Women's Project girls - exam success encourages the others.

Some of this year's ex-women's project girls who sat and
passed their first round of public exams
along with a couple of their Women's Project teachers. 

It is always a big boost to the confidence of the girls coming up behind them when they see that it is an accomplishable feat!  Each year now more and more past women's project pupils show that it can be done.
When the girls enter the women's project [EducAid's catch up education programme for girls who have had their primary education neglected but who want to enter secondary school] the road ahead can look very long for some.  When they get this sort of example it makes a big difference to their confidence that it can be done.
Well done to this year's exam successes and good luck with the next stage!
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

Excellent job done!

Mohamed T Koroma

Key to our positive discipline systems are our merit and demerit cards.  One young man has truly entered into the spirit of the task at hand.  Mohamed T Koroma has completed his merit card with merits before the first half term of the year [and not a single demerit!]

A wonderful effort Mohamed - congratulations.

If you are interested in knowing any more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans please go to www.sierraleonegirls.blogspot.com and www.educaid.org.uk

One happy young man!

Yayah A Kamara

Yayah A Kamara - a quiet smiley member of the junior staff - has not only just won the much prized bag of rice for being the teacher with the best public exam results in this year's BECE but he has also just discovered that his dream will come true.
Yayah studied sciences and got very good results.  He has heard that a friend of EducAid's will pay for his studies in medical school.  Without this assistance such a step would be completely impossible for him.
We now have ex-EducAid students in all the major tertiary institutions in Sierra Leone thanks to friends of EducAid who choose to sponsor some of our bright young things who lack the financial means to achieve their potential unassisted.  We are very grateful for this help.  It is life transforming.
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

Isn't this what it is all about?

On our way!

Fantastic news.
After months of planning and hoping and meetings, calls and emails, we got the news today: 13 EducAid staff are on their way to the UK for a wonderful training opportunity.
A couple of years ago, the Steve Sinnott Foundation contacted me about collaborating on development education.
In the end, they decided to offer a training in London to our lead teachers in support of the new teacher training centre in Rolal.
Entirely funded by the SS Foundation,the selected staff will have 1 week being trained in teacher training techniques and another visiting some of our partner schools to see different teaching styles in operation.
Today we got the exciting news that the visas have all been granted and, amazingly, their tickets are still available.
There are some very happy staff going all out to get warm enough clothes to cope with the harsh realities of the UK in November. Action research cycle reports are being completed. The schools having started early on purpose will shut for a 2 week half term except for the exam kids and much more besides.
Kofi and I will be travelling at the same time for our usual fundraising trip and we are all really looking forward to having a fruitful and fun time in the big smoke.
Thanks especially to Sam and all the friends of EducAid who helped compile the documents we needed for the visa applications.

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

2nd in the country in the senior public exams

Generally speaking, the public exam results have been very disappointing country wide this year.  However, this has once again, not been the case in EducAid.

We have seen student after student come with absolutely excellent grades which opens the doors for their future.

This is a sign of great patience and endurance through very difficult circumstances on the part of the majority of the students as well as much hard work from the staff.

According to the West African Exams Council only one international school was able to beat EducAid but they have refused to name it!

26 students entered the exams and despite a wide range of ability in the group, only 2 have failed to get clear grades for University.  Several got 9 out of 9 credits and above and a number got a stream of merits.

We are very proud of staff and students and hope that this will provide an even greater incentive to those following in their footsteps.

Brima Will receiving his bag of rice for achieving the best results in the school.  Brima teaches Literature in English and no student got less than a credit.

If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please see www.educaid.org.uk and www.educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com

Proud of them

I am working this term based in Maronka, a tiny village in the Northern province. Kofi is attending our primary school here too.
The school is run by a number of 'junior staff' i.e. Our past students who are hoping for sponsorship or already under-going distance teacher training.
Although we have junior staff in all locations the Maronka deal is a much more full-on option than all the others. There are over 80 little ones that live with us and the junior staff are in loco parentis for the hoards.
Sumaila Bockarie is the latest addition to the staff. He got 9 credits in the senior public exams last year and is clearly very bright. He hopes to do engineering at Uni if he can find a sponsor (fingers crossed for that).
When I told him he had been placed in Maronka, he was clearly somewhat perturbed. It turns out that he has hardly ever left Freetown previously, never mind live in a tiny remote village with 10 buildings making up its entirety!
I have to admit to being very impressed with his attitude and approach once he had got passed the original gulp moment. He is creative, hard working and committed to his students. I am working particularly with him over the next weeks and am really looking forward to it.
I am increasingly very proud of how these youngsters are willing to use their education for the benefit of those coming up after them. If this attitude continues there is much hope for the future.

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