Children in Sierra Leone cannot go to school unless they have a uniform! The little girl, seen here in the centre, lives on the school playground with her mother. Her friends all have uniforms and so can go into school, whereas she can’t as she doesn’t have one. What does she do? Well, she sits by the classroom window in the hot sun all day listening to what is going on in the classroom.

The Christmas Gift Scheme has provided uniforms and an education for forty children. During our visit in February 2009, we were informed by the local community that this is an extremely successful project. Feedback from children, parents and guardians was very positive and moving.
If we had the resources, many more children could benefit from this scheme. The picture above shows Aminata Manseray, project leader presenting David Moorhead with one of the many lists of applicants.

St Raphael’s Primary School (pictured left) and Kankaylay Islamic Primary School (pictured right) are partnered with All Saints Primary School and Great Crosby Primary School.

Six of the forty recipients of uniforms and school equipment we met and spoke to in February 2009