Update from Balla Turay

Balla Turay attended EducAid Sierra Leone and did excellently in his senior secondary exams.  Thanks to his excellent results and his community service certificate, he got a place to study ICT in Venezuela.  Here is how he is a little update on how he is getting on...... What I have done so far since my arrival in Venezuela? When I arrived in Venezuela on 21st July 2011 I was taken to a school to learn Spanish with some international students from 29 different countries. (Countries from Central America, the Caribbean and some African countries too). The scheduled time for the class was two months but it only lasted for a month and one week. I took four different exams and all my grades were between 19 and 19.5/20. (90 to 95%).  During the whole of this period, we were not allowed to leave the compound or use the telephone. Afterwards I was sent to my University (Universidad Maritima Del Caribe) which is 20mins from the capital Caracas where I started my career studies. It was not really an easy job at the beginning due to the facts that I didn´t even understand 5% of the language at that point so I had to translate each and every note in English, read and understand and later re write it again in Spanish to memorise. Moreover 60% is the passing grade for the Venezuelans but 75% for international students. (I used to cry).  Thank God for the school I went to (EducAid Sierra Leone) where I was not taught to take any subject as less important, where mathematics and English were the key. That is almost the same story here. I am offering 6 modules of which passing calculus, English and Logic with over 75% will send you to the next semester. This I was able to achieve as I was the best Calculus, Logic and English student in my class I even scored more than 60% in others although they were difficult because they involved a lot of reading in Spanish.  I would like to say much thanks to Miriam and the EducAid staff as a whole because my success is due to the quality (holistic) education I had from EducAid. Things my friends from other African countries find difficult do not appear to me like that. On the other hand, I am doing as much as I can to help them catch up. (Still doing community service though... please keep my certificates ...lol!) In extracurricular activities, I am the captain of the University football team. Although we lost the first University football competition in the country, I am hoping to win the next one coming up in mid July. 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

Blessed George Napier et al supporting EducAid

Josh worked with his father, doing the garden
for friends and neighbours and raised £200+ for EducAid

Now back in the UK for ten plus very cold days, I have just spent the morning in Blessed George Napier School.  I left there as a pupil some 26 years ago, (scary thought) and did not expect at the time to ever be welcomed over the threshold again!
I first went back a couple of years ago and since then the pupils have been fundraising for EducAid.  Last November when I went in though, things notched up significantly.  A good number of teachers got behind the project.  Loads of them signed up themselves to be regular donors and different year groups organised different activities to get the money coming in.  A month later, they sent in cheques totalling over £2500 enough to pay for over 20 children at EducAid for a year of food and education.

Year 9 English class discussing their fund-raising activities
and getting ready to do their display work about EducAid.

I went in today to say thank you and hopefully encourage them to keep it up.   I was particularly touched by the Year 9 students I spoke to.  Their year head, Prim Herridge, is not to be messed with and she organised and activated them and the result was impressive.  On their own, year 9 raised half of the whole school total.

Matthew, Year 9, is conscious that his mum's strength
and courage have given him what is necessary to
overcome the difficulties in his early childhood and
have something to give others.

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

Delia and Jonathon Kay visit Maronka and Rolal

While most of the retired western world hit the golf course or do lunch, Delia and Jonathon Kay hit the trail to Sierra Leone.  They spent a full year working in the newly founded Catholic University of Makeni (for more information go to http://educaidsierraleone.blogspot.com/2012/01/unimak-looking-good.html
Not satisfied with helping with teaching and training, they have now returned to the UK where they fund raise for their project. Amazingly, they still find time, energy and capacity to sponsor two other projects in Makeni and last year donated a very generous £25,000 to EducAid for us to build the new Rolal Teacher Training Centre, for which we are extremely grateful.
This week they came to EducAid for the first time, slept in Maronka and visited Rolal where there was an inter-primary quiz competition hosted by EducAid Rolal and organised by the EducAid Junior Staff, headed up by Ibrahim Bai Bundu.  It was a great initiative and much fun was had by all.  The Maronka class 4 and 5 students did us proud and took the prize but the team from The Practising School were pleased to be runners up.

We wish Delia and Jonathon all the very best for what is left of their visit in Sierra Leone and look forward to seeing them again soon.

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

Ann is going back to the UK .....but not for long - we won't allow it :-)

Ann Beatty has been supporting EducAid since before she visited for the first time some 4 years ago but she moved out to live in Maronka and head up the Girls' Safe House in September 2011 and has become a completely invaluable member of the team.  She is thinking, hard-working, committed and has the kindest heart you could hope to find anywhere.
Sad day today as she heads back to the UK to see family and friends but..... not for too long.  We think the feelings are mutual.  Ann has fallen in love with the kids at Maronka and EducAid's work as much as we have with her!
Ann plans to be back in April to continue her good work on the self esteem projects with the girls, capacity building and coaching of the staff, supervision of construction and so much more.
She will be greatly missed and we will all be waiting with open arms for her return.

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

Working in partnership with the Sierra Leone Teachers' Union

I was visited a few days ago by the head of the Sierra Leone Teachers' Union (SLTU) and was very encouraged to receive this email from him this morning:

Miriam,

It was good to see educaid and the effort you are making to get our children go to schjool and get our teachers trained in a way to help the education process.

SLTU will be prepared to be with you for the mutual benefits of our joint programmes and we are prepared to share with you at all stages of our work to build a strong education process in Sierra Leone.

Please let us know of you schedule of programmes to ensure we take part in some of them to learn of them and contribute on how to strengthen each other.

Thank you very much for your time and effort so far.

Davidson Kuyateh

We look forward to a constructive partnership where we all work to build capacity and support the transformation of competence within the education sector here.

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

The Bike Ride - Let's get cycling

                      

Sponsored Bicycle Ride from

Hoek van Holland to Brussels via Amsterdam outskirts

30^th August to 2^nd September 2012

Proceeds to benefit Educaid, Sierra Leone

The trip will start with all cyclists catching the 20.00 train from London, Liverpool Street station to Harwich on Thursday 30^th August 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).

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.

A support vehicle will accompany the cyclists throughout the ride as well as a catering vehicle which will carry supplies to sustain cyclists. Paul Gage the ‘Bike Mechanic’ 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 London and will return with the bikes to London after the ride. Bikes can be collected 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.

With only 50 spaces available don’t miss out on this great opportunity to have lots of fun while supporting Educaid!!! Contact Janet Broadhurst  as soon as possible with your £200 deposit (cheques made payable to EducAid bike ride).

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.

Janet Broadhurst can be contacted on 07956 423 223 or janetbroadhurst@aol.com www.educaid.org.uk

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

A Long Dry Season

We have had lock down on the well today.  Drinking water pumped up first thing in the morning and then the whole thing locked so that all washing and laundry water be taken from the swamp.

The Maronka well when it was first dug,
capped and producing clean water.

This is really just the first half of dry season so it was more than a touch disconcerting to realise that the well was almost dry yesterday.
The 'well man' has been round today and we will be getting it dug out further, on Sunday.
Let's really hope that this will be enough to keep things healthy and safe for the whole population which has so significantly increased since the well was dug originally.
Note to self: wash when the sun is still hot - swamp / river water is much much colder than well water!!!!
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