Progress in Sierra Leone
Education for Hope’s Executive Director, Momodu Jalloh, traveled to Sierra Leone in April to monitor the implementation of our programs and explored other areas in which our organization could create an impact.
Although more than a decade since it ended, Sierra Leone is still recovering from the effects of the war as well as the Ebola outbreak. The basic necessities of life such as clean water, adequate toilet facilities, clothing, food, and access to schools and educational resources are still lacking. Much of the populace live below the poverty line, and the people in the rural areas are at a greater disadvantage as these communities lack access to resources or structure and rely heavily on basic subsistence farming for their livelihood.
Three Communities Primary School
The Executive Director visited the Rogbomtama project and communities. Work has resumed and a lot of progress has been made on the Three Communities Primary School project, which is currently at the roofing level. The elders of these communities are very pleased with the progress of the school and they extended their thanks and appreciation to the donors, Board of Directors, volunteers, and management team. As a symbol of their appreciation, they presented a goat and five gallons of palm oil to the Executive Director. The Executive Director on behalf of the organization expressed his thanks for their hard work and contributions of local resources to the make the school a reality. He encouraged the communities to continue on this path until the completion and opening of the school. Moreover, he informed them that the best way to express their gratitude is to encourage and allow their children to attend school when its construction is complete. He stressed the importance of education as a gateway to ending generational cycles of poverty and how it could help revitalize their communities by enabling them to farm wisely, establish businesses, and live healthier, meaningful lives.
The children of these communities are very excited and desperately looking forward to the completion of the school, so that they can start their educational journey - learning how to read and write, charting their destiny and leading a productive life.
RoTumba Primary School
The Executive Director travelled to RoTumba village and visited the RoTumba Primary School. He was pleased with the progress of the school and its achievements. There are currently 120 plus children enrolled in the school, class one to class six. The head teacher indicated that the children are doing extremely well given their situation and condition of learning. Some children attend school on an empty stomach, making it difficult for them to concentrate; others arrive late due to the house chores they have to perform prior to leaving their homes, oftentimes resulting in missed class activities. And yet more do not have the basic educational resources such as writing utensils, notebooks, or backpacks. This makes learning difficult. The most important item many of the children are missing is the proper attire or shoes, forcing them to walk bare foot.
On a brighter note, last year, five students took and passed the NPSE exam to move to secondary school. They are attending secondary school in surrounding cities because there is no secondary school in the immediate area. Currently, there are six students, four girls and two boys, preparing for the NPSE exam this Fall.
Parents and Children of the Three Communities, and EFH Staff
