Koromasilaia Opening Ceremony
On November 24th, the community of Koromasilaia celebrated the official opening of their new junior secondary school. The community celebrated the opening of the school with speeches from students and community members, music, dancing, and food.
This junior secondary school will serve not only students in Koromasilaia, but also students coming from primary schools in 13 surrounding communities. This year there are at least 274 students expected to attend the new school. There is a huge need for a junior secondary school in this area, and the school at Koromasilaia will open up futures of possibility for students in this region for generations to come.
Breaking Ground in Ngolehun
Construction has begun on the primary school in Ngolehun. Ngolehun is the community in southern Sierra Leone where one of our board members, James Mannah, is from. The Ngolehun community came to our attention because our partners in Sierra Leone had noticed the community’s high commitment to education and the lack of adequate education infrastructure. The new school will make education possible for the students in Ngolehun and the surrounding communities.
Menstruation Kits for Girls
Uman Tok produced 1,000 Days for Girls menstruation kits this month to distribute to girls in our schools. To date, Uman Tok has produced and distributed 7,700 menstruation kits. Access to menstruation kits gives girls the tools and confidence they need to stay in school even when they are on their periods.
Last week, the teams visited the Schools for Salone schools in the Western Area to distribute these kits and conduct reproductive health education with boys and girls. The students were so enthusiastic about the education, and the girls are excited about the new confidence and freedom the menstruation kits make possible. Juliet and Clinton, the two educators, are so gifted in having these discussions with the students. They make it fun with stories and laughter so the students feel comfortable and confident with their new knowledge and understanding.
Teacher Training
This month, The Learning Foundation (TLF) met with teachers in Schools for Salone schools in the north for trainings on phonics and strategies for teaching early literacy.
Initially, the TLF team met with three outstanding teachers from Schools for Salone schools for a workshop on how to be an effective teacher trainer. These three teachers will be resources for the schools in their area for follow-up visits and teaching support. These teachers joined the TLF team in Maforeka for the first round of teacher training this academic year. The teachers learned about phonics, different learning styles, and how to use tools like visuals and songs to help students learn to read.
The teachers and school leadership are so grateful to TLF for this training, and are looking forward to implementing their learnings in the classroom. These trainings build on the foundation teachers get through the Ministry of Education certification program. Thank you TLF!
