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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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