Sierra Leone

 

Animal Magic

A Ray of Hope, UNESCO Youth Ambassador , a long term supporter of Rogbonko Village School, has used their website to give people in the UK the opportunity to purchase an animal as a gift for the school. Donors were swift and generous. Ten ducks, two sheep and two goats will soon be on their way to the village. The animals will be cared for by pupils and their produce used to help supplement the children’s diets.

Teacher Training

During the summer holidays trainers from Makeni Teacher Training College visited the village and conducted a two week training programme for our four school teachers to help them develop skills appropriate to adult education. The evening classes, which began in March, are attended by 60 people and going strong.

Old Ways, New Goals

All thirteen entrants from Rogbonko Village School to the National Primary School Exams have passed. Collectively, pupils from Rogbonko passed with the highest marks in the district. All have won places at a secondary school in nearby Magburaka. However few among the villagers in Rogbonko can afford the fees, uniforms and books required for each child. So the village elders and school committee have turned to a traditional self-help system of support called ‘osusu.’ Often used by farmers to insure against the loss of their crop,‘osusu’ is to be used to guarantee the future education of Rogbonko’s children. Each parent with a child at Rogbonko Village School will contribute Le15,000 (£3) into a central purse. Any child who wins a place at secondary school will be entitled to have their fees paid from the collective funds. With 200 children at the school, mostly in the youngest class, the fund should have several years to build.