Posts by Miriam Mason

There are large numbers of Sierra Leonean youngsters who were taken off into the war and forced to do unspeakable things and who are still suffering from the effects. The majority get little help beyond the long finished 6 month official disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation programmes. Equally, most go on into life with many key issues…

Rightly proud of their achievement!Another happy Maronka tale… Maronka continues to be a community where everyone can do their best. We started a primary school, pretty much by mistake, some six years ago when we gave the chief some blackboards and chalk to start some alphabet classes for the little ones who were to small…

Augustine Bundor, doctor in training. Two years in a row, we have had young medical students [EducAid graduates], who we knew to be excellent and diligent, kicked out of the medical college at the point of entry into the medical school proper i.e. after 2 very expensive but obligatory preparatory years. No questions were permitted…

This is a photo of Macsud’s ‘lifeline’ constructed by him in November 2008. The rocks indicate the hard things. The flowers indicate the happy things. The green rope indicates the passing of time. Clearly life had been getting better. Now it has been prematurely cut short. Early this morning, Macsud Bangura [16] died, it appears,…

The WASSCE results are out. Sierra Leonean students sit NPSE at the end of primary school, BECE at the end of Junior Secondary School [Key Stage 3 equivalent] and WASSCE at the end of Senior Secondary School [i.e. university entrance qualifying exams]. In general, the pass rates across the country are more than dismal. On…

A big cleaning and organising task, sorting construction and other toys for the resource library. Making sure that the education that goes on inside our new building is just as excellent as the building itself.The North of Sierra Leone has traditionally neglected education in favour of trade. The main towns of Kambia, Makeni and Port…

In height order…Flex, Alice, Becky and Kofi. All the rice is gone anyway!Flex and Becky have got stuck in to life in Magbeni. Although the staff and students are very welcoming, it is not as easy as it sounds. Magbeni in rainy season is even more cut off than it usually is. There is no…

Oil palm seedling. Coconut seedlings breaking through the undergrowth. There was much generosity shown last year when people gathered in the UK for a memorial mass after Alhassan died. A significant amount of money was donated to EducAid in his memory. I have been searching for an appropriate way of using the money that will…

Many happy memories of our little rainbow family. 1 year ago today, I was woken at 4 by Alhassan feeling unwell and wanting me to bring food. Reassured by the doctor that they would take care of him and he was fine, I went back to sleep. 2 hours later, the other doctor called, knowing…

Interactive games for literacy learning. The teachers engage with a range of activities that they will be able to take back into class. Enjoying testing and timing each other. Long and short vowels games. In February this year Forut handed over a beautiful new school building to EducAid in Maronka. A dream was born. EducAid…

Family Deen with their new family member: baby James [named after Dr James Boardman, co-founder and chairman of EducAid]. The EducAid family at the naming ceremony. Pastor Aruna Bangura prays for Baby James Deen. Mohamed Deen Tarawally has taught Economics at EducAid for over 5 years and his wife, Widad teaches in the Women’s Project.…

Sabrina of AdvocAid on the left. Dr Rugiatu of Amazonian Initiative Movement on the right. Teacher Esther, with three of her pupils, preserving their identities with their new certificates. Adama, now a free woman, signs her name for the first time, to receive her welfare allowance. Esther with her two ex-students with their certificates as…

All in a great cause….. North Oxfordshire Academy have been fundraising for EducAid and here is some photographic evidence of just what that means! Congratulations and Thanks to All! Stunning! If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid’s work with vulnerable young Sierra Leoneans, please go to www.educaid.org.uk

Packing and checking in preparation for the great end of term despatch!. The gold certificate winners – each has been awarded at least 90 merits – Great Achievement!All the certificate recipients at the end of term assembly. Well done all!Looking back to my school days, I am amazed at the contrast between me and my…