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James is co-founder of EducAid and one of its three UK based trustees.

Why and how I became involved with EducAid.....

I was fortunate to be part of an expedition from University College London to Sierra Leone in 1993. It was a life-changing experience that humbled, thrilled, and inspired in equal measure. One of the most striking attitudes I came across was a desire for self-improvement expressed by many across a range of ages, and by both sexes. The people I met had a clear belief that improving their chances, and the fate of their country, depended on getting a good education. I agreed, but wondered how this could happen in a land of economic poverty with no access to free education.

My friend, Swithun Mason, and I returned to London in the late summer of 2003 and set about trying to raise funds for two or three students whose plights had captured our imaginations. Friends, family and church members were generous, and the donations grew. We registered the charity in 1995, with the aim to improve education among the under-privileged in Sierra Leone and to promote Christianity. We were soon able to establish a sponsorship scheme, whereby we supported students to attend local schools. It was with tremendous excitement that I learned of Miriam Mason-Sesay’s willingness to move to Sierra Leone and direct our project in 2000. Her move ushered in a new era in the life of EducAid, as she set up our own schools which have proven to be very effective vehicles for meeting our original aim.

I believe God has had a hand in the work of EducAid and has guided us through difficult and challenging times, so that the organisation has been able to help ‘raise honest citizens who are able to earn a living wage’ – to borrow a phrase from the Salesian tradition. Over the years I have visited Sierra Leone, met volunteers, met students, worked along side EducAid teachers, and witnessed incredible transformations in people’s lives. I have seen that poverty can be degrading and crippling, but it does not destroy the strength of the human spirit and people can work together to overcome it. My involvement has been an honour and a privilege, and that’s why I’m a Trustee today.

Dr James Boardman

Senior Lecturer in Neonatal Medicine

Division of Clinical Sciences

Imperial College London

Consultant Neonatologist

Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital