I stepped through the gates, I was hooked and never really left…

After I dropped off the bag of goodies I’d brought, I was given a tour of the school and witnessed for the first time the incredible atmosphere throughout the school. What struck me first is the amount of people running around the three floors of the building. Dozens of teachers, hundreds of students all lined up in open space classrooms, three different levels, all open to the elements. The second impression that hit me is how incredibly quiet and studious the whole place was!

Everybody knows where there are supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing. Even when it looks like the chaos has taken hold of the place between two lessons, within a few minutes all are sitting back down again and taking out their notebooks and pens. It might have to do with the fact that they know that if they’re not, they will encounter the wrath of founder and headmistress extraordinaire, Miriam… But then again, I did a presentation in front of over 100 people and had one of the most focused audience I’ve ever encountered, even when lecturing university students in the UK!

My Educaid

The Women’s Project

Needless to say, I was immediately keen to get involved and after a chat with Miriam, we decided that it would be best if I worked with girls and women at the school. Initially, I helped with the Women’s Group, an initiative within the school which is designed to help women and girls to achieve numeracy and literacy skills they did not get at school. The majority of the women involved are teenagers, from 12 to early 20s, and are eager to learn basic skills that will help them through every aspect of their daily lives.

Teaching reading skills to adults is hard enough, and the inadequacy of the material produced is one of the barriers that I’m sure exist all over the world. Another more specific barrier is the fact that the materials are not only designed for very young kids, but young western kids. It did take some effort to explain what a park was and why on earth would a kid use a bucket if it wasn’t to sell stuff or clean where he lived…

Although reading skills are predictably low, what immediately impressed me was the relatively high level in numeracy many of these girls had. While they were not at schools, most of them spent their time on the street, working and doing trade. The streets in Salone and Freetown especially are lined by little stalls selling anything and everything under the sun, from oxo cubes (a favourite) to little packets of detergents, via dried fish and mobile phone chargers. Most of those stalls are held by women and, too often, girls, trying to make a bit of money to buy food themselves…

So here I was, all convinced that my slightly dusty but once fairly good maths levels would see me through no problem, having to use the calculator on my phone to try catch up with them and make sure that I was not telling them anything wrong when doing the exercises…

It’s precisely because these girls are so promising and talented that the work done by Educaid and the Women’s Project in particular is so crucial…

Girl Power !!

The other aspect of my involvement in the school was also related to women and girls, but aimed at the whole school via the animation of a Girl Power Group. One morning a week, all students take part in special interest groups, doing activities revolving around religion, geography, current affairs or indeed, girl power!

Miriam had mentioned to me the girls’ reluctance to put themselves forward and their lack of self confidence, sapped by a particular culture and the effects of the civil war ten years ago but I was still taken aback when confronted by it… The object of the group was to promote positive self talk amongst the young teenage girls, to try and counteract the disastrous effects of the presumptions made about women and especially the poorest.

We talked about what it meant to be a girl, why it was so great and also what they thought was negative about it, only to realise that all the negative points came about because of other people’s reactions and not themselves… We watched a great film (Akeelah and the Bee, I really recommend it!) and talked about many things but what I will never forget is the morning we had to go round the group saying two things we were very good at.

In terms of the work I did at Educaid, this was one of the most eye opening things I have done. After struggling myself to come up with two things I was good at (try doing it in front of a group of 15 people, it’s a lot harder than you’d think!), we slowly went round the group, the girls squirming a little at the thought of what to say, some looking down, others laughing uncomfortably… It took a few rounds but eventually we had each found two positive things to say and we repeated them a couple of times, with the strict instruction to repeat it in front of the mirror or to someone else at least once a day for the next week! Seeing the awkwardness give way to smiles made me see they were indeed starting to believe their talent and worth…

I had to leave Freetown earlier than planned and had to say goodbye to the girls that day and explain to them why I was leaving. Their enthusiasm for the Girl Power Group and my affection for them made me feel very guilty for leaving them and I was dreading having to say I was going. Yet again they were amazing and for those last minutes there, the roles were reversed and they were the ones reassuring and encouraging me… That was the precise time I knew I would always be coming back.

Amazing what some people will do for money!

2011-03-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Thank you Leweston. Greatly appreciated by us all at EducAid....

World Book Day 2011 – promoting reading and supporting EducAid

Following the success of our World Book Day efforts last March we decided to run a similar event on Thursday 3rd March this year and we celebrated with a dress-up day and book sale.

Our visitors on the day were surprised to find the girls in various forms of fancy dress rather than their school uniforms. Mrs Claxton made a fabulous Puss in Boots and Mrs King had vivid orange hair to match her ‘Goblet of Fire’ ensemble. Other celebrities spotted were a mad hatter or two, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and a Crash Test Dummy (representing the series of guides for Dummies!).

Girls from all years and staff brought in plenty of books for the sale and were generous in their purchases of books and raffle tickets. A sale of Cadbury creme eggs added to the proceeds and encouraged a stampede into the book sale during morning break. Holly in Year 7 was pleased to win a cuddly owl and More won the house prize for the most books donated. The fundraising also had a head start of £80 from our staff room book box.

We are thrilled to have raised a whopping £400 for EducAid, a charity in Sierra Leone providing an excellent education for children who would otherwise not be able to go to school. Miriam Mason-Sesay, who is our contact with EducAid is looking forward to visiting Leweston again and passes on her warm appreciation for our support.

Happy reading!

Anne King

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

The beautiful strong young women of EducAid

2011-03-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

While we remember women all over the world, today, and seek equality of rights for us all, I am thinking of the beautiful strong young women of EducAid. May they be given the chance to fulfil their potential and have their impact on the world. Here are some of them......

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Radio EducAid

2011-02-27T10:52:00.000-08:00

Don't think I can say it any better so....thank you for this letter that tells the story so well and thank you all that were involved in making this happen. Fingers crossed the baton will not be dropped!

Dear Chris and Julia

This is just to say a big thank you to you both for all your advice and help with making radio at EducAid.

EducAid was hugely receptive to the radio idea. We all had loads of fun, and your technical advice on making radio with schools was completely apposite.

I should really let the schools’ programmes do the talking, but I can’t wait to send you that: the EducAid team tell me they will be putting them online shortly. But uploading an MP3 file requires biblical patience in Salone. I will bring home the MP3 files to share with you when I get home.

We were assigned small groups of students at schools in Rolal – a rural school a few miles outside Port Loko – and in Lumley, a jam-packed site in Western Freetown, with perhaps 500 students crammed on three floors. I didn’t managed to hold the groups to 5, but we ended up with about 12-15 on each site. All ages, and we found abilities from singing to interviewing, acting to technical editing.

The kids were hugely enthusiastic about all aspects of the process, from conceiving dramas and conducting debates, to recording gospel music and a traditional Temne greeting: the chief summons his people with his flutes. We had confident interviewers and proper continuity presenters. They learned lots about recording radio drama – making the sound convey the message (I almost had to tie them down with gaffer tape), performing to the mike, using sound effects, using different acoustics, maintaining silence. The experience that Lily and I had with your radio drama was invaluable.

Several staff and students took to Audacity software like ducks to water. If our levels and edits aren’t perfect, I hope you will see we broadly followed your advice about balancing and alternating music, drama, interviews, and the authoritative voice of continuity presenters.

I think Audacity was the factor which really validated the decision to stay with audio, and not go for video. It meant we got a much more deliberated product. Kids worked really hard and listened to their results reflectively. You can do this immediately on the mike, as well as later on the pc. The Lumley group took time to listen to their first drama “take”, and also to listen to the interviews. We picked out key words and re-record the drama with a much more powerful focus the next day, echoing and building on the words of the doctor and other interviewees. If they had stumbled around with a video camera, I don’t believe they would have had the opportunity to focus their product it nearly as sharply, let alone edit it without the time and resources to get to grips with a proper video editor like Avid. They barely believed me when I told them that it used to take Everyman 3 months to make a 50 minute TV documentary. But after the hours and hours they put in to make 14 minutes of radio – we worked till 10 and 11 many nights - I think they were getting the idea.

We had very little time – Salone has plenty of holidays. Effectively we had three working days in Rolal and two working days in Lumley before presenting the show to the school on the final day. In Lumley we ditched the idea of continuity and presentation, and opted instead for linking drama and interviews with loops of the soundtrack of a song / rap that some girls had devised with Mr Deen: “TB is a killer disease – hello – TB can be cured!”

All of this with a single plastic “Easy-speak” mike, a bit of free software, and any old PC – which the schools now have in plenty, even if you have to whack on the generator to use them. (We had to do some of the recording in various hot broom cupboards to minimise the generator noise). They managed to play the radio at assemblies in both schools through their big PAs.

This is a culture where children are too often seen and not heard. What a pleasure to be able to reverse that! Particularly with the young girls who demonstrated what one of them argued cogently in her school “One minute Debate”: women can do what men can do.

We could genuinely say at the end that several students had taken the first important step to careers in media if that is what they want. I told them that if you want to make radio or TV for the BBC, it doesn’t really matter what course you follow at school at college – but what’s on your showreel/memory stick/portfolio that counts. Well, these kids have made the first bit of their showreel, and I think you will agree they can be very proud of that.

When we left, a young teacher and EducAid alumnus, Jimiyke, was already forming a radio club, and students were eager to take the new technology out to the other EducAid schools. By the time we left, the Rolal programme was also to be heard coming out of various computers around the school, so perhaps we are fostering a small local virus of communication. Jimiyke is also a fan of movie maker on which he had been editing the school sports day, so hopes to build videos of the radio programmes with stills, for uploading to Youtube.

Richard Johnson

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

ICT - now this is starting to move in the right direction

2011-02-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

EducAid Lumley IT room in action.

Project work.

EducAid Rolal IT room in action.

A couple of months ago, EducAid received a good number of 2nd hand computers from a partner school in the UK. The idea was to boost the ICT department and get computers into all schools for staff and students to get the basics and then to help as many as possible towards ICT specialisms.

It is great to see this plan being brought to reality under the management of Moses Tholley [ex-EducAid student who recently graduated from Fourah Bay College with an engineering degree] and his team.

This will make an extraordinary difference to the youngsters with whom we work, giving them access to a facility that, for 95% of the population, is beyond reach.

Ex-EducAid student, Moses, graduating from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
Now he runs the ICT department for the whole EducAid programme.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Volunteering in EducAid

2011-02-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

From time to time, people hear of EducAid's work and volunteer to come over and help out for a period. We have had a few youngsters nearing the end of their formal education and now a small number of teachers at the other end of their careers.

Pat Payton, retired as a chemistry teacher from a specialist dyslexia college in Devon and is now on her third visit. She has done wonders in moving on the Women's Project literacy and numeracy teaching as well as doing significant work with the science department.

Ken Hall, my mentor from my NQT [Newly Qualified Teacher] days, has recently retired from Biology teaching in Hertfordshire and is doing his first stint in Sierra Leone at the moment. We hope it will be the first of many! He has been working with Pat on teacher development and learning materials production within the science department but has been recruited my many other staff and students into helping out with plenty of other aspects of IT, science, exam preparation etc around the school.

Sean Higgins interrupted his career in South London and has been with EducAid on and off for the best part of 3 years. He works on staff development mostly as well as a life skills programme that he has put in place for the senior students and is having an invaluable input to the production of thinking learning materials.

EducAid derives great benefits from all of these visits and we are extremely appreciative of the time, money and energy that all these folks are providing. It has to be said, it would be hard to find terms and conditions equal to theirs: very hard work for long hours, hot and sweaty working environment, pay your own way and enjoy the additional benefits of an extremely limited diet of rice and more rice + spicy sauce and the frequent company of a wide variety of unwanted insect life. They can however be sure that their efforts will not go in vain and that they are making a fantastic difference to the youngsters for whom they work.

Pat working with the Women's Project, supervising some phonics training.

Sean teaching Life Skills on a Saturday morning.

Ken supervising the 'Biologists' club session.

The biologists watching a section of David Attenborough's 'Life' series in the library.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work in Sierra Leone, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

EducAid and some friends from Heathrow

2011-01-25T04:35:00.000-08:00

The visitors brought over piles of boxes of collected goodies for EducAid.

You can get more on there than that. This is Sierra Leone!

Brima, temporary tour guide, with some of his guests.

First on the ferry across to Freetown from Lungi, where the international airport is.

For a long time, EducAid has been friends with Tom, bmi pilot, who has visited EducAid a couple of times and has helped us transport some vital equipment on various occasions over the years.

Recently, we also made friends with Ann Bitar who works on check-in at Heathrow. Ann was due to visit Freetown on holiday with some colleagues. After a brief chat when she was intrigued as to what I could possibly taking back in my ridiculous quantity of luggage she had a look at the EducAid website and decided she could help.

Ann and colleagues had everyone they knew collecting for EducAid but then came the joyous task of transporting it all to Sierra Leone and then to the schools. They managed to persuade Sierra Leonean handling staff to help them through the airport and to the nearby airport hotel and the EducAid staff collected them early the next morning to get the first ferry into Freetown.

It was something of a rude awakening to the visitors but they enjoyed their visits to the schools and indeed to the beautiful beaches around the Freetown peninsular and have professed themselves ready whenever they can to help again. In fact, Ann joined my besieged sister in packing another mountain of boxes of stationery for transport last week and got them all across to Sierra Leone free of charge again.

The visitors adjusting to slightly different travel arrangements!

Many many thanks to all those involved. Bringing stuff safely and quickly into Sierra Leone is a significant challenge under normal circumstances and all your efforts on our behalf are greatly, greatly appreciated.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

EducAid at the top again

2011-01-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

A spot of after class down time.

The Junior staff spend their school holidays in teacher training classes but relax a little with a football at the end of the day.

A year ago, EducAid began supporting a pilot distance teacher training course in the Port Loko Teachers' College. Currently, only around 40% of teachers in Sierra Leone are trained and qualified. The idea of the course was that some of these would be able to access training without having to leave their jobs. While supporting the pilot through training the lecturers in new teaching skills based teaching methodologies and providing the modules for all of the 70+ students we have sought sponsorship for 22 of our own teachers.

19 of the 22 are our junior staff, i.e. our former EducAid students who are teaching back in our schools but have not finished their own training yet. This has been a wonderful opportunity for them and they are now putting back into the system with far greater competence and confidence as well as developing themselves.

In the end of year exams, all the EducAid backed students shone. 9 got division one and the remaining 3 achieved division two. There were 3 in joint first position, 2 of them were EducAid students.
It has maybe taken Port Loko some time to take EducAid seriously but that is changing slowly. They are being obliged to now. We don't have the hallmarks of success that are traditionally valued here: uniforms, painted walls, big loud sports days and thanksgiving ceremonies. We do, however, beat all the other schools in the area every year in the public exams. We are praised for the excellent behaviour and standard of our students every time we take them anywhere on a visit. We are always commended by the public exam invigilators because our students are well prepared and can work constructively until the end of the allocated time without cheating. We are now making our mark at the college level too. We are seeing youngsters born into poverty finding a way out through education.

Congratulations to all! A fantastic achievement for your own development and a wonderful way of preparing yourselves to be part of rebuilding the country. Keep it up!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

The Sierra Leone experience would be a different one, if all our partners in development were like this.

2011-01-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

EducAid has been running its own schools for just over ten years in Sierra Leone. The challenges, hurdles and blockages have been enormous. So many of those we expected to help us, actually made life more difficult. It is hard to not assume that, in a country where providing education is a business not a mission or a passion, we were viewed as unnecessarily disrupting the status quo by providing free education to the poor.

We have always tried to keep in line with the demands of the Ministry of Education but we have found few reliable friends there over the years.

Of late, though we have found a real partner in development. Mr Sankoh is responsible for the entire ministry of education in the northern area and has proved himself time and again over the last couple of months, for no reward, as a solid friend of EducAid but also of education and of young people.

May he live long to achieve all he dreams of for the young Sierra Leoneans he seeks to help!

Mr Sankoh, Deputy Director of Education, pleading with the Magbeni community to change their attitude towards female education and girls' and women's rights.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid Sierra Leone's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Basic stuff in a UK context maybe but rare in Sierra Leone

2011-01-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

For some reason, during the war, anything with equipment of any sort (and the more incomprehensible the more it was the case) became a target for the rebels. Schools were burned down but laboratories seemed to rouse an additional level of frustration and nearly all school labs and equipment were destroyed.

Now, great swathes of the country send students for practical exams in which they encounter equipment, terms and activities that they have never before heard of, never mind practised.

It has taken some amount of time and contributions and donations from multi-various sources but we have made a strong effort to build up our practical resources for the sciences, so that our students access the necessary means that will make their practical exams a meaningful test of their knowledge and skills.

Today, Ishmail Kamara, teacher in charge of Biology, led the exam class in food testing practicals. Just one way, in which we feel we can level the playing field between the rich and privileged students from the top fee paying schools and our youngsters from vulnerable and deprived backgrounds.

The science department has another reason to celebrate: Pat Peyton (retired chemistry teacher) is on her way back for her 4th visit to EducAid and Ken Hall (retired biology teacher) is on his way out for his first trip. Pat and Ken will be spending time building up the skill levels of teachers and students and will focus particularly on practicals. Well taught science is hard to find in Sierra Leone but we are proud of what is being achieved in the science departments in the EducAid schools.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Yet another needless TB death.

2011-01-13T02:44:00.000-08:00

Sheku Turay, 20, disappeared from the Freetown school a few months ago and after many enquiries we eventually found that he was staying with a distant relative and was seriously ill in the Magbeni community.

He was losing weight dramatically but had only been treated with local medicines. AA, the lead teacher in Magbeni, intervened and got him to a hospital about an hour away and after four days of battling to be seen by a doctor, he was finally placed on the anti TB drugs programme which is free in Sierra Leone. Apparently, it was too late. 5 weeks later, he is no more, having died this morning in the TB hospital in Lakka.

This death is completely needless and marks once more the terrible lack of basic medical know how in Sierra Leone. A totally treatable and curable disease with free drugs has now killed two of our students because the medical personnel seem to resist diagnosing TB.

Around the same time, Bockarie Tamu, now a tertiary student sponsored by friends of EducAid was experiencing similar symptoms. But for the timely intervention of a British doctor who saw his chest x-ray and advised TB treatment, he would probably be in the same place as Sheku. Bockarie's doctor, supposedly one of the most experienced and best in the country, diagnosed pneumonia and nobody dares gainsay an old experienced doctor here. Thanks to the intervention and assistance from elsewhere, Bockarie is now significantly improving. He had more or less given himself up.

We pray for Sheku and for the repose of his soul. We pray for the consolation of his friends and family. We pray for Sierra Leone and her people that they may emerge very soon from the darkness of ignorance and poverty.

Sheku Turay being taken yesterday to the hospital.

Sheku had deteriorated almost beyond recognition. Here he is the day before he died.

If you are interested in knowing more about the work of EducAid with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Max and Charlie getting into their new life.

2011-01-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

Offloading stuff at Magbeni, a couple of stops before their final destination.

Nervous grins as Max and Charlie move into their new accommodation.

Chez Max and Charlie for the next few months.

Moved in and working out their next steps.

From the wilds of North London to the wilds of Maforki chiefdom, Port Loko district. Excited? Maybe. Mixed with trepidation? Definitely.

Max, long term fund raiser for EducAid, and his friend Charlie have bitten the bullet and moved out to Rolal for three months of volunteer teaching.

A couple of days and a few football matches later, their teaching timetable [literacy, numeracy and lots of ICT] is in place, they have worked out their budget for the term and made friends with the whole school community. They sound much more at home.

It is quite something to really go out of range of electricity, running water and proper phone or internet coverage, for that length of time, when you've been used to all the usual western creature comforts. We greatly appreciate those who do make this effort and commitment. Their input can be really significant for our youngsters. Max is the latest in a line of youngsters to come from the St James Church community in Muswell Hill. There are two more on their way to Magbeni next week.

Good Luck Max and Charlie. I am sure you will leave having made lots of memorable friendships and we hope that this will be the beginning of many more visits.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Visibly on the mend....

2011-01-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

For those of you that have followed the ups and downs of Jimiyke's progress over the last 18 months, these pictures will gladden your hearts. After an extremely traumatic childhood, Jimiyke turned his life round when given the opportunity of free education, even becoming head boy when he reached the top of the school. Just before he was due to sit his final exams he nearly died of TB. He responded well to anti-TB treatment and so the doctors stopped his treatment. The course is an 8 month one. They treated him for 3! It could only happen in Sierra Leone. It was only later that we understood exactly what had gone on.
During his treatment around this time, he was also detected as Hep C positive which is a sure killer for 85% of cases if left untreated. At one point, we were told he might live for a year if handled carefully! Thanks to the intervention of some UK volunteers and their families, Jimiyke was taken for assessment to the UK. Extraordinarily, he turned out to be one of the 15% who self heal and he was eventually declared fit and well.
TB is deceptive though. Because he had started the anti-TB treatment, the infection had gone underground and could not be detected. It came back though. Earlier in 2010, an enormous TB abscess developed on his back which eventually put so much pressure on his spine that he lost the use of his legs. I could not tell him so, but my doctor friends were telling us that there was little likelihood he would ever regain movement.
He is not fully fully recovered and still experiences some pain at times; he is not playing football yet but he walked several miles with me on the beach during the holidays and this is him dancing the new year in with the usual smile in place!

Jimiyke continues to be a role model to his companions. He is making great strides in his IT competences and is taking a strong lead in developing the IT department across the programme. We wish him every success in his future and a happy healthy 2011 and more.
If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

The New Year birthday boys

2011-01-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

Yahyah Kamara and Musa Bundu, both 19 on 1st January 2011. Yahyah is head boy and Musa is his deputy. Delightful and highly intelligent boys, they are also products of the EducAid Magbeni Junior Secondary School.

Why do we carry on battling against the odds in a community as difficult as Magbeni? Yahyah and Musa are examples of the answer. Musa's older brother Ibrahim Bai Bundu and his friend and colleague Foday Kargbo are two more. These two, having finished their senior secondary exams at EducAid Lumley are now teaching back in Magbeni while pursuing a distance teacher training course. Bai Bundu shared equal first position in their first year exams last week.

We wish Yahyah and Musa happy birthday and a very positive 2011. May they continue to be an example to all their younger colleagues following in their footsteps, using education to climb out of poverty.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Paradise and back!

2011-01-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

Early morning in paradise. The unromantically named Number 2 River Beach is one of the most gorgeous places imaginable. Two days with nothing to do but read, swim, play, eat and drink, it was hard to imagine there were places in trouble in the same world.

Maybe needless to say, the illusion did not last long. After two days of idyll, it feels as if we have had three days of war. Quite apart from in-law troubles, we have had a very full couple of days up-country getting the Magbeni 50+ year old Sheik arrested for marrying a 14 year old girl who he seduced out of the women's project; getting the Magbeni community to guarantee that they will no longer support such behaviour; persuading Port Loko Teachers' College to treat our students fairly; sorting out the sleeping arrangements of the growing number of littluns in Maronka; checking the three building projects still underway; persuading the paramount chief in Port Loko, at long last, to sign the Rolal land documents so that we can register the Rolal school and so on........

It will be a very happy day when we can take for granted the good will of our supposed partners in development.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

I think Father Christmas has been.......

2010-12-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve celebration in the library before bedtime for little people.

Full fat socks everywhere.

And more and more of them.....

Somebody's been busy tonight.

ABJ has found something with his name on it.

Tee getting to the bottom of his sock.

When we sent home all those that had another home to go to, we found we still had quite a houseful for Christmas. There were 50+ of us celebrating together but Father Christmas managed to get to everyone.

Simple pleasures!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Jennifer too.....and in style!

2010-12-23T03:27:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Thomas, left EducAid in 2006 and
graduated Dec 2010 from Fourah Bay College, Freetown.

While Moses has stayed at the heart of EducAid throughout his studies, Jennifer lived in her family home and was not so frequently to be seen.

It is great though to see that, despite all the enormous pressures against girls and women pursuing an education, some of our EducAid girls are starting to come out at the top end of the system too.

Jennifer Thomas graduated on the same day as Moses with a first class Economics degree; the first woman to have achieved such a distinction in ten years.

We congratulate her on her achievement and wish her all success in the future. May she put her newly found knowledge to great effect and be part of the battle for change across this nation. If the economics of Sierra Leone are allowed to function in transparency, we will indeed see the progress we all desire.

Congratulations Jennifer. Well done and keep up the fight. The EducAid girls following in your footsteps need you as a role model. Please don't forget them.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Another one takes to the road but differently!

2010-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

Richard Johnson, frequent visitor to Sierra Leone for work purposes, has been supporting EducAid in many ways over the last few years.

This time he is hot footing it round Edinburgh on our behalf.
Have a look at his webpage:
http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/richardfnjohnson

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Musa hits the road but Moses is at the end of his journey!

2010-12-13T10:40:00.001-08:00

The ceremonies begin.

Carried away by his excited EducAid colleagues.

Mammy Yabundu (Alhassan's mother) with one of her many adopted children.

One proud Moses!

A well-earned party!

Queueing to receive their reward.

Moses, founder pupil of EducAid as of September 2000, has graduated. This achievement represents the most extraordinary battle with corruption and incompetence that boggle any mind used to tertiary institutions elsewhere.

Independent observers have examined Moses' work and considered him worthy of a first in your average British university but, unwilling to bribe his way through, Moses has struggled to the last to be awarded his degree. Only 9 out of the original 48 in the class made it through. In any other establishment, such a record would mean the teacher got the sack. Not in Sierra Leone.

Moses more than deserves his degree and we wish him every success in all his plans for the future. He is keen to use his opportunities to be part of the change. May there be many to stand beside him and bring the desperately needed integrity to this suffering nation.

Great thanks go too, to those who have financially supported Moses through thick and thin. All Moses' abilities would have been wasted without their generosity and love.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

And another one takes to the road!

2010-12-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

Musa Koroma, former EducAid student won a scholarship to go to study engineering in Russia some months ago. It has been an almighty challenge to get from that point to the point of actual departure never mind arrival in situ.

After endless delays due to diplomatic problems between the two governments, numerous additional charges to ensure his place not being lost and then en route [via Egypt! where his laptop got smashed and he was forced to use most of his small cash supply to buy a return ticket in order to avoid deportation back to Sierra Leone] Musa has now arrived in Veronish, Russia.

He is due to learn Russian for 6 months and then to settle in to engineering studies in his newly acquired language. Some good news is that a former EducAid teacher has gone ahead of him and is doing his masters studies in Moscow and has taken a hand in looking after him and also a young Angolan student is sharing his room with him and seems ready to protect his interests too.

This is clearly an amazing opportunity for Musa if he can get through these very difficult early stages. He leaves behind the extraordinarily corrupt Sierra Leonean tertiary system and can look forward to acquiring a genuine and genuinely useful qualification.

Great thanks go to Musa's British sponsors who continue to cover half of his costs in order to make this opportunity possible. This represents a significant commitment and generosity.

We wish Musa all the very best and all courage as he goes into this new challenge, opportunity and cultural shock! Musa comes originally from a small village in the far east of Sierra Leone. Since his father died, the rest of his family have disowned him. It is only his education that will enable him to stand alone and make a life for himself, overcoming the poverty of his origins.

Musa full of a mixture of excitement and trepidation, takes his leave of staff and students on the day of his departure.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Amae Creation supports EducAid Sierra Leone

2010-12-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

Great thanks and appreciation go to my French cousin by marriage, Caroline Rittener. Caroline is the creative spirit and brain behind Amae Creation [website: http://AmaeCreation.com].

Caroline's new enterprise is in Spain but she is also keen to ensure that she has a positive impact elsewhere too. Amae donates 5€ to Educaid Sierra Leone for each of the beautiful Luna pendants that are sold.

A special design for a special cause

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to: www.educaid.org.uk

A flavour of life at EducAid Lumley.

2010-11-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

French / British lawyer, Marie-Aimée, has just got back to the UK after a stint in Sierra Leone working on Justice Sector Reform. (There is, as I am sure you can imagine, significant need for it!)

She has done some fantastic work with the girls looking at self-esteem and how it can affect their relationships. She has also spent time with the whole school working on how the law works in a democracy.

Her photos are on the link below and give a great taste of life around the Lumley School.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mabrajeux/Educaid#

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoenans, please go to: www.educaid.org.uk

20 things you wouldn't do!

2010-11-25T05:22:00.000-08:00

......unless it was for a good cause!

Alex Ehegartner [head of citizenship at Stockport Grammar School] and for mysterious reasons, otherwise known as Mister E, had groups of youngsters hurtling round the place, making large amounts of noise and mess and raising equally large amounts of money for EducAid.

SGS have been supporting EducAid for over 3 years now. Alex himself has visited Sierra Leone with his wife. This year they more than doubled their last year's output and raised over £5000.

They managed to rope in two other schools: Stockport School and Harrytown RC School. Harrytown walked away with the honours and beat the other teams hands down.

Congratulations goes to everyone involved.

Have a look at their antics on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xN5ot89YCc

They were fishing for beads in custard, bobbing for boiled eggs in basins of water, mummifying each other with toilet paper - eurggh! But.....all in a very good cause!

Many thanks and good luck for the next round!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work in Sierra Leone, please go to: www.educaid.org.uk

Grand Opening

2010-10-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

This week, on a hot, humid and sunny morning in Port Loko the Furlonge EducAid Senior Secondary School was opened.

Peter Furlonge who, with his brother, had financed the construction, came specially with some friends and colleagues from the UK to officially open the new senior secondary school which has been built on the same site as the junior secondary school.

The students had prepared powerpoint presentations in their various clubs: The Virtual Palaeontologists, The Virtual Explorers, The Believers in Action, The Scientists, The Girl Power Group, The Librarians and so on. The White Ribbon Campaign signed all the men up for the international campaign for men against violence against women. The Mathemagicians explained all their maths games and the drama group put on a mini play about the importance of educating girls. A couple of keen science students did some practical demonstrations in the science lab. &....there were brief and encouraging speeches from the key players: the donor of the land [generally known as HK], the donor of the construction money [Peter], and the conduit for the money - CEO of Children in Crisis [Koy Thompson].

The Ministry of Education were not represented. Would it by cynical to wonder if this is because of the lack of income likely to be derived, for anyone within the ministry, from a free school??? The opening ceremonies of private schools are usually fairly well attended by MoE officials!

The ceremony as such was very informal and the overall effect was pleasing. The students were inspirational in their enthusiasm for education and the confidence with which they spoke. The visitors seemed pleased with all they saw and have indicated a desire for on-going involvement in the project.

Staff and students worked hard behind the scenes to get the displays and presentations ready and indeed, sweeping and painting and clearing the building. Congratulations to all involved.

The first floor of the new building is finished. We plan to go up another floor before roofing and to establish the whole site as a centre of excellence for secondary teaching that teachers from all over the district can come and visit. Our dreams for Rolal and the community are many and we hope that, through the powerful tool that is education, real and sustainable prosperity may be achieved for this community and beyond.

Georgie cuts the ribbon and officially opens the school.

Rupert, Georgie and Stefan observing the science practicals.

Peter, conscious of the importance of ICT for real education, was delighted to find computers in use in the new school.

Koy enjoying a game of 'Trilemma' with the Mathemagicians, a short time before he explained his vision of Sierra Leone in 20 years time with a female president who would have been educated in the Furlonge EducAid Senior Secondary School.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

A battle for the mind

2010-10-10T03:55:00.000-07:00

There are large numbers of Sierra Leonean youngsters who were taken off into the war and forced to do unspeakable things and who are still suffering from the effects.

The majority get little help beyond the long finished 6 month official disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation programmes. Equally, most go on into life with many key issues never having been addressed, living in the margins of society in and out of crime and detention.

We see some of our youngsters grasp the opportunity of education as a means out of their old lifestyle and a way of putting their old life behind them but for others there is a psychological battle that is much harder than just learning to read and write.

I had a heart-breaking conversation with one of our young men the other day. He has come on in leaps and bounds from when he first came to us. He was a tough cookie who kept himself to himself. It always seemed to me that he was on rebel alert at all times. You could imagine him, at the drop of a hat, taking off with his ever present rucksack on his back, never to be seen again.

His academic progress has been good and he has sat the first round of public exams but then seemed to come to a stand still.

It has taken some time for us to realise that a significant part of the problem is that he knows what he has done. He knows how terrible the things are that he did. He knows that many people would judge him as beyond hope, if they knew the things he has done. He himself is finding it all but impossible to see himself in any other light than as the perpetrator of terrible deeds.

This young man, at the age of ten, watched his friends being shot in front of him for crying and for refusing to take a gun. Yet, he cuts himself no slack for the conditions under which he agreed to fight and can not forgive himself. He sees himself as 'that sort of person' now. I found myself pleading with him to think back to who he was and how he was, before the war and to acknowledge that he was not always so. I pleaded with him to allow himself to move on and see himself in a different light, to believe he could leave that behind and be true to his real self which does not like violence.

It has become slowly clear that the self-perception of many of these young ex-combatants is generally the greatest barrier to progress for them. He is doing well so far. He has shown great determination to persist in his studies and become someone new but the battle is not over for him yet. He fears the judgement of others and still judges himself. The whole international community judges child fighters as victims of war. Let it be hoped that he too will allow himself some peace and start to see him as I see him: a young man of resilience and courage who has overcome appalling violence and trauma and who has dared to grow in new ways and take hold of new opportunities. On this more positive view, there will surely be a foundation for the building of something great.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

The young entrepreneurs

2010-09-29T00:52:00.001-07:00

Rightly proud of their achievement!
Another happy Maronka tale...

Maronka continues to be a community where everyone can do their best. We started a primary school, pretty much by mistake, some six years ago when we gave the chief some blackboards and chalk to start some alphabet classes for the little ones who were to small to walk to the nearby government school. Now we run a school for 120+ children from around the whole area and further afield.

We have taken over 20 children from all sorts of difficult backgrounds and the staff team [nearly all our ex-students] and the chief, Obai Santigie, with the village community, raise them as their own. Little by little, we have seen some really awkward children be turned round and enabled to become their 'best selves'.

Across the country, the culture of dependence and helplessness has been generated by the omnipresence of the International NGOs [non governmental organisations - what we used to call charities]. In contrast, education is a key development and empowerment activity and can undermine this tendency.

I came across an admirable sign of enterprise the other day: a couple of the lads who have been through the primary school and are now making their way each day to the secondary school in Rolal [3 miles away] have taken things into their own hands. They are neither of them particularly academic but the whole atmosphere in EducAid is so positive and supportive that whatever your skills and abilities they are recognised and encouraged. Off their own bat, these two have made enough charcoal and sold it to buy themselves bikes which they now use to reduce the trek to school.

This is a great sign for their future survival and their willingness to help themselves. All they needed was a helping hand to stand up. Well done both!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Just another weekend in Sierra Leone

2010-09-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Jimiyke in serious discomfort in the Connaught hospital, almost certainly due to the misjudgement of the doctors who took care of him in Freetown last year; picking up the pieces after Macsud's death last week - e.g. checking on little 'Hip-Hop' who was with him when he died and who suffers equally from sickle cell himself; a fire due to bad electrical connections at the Magbeni school....and all this alongside two big celebrations.

It seems to me that this must be key to the extraordinary spirit of resilience here in Sierra Leone. Right along with all the disasters - the hardest you can imagine - there is still an ability to celebrate the good and recognise opportunities for hope.

Jimiyke - in hospital but in good spirits despite his discomfort.

Jimiyke has had a really tough 18 months, having nearly died of probable TB last year, and having been treated with only half the treatment [good old Sierra Leonean doctors!] he has had a serious relapse and with an abscess putting pressure on his spinal cord, has had partial loss of the use of his legs. He is in hospital again and back on the TB drugs which are expected to have an impact on his legs in the next couple of weeks. The Connaught Hospital is the most depressing place imaginable, though. He has seen 4 men die in his ward since he was admitted 10 days ago.

Young Macsud, who died 2 weeks ago.

Macsud's friends and family are obviously still very conscious of his loss 2 weeks ago and the complete futility of his death at such a young age but they battle on with their own lives and commit to continuing his fight for progress and against corruption in his name.

Magbeni nearly lost their entire building due to some sparks from a bad electrical connection in the store, on a bag of charcoal with drops of fuel all around!! Two bikes were lost but not a lot else, thanks to the immediate action of the staff team and students when they realised there was a problem.

Might not look that bad now but I think we were very lucky it was not a lot worse, and it would have been if it had been left any longer.

And amongst all of this, EducAid celebrated its 10th birthday and opened a new school!

EducAid has been contracted to run a school near Waterloo for 'A Call to Business' in Rogbere.

The British High Commissioner attending the EducAid 10th birthday Open Day and talking to some of the group 2+ students.

The science students displaying their investigating abilities during the Open Day.

And in stark contrast, some unexpected good news!

2010-09-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Augustine Bundor, doctor in training.

Two years in a row, we have had young medical students [EducAid graduates], who we knew to be excellent and diligent, kicked out of the medical college at the point of entry into the medical school proper i.e. after 2 very expensive but obligatory preparatory years.

No questions were permitted as to the reasons for their failure and it was clear that there had been some very untoward playing with the results of various of their classmates. There has been a change in personnel at the top end of the administration of the college, with two heads of the institution being investigated on corruption charges.

Today, against our greatest fears, we have the very exciting news that Augustine has crossed that hurdle and has passed with 2 distinctions, 1 credit and 1 pass. Let's hope he will be allowed to continue through to the end now and will be able to play the role he so desires in bringing changes to the medical situation in the country.

Congratulations Augustine! We wish you every success in your on-going studies!

For a little more about Augustine please go to: http://www.educaid.org.uk/EducAid_Sierra_Leone/Augustine_Bundor.html

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Macsud Bangura [RIP]

2010-09-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of Macsud's 'lifeline' constructed by him in November 2008. The rocks indicate the hard things. The flowers indicate the happy things. The green rope indicates the passing of time. Clearly life had been getting better. Now it has been prematurely cut short.

Early this morning, Macsud Bangura [16] died, it appears, of a sickle cell crisis that affected his chest and he stopped breathing. Could anything more have been done for him? We will probably never know. This is Sierra Leone. He will be buried this afternoon.

An intelligent young man full of potential, who was committed not only to his studies but to being part of the solution and the transformation of this country. He was a member of a number of clubs and societies in the school, particularly noteworthy and poignant is his active participation in the 'Leaders in Training' group.

http://www.educaid.org.uk/EducAid_Sierra_Leone/Leaders_in_Training.html

May God give him 'good road.' May God console his family and friends.

May we who are left behind continue to fight for justice and equality here.

If you wish to know more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Worth all the hard work!

2010-09-08T14:15:00.001-07:00

The WASSCE results are out.

Sierra Leonean students sit NPSE at the end of primary school, BECE at the end of Junior Secondary School [Key Stage 3 equivalent] and WASSCE at the end of Senior Secondary School [i.e. university entrance qualifying exams].

In general, the pass rates across the country are more than dismal. On average, countrywide, 40% pass the BECE and only 17% of candidates achieve a pass in the WASSCE. It is against this background that we are able to proudly announce that, once again, 100% of EducAid's candidates have passed their WASSCE. [We are still waiting for the BECE results.]

The reason we are particularly proud of this persistent achievement is that our students are youngsters who are, in every way, fighting on the back foot. Most of them pursue their education against a back drop of really difficult family and home circumstances. Most of them have had several years out of education for lack of fees, because of the war or due to other family priorities etc... Most of them know that, without an education, their chances on controlling their own lives are almost zero.

Yahyah, thinking his way through his physics practical exam. All well worth the effort today as he receives the good news.

Yahyah A Kamara's result is especially noteworthy. He has achieved 9 credits out of 9. A fantastic achievement! We wish him every success in his future endeavours and we very much hope that it will be possible to find sponsorship for him to continue his studies. He is at present serving as a junior member of staff in one of the EducAid schools and is helping other youngsters access meaningful education.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Man City Blues supporters visit EducAid

2010-09-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Tony Griffiths, long term supporter of EducAid, has been back in Freetown for the first time in some years visiting the Manchester City supporters' club here.

Tony introduced some of his team to EducAid. Here is the report of their visit.

http://sierraleonemcfc.blogspot.com/2010/09/school-visits-on-friday.html

After their eye-opening / eye watering experience, let's hope our relationship with them will continue to blossom!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Go Girls Go!

2010-09-03T02:37:00.000-07:00

Jess Broadhurst [long time EducAid supporter] and her friend Lorna are in action: Land's End to John O Groats raising funds for EducAid.

Fantastic job!

Greatly appreciated.

Have a look at what they are up to on their blog: http://jess-lorna.blogspot.com/

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

A little oasis of education in a scholastic desert

2010-08-31T00:08:00.000-07:00

A big cleaning and organising task, sorting construction and other toys for the resource library.

Making sure that the education that goes on inside our new building is just as excellent as the building itself.
The North of Sierra Leone has traditionally neglected education in favour of trade. The main towns of Kambia, Makeni and Port Loko have few schools offering what we might recognise as a good education. Although there are pockets of teachers of good will striving to do their best against incredible odds, no-one has given them access to updated thinking or materials for many moons, if ever. The result is that, at all levels, the quality of what is on offer leaves a lot to be desired. It is not even an aim or an issue to be developing creative, independent thinkers and learners.

Training of the primary school staff in Maronka has started and we are seeing some real improvements in teaching and learning.

We have also started offering this training to a few other teachers in the Port Loko district and are putting in place a significant resource library.

Materials donated and purchased from the UK that can be used to develop our students' creativity, strategic and critical thinking, imaginations as well as literacy, numeracy and independence are available for some of the poorest children in the world. There seems no good reason why they too should not access what we would take for granted in a school in the west.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk.

UK volunteers getting stuck in

2010-08-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

In height order...Flex, Alice, Becky and Kofi.

All the rice is gone anyway!
Flex and Becky have got stuck in to life in Magbeni. Although the staff and students are very welcoming, it is not as easy as it sounds. Magbeni in rainy season is even more cut off than it usually is. There is no internet connection and no phone coverage unless you trek up the hill half an hour. The 5 mile long road from the tarmac main highway is a muddy track which is all but unpassable in anything other than a 4 x 4 for great stretches.

James Burnford is a returnee, having spent a term in Magbeni last year. He too is back into action and apparently enjoying all the challenges once more.

They are working hard with the provisional exam group, the Women's Project and as many others as they can squeeze in. Most of their attention goes on literacy but there are opportunities for creativity with murals on the classroom walls, drama productions and talent shows.

They are doing a great job and are very much appreciated by all. Shame [from our point of view at least : )] that they won't be staying for longer!

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

A suitable and long-lasting memorial

2010-08-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

Oil palm seedling.

Coconut seedlings breaking through the undergrowth.

There was much generosity shown last year when people gathered in the UK for a memorial mass after Alhassan died. A significant amount of money was donated to EducAid in his memory. I have been searching for an appropriate way of using the money that will suitably uphold his beliefs and hopes and keep his memory alive.

Alhassan was very fond of the village, Maronka, where our little primary school is located. He was proud of the progress that had been made there and was very much loved by the chief and community. He was also unusual for his culture in his concern to see women's progress and dignity upheld. We have decided that one way of recognising these things and that work in harmony with all we are trying to achieve in assisting the youngsters in this community would be to use the money to help the women in the Maronka community with the development of a plantation. Accordingly, 110 coconut seedlings and 96 oil palm seedlings were planted last week. We are also optimistic that Maronka will be included in a new project growing Moringa for the export market.

Moringa seeds - the beginnings of a new venture.

Moringa seedlings - the miracle plant which cures so many ills.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Just so we are clear......

2010-08-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Just so we are clear that the work is all there to be done still.... there is no justice, there is no equal access to health care. The work ahead to achieve 21st century standards of human rights is enormous.

e.g. Mammy Yabundu, Alhassan's mother - a very unusual 70+ [no-one really knows her age - least of all her!] has buried two husbands, both her sons, two of her daughters in their infancy and her 2 year old grandson some ten years ago. She is a tough cookie. She prays her 5 daily prayers. She scolds and grumbles at the school kids who 5 years ago invaded her life and is number one advocate for mercy when anyone of them gets themselves in trouble. The day before Alhassan's first anniversary she also lost her first grandson, aged 31. What did he die of? A pain in his chest! More than that is anyone's guess.

While we quietly get on with grieving for Alhassan's absence, around us there are endless stories of loss and suffering: young parents leaving their children, young men and women leaving their families without the breadwinner, young healthy women dying in childbirth and so on.

Until there is an educated population that can hold their doctors and nurses to account we will continue to see these events as daily normality. We continue the battle and so long as we are clear that when we educate we involve ourselves in a battle, maybe we will start to see some progress.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

1 year today from when I lost my beloved Alhassan

2010-08-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

Many happy memories of our little rainbow family.

1 year ago today, I was woken at 4 by Alhassan feeling unwell and wanting me to bring food. Reassured by the doctor that they would take care of him and he was fine, I went back to sleep. 2 hours later, the other doctor called, knowing that I am the driver, asking if there was someone who could drive me in.

Now, it feels like years and years since I held Alhassan for the last time, his body still warm but all life gone. A terrible painful unforgettable moment.

Since then, on so many occasions, I have turned to tell him something, or to phone him, to share a joke, a concern, a fear..... It used to take my breath away all over again when I would realise once more that it could never be again. It has been like learning to breathe again. I am learning though and thanks to the great love and support of so many, we have been able to keep moving forwards, and furthering a cause that Alhassan was so proud to be involved in.

Alhassan was a very special man, with a love for life and a love for people that made him beloved by so many. I may not have considered myself fortunate this time last year but I know now that I was lucky to have had him and be loved by him, even if our time together was so short.

I will never forget him. I will never stop loving him. It will be a while before my tears are completely dried. I believe I am not alone. He was brother, father and friend to so many. Kofi, without whom I would have been so lost this year, is the most special gift from him I could ever have.

To all the students, staff, and friends who loved and appreciated Alhassan and who, with me, miss him still now, Kofi and I extend our thanks for all your support, strength and love. May we all continue, faithful to his memory, to fight for a just and peaceful Sierra Leone where every life has value and where death is kept for the very old and for unavoidable disasters.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Justice Salone style

2010-08-05T01:10:00.000-07:00

The two faces of the poverty in Sierra Leone - the lack of health care and the lack of justice.

We are conscious of the battering ram of needless deaths which demonstrate all too ably the terrible state of health care in Sierra Leone. Here are a couple of examples of the appalling state of justice:

15 year old girl [she had her birthday a couple of weeks ago] taken from her family in Guinea by an aunt who had no children of her own and wanted to raise her. After some time the aunt got fed up with paying school fees for her and set her to work, despite her previous promises to the girl's parents. After trying for many weeks to persuade her aunt, the girl, in desperation, stole Le200,000 [approx £40] to pay for her fees and to buy some books [she still has all the receipts.]

The aunt discovered the loss and took her to the police, accused her of stealing Le800,000 and told the police to lock her up.

Whenever her case comes up in court the aunt refuses to attend the session. The court is so ineffective that they have not issued a subpoena. 'Defence for Children International' [DCI] whose work it is to protect children in conflict with the law, have shown no interest in her case at all and 4 months later she is still in prison because she had the audacity to want an education despite being a girl in Sierra Leone.

Middle aged mother of three [aged six, twelve and seventeen] comes from Guinea to Sierra Leone to visit family and undertake some trading. The police do a raid of the area she is staying in and fail to catch the marijuana traders so collect anyone they can to satisfy their bosses that they have not been sleeping. She has no lawyer, no powerful friends and no justice. She has been given a twenty year sentence and has not seen her children for years.

Justice is imperfect in all countries. In Sierra Leone, it is non-existent.

EducAid hopes to be able to help by a. providing classes to the women while they are in custody [contracted by AdvocAid]; b. providing a home and education for the 15 year old as soon as a means can be found to get her discharged; c. providing a home and education to the children of the 2nd woman so that she has at least some peace of mind as to her children's future while she is not there to protect them.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

The beginning of a dream being fulfilled.

2010-08-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

Interactive games for literacy learning.

The teachers engage with a range of activities that they will be able to take back into class.

Enjoying testing and timing each other.

Long and short vowels games.

In February this year Forut handed over a beautiful new school building to EducAid in Maronka. A dream was born. EducAid has traditionally focused on secondary education but it has become very clear over the years that the needs at primary level too are very real in terms of quality thinking education. We decided to start to work on really ensuring that the quality of the education we provide in Maronka was just as beautiful as the building in which it takes place. Our hope was that we could start providing some training for nearby teachers from other primary schools and that Maronka could serve as a centre of excellence.

We have not finished all that we need to do to make this a reality but we have started. Teachers came from 3 other schools and joined the Maronka teachers and started a process of exposure to more interactive, engaging and thinking ways of teaching literacy, independent writing and numeracy.

'I enjoyed the workshop for it is very important,' said one visiting teacher who had travelled 60+ miles in order to attend.

We plan to provide some support in terms of supervision to see what things are being implemented from the training and do some follow up in their locations as well as providing a resource library that schools can come and sign for games and materials for a period. As they say in Salone.....small small...small small..... One step at a time. Let's hope we can help the youngsters in the Port Loko district have a greater chance of gaining a meaningful foundation in education on which can be built fully participating, thinking citizens.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Baby Deen's 'Pull na do'

2010-07-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

Family Deen with their new family member: baby James [named after Dr James Boardman, co-founder and chairman of EducAid].

The EducAid family at the naming ceremony.

Pastor Aruna Bangura prays for Baby James Deen.

Mohamed Deen Tarawally has taught Economics at EducAid for over 5 years and his wife, Widad teaches in the Women's Project. Baby number 2 arrived safely last month. The naming ceremony was a very joyous occasion when the rains stood back and gave the opportunity for much dancing and fun. We congratulate the Deens and wish little James all the very best.