Wednesday, January 2, 2013

A great example of education destroying poverty

My Profile
My name is Alpha Alhaji Bangura. I was born in 11th October 1994 in Makabie village Koya Chiefdom Portloko District I came from an extended family of twenty-one children. I am the fourteenth child and the only one that has reached this level of education (the exams that qualified me to enter university). My parents are both local farmers as are my elder brothers and sisters.
I started attending school in the year 2002 just after the war in Sierra Leone. I sat to my National Primary Examination(NPSE) in 2005 i.e. the exams that qualified me to enter the junior secondary school and there was no way to further my education because my parents have not got money for me to further my education.  My father sent to a man who promised to help me with my educational issues, who later on used me to do his business (selling Coal). I had to return to my parent and later on decided to join them going to the farm. Thereafter my father heard about Educ-Aid school and what the school is doing for pupils whose parents are unable to pay their school fees to further their education.  I was not enthusiastic at first because there was no uniform and the school was not a well known one. 
Life In EducAid School
I entered EducAid junior secondary school in November 2005. I was walking from my village to school every morning which was six miles. Sometimes I used to go to school very late and because of that my teachers asked me to join as a home student and I had to join. I sat to my Basic Educational Examinations Certificate in 2007(BECE) i.e. the exams that qualified me to enter senior secondary school and Miriam Mason Sesay took us to Freetown, Lumley where I continued my senior secondary schooling. I had wanted to take my West Africa Senior Secondary Schools Examinations (WASSCE) in 2010 but Miriam did not allow me.  According to her she said she does not want us to under achieve. I was frustrated and she encouraged me to continue with my studies and I did. I later on sat to the exams in 2011 and I got a university requirement because my result was excellent so I was glad.
I joined as a Junior Staff for 2011 to 2012 and I was sent to Educ-Aid school magbeni where I came from. I was teaching Mathematics, Agricultural Science, Electronics and Integrated science and as well I was applying for scholarships at the Ministry of Education of Sierra Leone. I came back to Freetown in order to enter university and a friend called and told me that there is a scholarship advertised for science undergraduate students at the Ministry of education by the Kingdom of Morocco and I rushed and applied with my result, Merit certificate, Career Workshop certificate, Community service certificate and Self Employment certificate.
Scholarship
I was shortlisted and called for interview and the interview was successful and I was asked to go home and keep my phone on. If I was successful they would call me. I was called when the Kingdom of Morocco replied me. I was hoping the government would be responsible for everything without knowing that it is at my expense. Getting the scholarship is one thing. To go through the expenses is another. If it had not Miriam helping me throughout with the expenses I should have lost the scholarship because I have nobody to help with those kind of money. I was given the ticket on the 8th December 2012 and we travelled on the 9th December 2012.
We started the French course on 19th December 2012 and we were given audios to listen which will help us in the pronunciations and I have no computer at that time I had to ask Miriam. The scholarship is only responsible for the college fees only. Feeding, Lodging, School materials and Transportations is at our own cost.
Thanks and appreciation
We are grateful that you helped us with the computers. We really appreciate the role you are playing in our lives.
I would also like to extend my sincere appreciations to Miriam Mason Sesay and the Trustees of the Educ-Aid Sierra Leone.  Had it not been for them we should have been drop outs.
Alpha Bangura

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 

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