Is it progress or not?

The Human Development Reports [Annual reports prepared by the United Nations http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf] for 2009 are out. Last year, Sierra Leone was 179th out of 179 countries on the Human Development Index i.e. the poorest country in the world. The HDI ranks all countries, with statistics, according to a compound measure combining Gross Income per capita, school enrolment rates and average life expectancy.

Norway is 1st on the index, the United States rank 13th and the United Kingdom is 21st. This year, Sierra Leone no longer ranks as poorest of the poor. It is 180th out of 182. Does this represent progress or not?

Amnesty International is currently undertaking an investigation and exposé on maternal and infant mortality in the country. Any attempts at exposing the realities are rejected with vicious attacks in the local press. Corruption holds the whole country to ransom and it is hard to see where the progress might be, if there is any. The Anti Corruption Commission has an enormous task at hand.

A few drops of hope in an ocean of injustice....

On the one hand, things are pretty tough, coming back without Alhassan as guide and back up. It is hard having to face the day to day attrition of grinding poverty, the most powerful face of which is the daily category of meaningless and needless deaths. It is equally hard facing the wearing corruption, our latest contact with which is our tertiary students being frustrated by a total lack of transparency amongst the lecturers.

What sort of backwards thinking allows heads of departments to fail 85% of their students without either querying them or sacking them?

What sort of country, with such a terrible and fatal lack of qualified doctors, allows the college of medicine to kick out medical students without any warning, explanation or possibility of query?

I am even concerned that my mentioning this here may result in more direct targetting of EducAid students or of me. If you see me in the local press, having supposedly been discovered doing something outrageous, scandalous and illegal, do not be surprised. This is standard treatment of those who dare to question the ruthless elite here.

On the other hand, we are greatly encouraged by the goodwill and support from outside Sierra Leone. We have had wonderful support through the sponsorship of the cyclists. Children in Crisis are doing their best to get us support for much needed new buildings. There is the possibility, if we can get past the bureacracy etc. and get the primary school registered, of a new building from 'FORUT' [a funding organisation] for the Maronka school.

The current Maronka building.

Also, from within Sierra Leone, a female judge, new to the case, has after 18 months quashed the charges of 1st degree murder against the boy who inadvertently killed his cousin when having a fight. [For the original story please see the newsletter for September 2008 on this link: http://www.educaid.org.uk/EducAid_Sierra_Leone/News_files/Newsletter%20Sept%2008.]

This weekend, I was, at long last, allowed to take him into hiding in a far flung village where he can do some community service and continue his education. Nobody was arguing that he had done well in fighting and stabbing his cousin but the somewhat terrifying youth remand centre and a charge of 1st degree murder, rather than manslaughter, were most assuredly not justice either.

Admissions madness

Admissions with a difference in EducAid Lumley, Freetown!

Ground floor - Last minute revision before the final, final entrance exam.

Middle floor - continuing Junior Secondary students.

Top floor - Continuing Senior Secondary students.

Each year, the whole admissions process is somewhat unbelievable, with countless numbers applying for places in the EducAid schools. Often amongst them are many who have not meaningfully ever completed primary school, so are not able to come close to the appropriate standard. We test at the end of summer school, so that during the summer classes we can bring some of those who would be in our target population within range of secondary school work. This year, when we tested the new students at the end of summer school, we were really shocked at the poor standard of so many of the students, so we decided to give them a little more input before re-testing them. This has meant classes with standing room only for several weeks. On Monday we tested them again. Results were out this morning. Somewhat heart-breaking were the gleeful faces of those whose names were called and they realised they were being given a chance to continue with education. More heart-breaking were the faces of those whose names were not called, when they realised they weren't!

The girls who fail the entrance exam have joined the Women's Project and will work there until they are confident and competent enough to go to the mainstream classes. To the boys who fail the entrance exam, we have, reluctantly, to say 'Goodbye'. EducAid has, however, admitted over 250 new students to the Lumley school and over 100 students each in Magbeni and Rolal.

EducAid Magbeni - students packed in like sardines too!

We were initially disappointed but.....

5th in the country in the WASSCE [West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination] this year! .............

We still don't have the full picture as the overall results have not been sent to the schools yet, but a few of our students have accessed their results on line [great new facility here!]. On the whole, we have not been as impressed as we are used to being. We were conscious of a couple of issues which would have contributed to this being the case but even so.....

So, we were somewhat astonished to hear over the radio that we have come 5th in the country. It does rather tell us that the standard countrywide is not what it should be. It does also tell us that despite competing with the privileged and protected, our students, who come from some quite extraordinarily difficult circumstances and deprivation are achieving extremely well relative to general expectations. We continue to push for greater excellence and to combat all that will hold our students back and we will not be satisfied until we see all our students achieving their full potential, but meanwhile we are gently encouraged by their achievements despite the challenges.

We understand too that one of our students has one of the highest results in the country with 9 credits. We don't know who it is yet but, well done whoever!

The team rallies round

Saturday morning, when school kids all over the world enjoy a bit of a lie in and some time out.... EducAid Lumley was action stations. No dragooning, no Alhassan directing proceedings. There was a last minute request and they sorted themselves into teams: water fetching, 'bailing' of sand and buying of cement. The downstairs classroom was cleared and a production line set up. A couple of hours later and we had 250 bricks ready for the store construction.

Meanwhile in the new workshop, under the store to be, Murray and Mambu started work on a new set of tables and benches to accommodate the additional numbers we have acquired in the admissions process.

A great idea

I just thought I would share with you about something positive that we have been fortunate to benefit from.

The inspiration of Kate Humble [of Bradt Travel Guides], the www.stuff your rucksack.com website enables goodwilled travellers to go on their travels equipped with the necessary information to make maximum use of the spaces in their rucksacks.

We were the recipients a couple of weeks ago - I am only just picking up on everything now - of an exciting pile of carefully selected dvds and books to get our kids thinking. Thank you Kirsten [inspired traveller]. Thank you 'stuff your rucksack'.

Things to get them thinking!

http://www.stuffyourrucksack.com/find/Recipient.aspx?RecipientId=253

Beginning again.....

I have not been away from Sierra Leone for this long [5 weeks] since Kofi was born. It is very comforting to note how well the leadership team and the staff in general have developed since then. Lots of excellent work has been done and real professionalism and commitment has been demonstrated. We are very proud of the excellence of our staff. Few, if any, schools in Sierra Leone can boast of such a team.

Whole Staff training.

Back in the UK, there have been so many kindnesses from so many people. Kofi will be quite shocked to hit reality after the treats and presents he has received [knights parties, knight outfit and playsets, cars, Legoland, Brighton Pier, sheepdog trials complete with archery competitions, beautiful books and toys....] He also had a fantastic few days at St Simon's Primary School, where they could not be kinder in their absorption of him into all the Reception Class activities.

Spot the serious schoolboy!

And now it is time to find a new way forward. Kofi and I are returning to Sierra Leone, to formulate new plans and pick up the pieces, tomorrow. The witchcraft accusations still flourish but I trust the 'dreams' will have died down. There is so much real stuff to deal with, I hope it is going to be possible to get past the nonsense and get on with reality.

A very helpful step in preparing for our departure was last Saturday. A small group of assorted but dynamic women had a very creative day, making Girl Power Group materials for the network of young women we are starting to develop. There are three groups in Sierra Leone and we hope that many of our partner schools in the UK and elsewhere will also start their own groups and start inspiring each other to achieve something closer to their potential. For more information follow this link: http://www.educaid.org.uk/EducAid_Sierra_Leone/Girl_Power_Group.html

Please pray for us as we go back to Sierra Leone without Alhassan's day to day guidance, protection and support.