Ezekiel graduates

Graduation Day - Congratulations on the wonderful achievement!

He's usually a lot smilier than this - must have been the awe of the occasion!
When EducAid first started its own school on 18th September, 2000 with 20 assorted youngsters, on the back veranda of a house I rented, Ezekiel was one of the founding pupils. He had not been to school for seven years and had not expected to ever finish his education.

Ezekiel has been teaching in Magbeni since September and is really making sure that his education is put to good use. He graduated with a Higher Teachers' Certificate last week and we are all very proud of his achievement against all the odds.

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

Interactive International lessons on the tube

Jimiyke has now returned to base after his 6 month tour of the UK where he caused quite a stir as he spoke to young people across the country about his experiences of the war and his rehabilitation through education since.

He took part on many occasions in interactive lessons between schools in the UK and EducAid schools and is now on 'Youtube' as he participates in a lesson between Stockport Grammar School and St Joseph's Convent in Karachi, Pakistan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc_00pYRLjM

''It has been fantastic to see the Video Conference that happened with St Joseph's in Pakistan. Naseema wrote to tell us that the session really had a big impact on her and her students.'' says Chris of rafi.ki.

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

Amazon Queen

Shortly after Alhassan died I discovered the joys of online shopping. [I might despise the theory of retail therapy but the reality is that it still works!] Since then, I have become one of Amazon's most active customers. It is quite a performance getting stuff here still but I generally abuse the offices of any visitor and tell them to bring hand luggage only - I can then make use of their 40kg hold luggage allowance. Kofi and I, Adrian, Swithun and Tony have all come into Lungi laden to the gills in the last few months. And today, a new range of 'clubs' go online using all the materials I have mouse clicked to purchase.............

I am quite excited at the thought of getting this whole range of new stuff into the kids' hands: Virtual Astronomers, The Darwinians, History in Action, Virtual Explorers and so on....

Youngsters here struggle to access reading materials beyond ancient text books, that would have been binned long since, in any other country. They also have drummed out of them any spirit of inquiry from an early age. Any questions asked in class [in traditional schools here i.e. non EducAid schools] are treated as an insubordinate attempt at embarrassing the teacher. Copying is where it is at. Don't think! Don't ask questions! Be quiet and copy!

A teacher writes on the board or dictates. A good teacher writes on the board or dictates A LOT!

The EducAid teachers are now proud of the difference between the thinking education that they provide in comparison with the mindless thing on offer elsewhere but it was a battle to win them over initially. It is far more challenging to provide learning opportunities to develop skills and attitudes than it is to regurgitate your college notes for the copying thereof.

The new clubs are part of our on-going endeavour to broaden the scope of our youngsters' education, to enable them to cope on a global platform and at global standards. This means to help them leave school having developed a whole range of skills which will serve them in the real world and serve the real economic and democratic needs of the country.

The staff preparing to launch activities......

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

Bad timing on the Icelandic Ash!

So tempting to ask, 'Why me?!!!!' but it is me + how many thousand [million??? not sure] others.

The teacher training materials for the 2nd module are finished today and I should be on a plane out of the heat and the very confused dry / rainy season that has started here! but No!!!

Icelandic volcanic ash has it in for my fundraising plans, and I am still here!

Whenever I do get out though, the programme will be left in very good hands. It feels like a significant step in the right direction that I can leave 1400 youngsters pursuing their education and 50 odd staff supervising them across 4 schools and be confident that nothing wildly out of order will happen and not be appropriately handled or that any significant momentum drop will occur while I am away. This has to be the bottom line for real development, that it can all happen with or without a western presence.

It was a battle to get the Leadership Team to believe that they would not be sacked for trying to nick my job if they showed initiative - the traditional response to any signs of original thinking, taking responsibility or otherwise admirable employee behaviour!

Now, there is not a great worry about what will happen when I am away fundraising in the UK. The leadership team are more than able to handle the day to day running of the school and to take initiatives to deal with arising issues! Success, by my estimation anyway.

The more than competent leadership team in Lumley.

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

Rafi.ki

Rafi.ki is an intra schools online learning community platform [or something like that!] Rafi.ki and EducAid have become good friends over the last 12 months or so as they have linked us in with a variety of projects and as we became the face [ok Jimiyke became the face] of some of their conflict diamonds work.

Through them, we have interacted with a variety of schools across the world. Currently they are running a photo competition. Here are our entries .....we will see how we get on!

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

Exam fever starts

Oral English exams last week, science practicals this week. Oh bliss! Oh joy!

Helping EducAid Help

A few months ago, we started being contacted by those who had visited the excellent 'stuff your rucksack' website, where our link is: http://www.stuffyourrucksack.com/find/Recipient.aspx?RecipientId=253

A variety of people coming into Sierra Leone visiting friends or on work missions have brought all sorts of invaluable books, clothes, stationery etc.

Today, I was contacted by Frangle who have set up something similar for the German and Austrian market [or at least I think that is what it said - my German is somewhat dismal!] and here again is the link: http://frangle.org/3-0-1-162-Wo+kann+ich+helfen.html

Many thanks to both organisations and their initiatives. They are both greatly appreciated. Even on our budget, we can get most of the basic things but, unaided, it is very difficult to access the more thought provoking books, dvd videos and other such material. Increasingly our holistic / enrichment programme is becoming a key part of what we do. http://www.educaid.org.uk/EducAid_Sierra_Leone/Holistic_Education.html

We do not want to be achieving a standard that is ok for Sierra Leone but that is good to excellent for anywhere in the world. Accessing good materials beyond what is locally available is thus absolutely essential.

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