Drivers needed

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

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!

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                     

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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!

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

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