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Education Update 2022

Posted by Waterloo Admin on Thursday, November 3rd, 2022

Providing education for orphaned and vulnerable children.

It has always been considered that education is of the upmost importance to the future of Sierra Leone. From the beginning of the partnership children have been identified as needing particular care, sometimes due to being orphaned and sometimes because they were particularly vulnerable.

45 children were recognised as having particular needs and since the start of the partnership, these children have been provided with school uniforms, books, bags and a small amount of financial support to assist them in their education. This has been an extremely important and successful venture. The numbers were kept at 45 until 2015 when another 45 Ebola orphans were also identified. From then on the numbers of children in the initial scheme has been naturally reduced when the children left school as they reached the age of 18.

Some of these students have done particularly well and have been funded through tertiary education until they obtained degrees. Sacred Heart Catholic College has been very supportive in helping these older pupils achieve their necessary qualifications. Three of these students have obtained nursing qualifications and now assist their own communities through their care and nursing skills.

Benguema and Monkey Bush Schools 2016 to 2021

Following the Ebola crisis in Waterloo, Sierra Leone the community identified 45 particularly vulnerable children who had been orphaned by Ebola. Since then, schooling has been provided and basic food supplied to all the households.

Initially a system was designed to give foster parents modest cash grants to help them set up micro businesses in order to become self-sufficient however, due to the fact that most people were trying to sell the same commodities within a very small village community, this scheme did not really take off. On the subsequent visits to Sierra Leone the children and their foster families were visited by three of WPUK trustees and asked which was the best way forward towards improving their lives. It was decided that supplying bags of rice and ensuring children were fed was the most important aspect as many pupils were not able to adequately concentrate on their school work because they were hungry. 45 children and their families have been supported in this way since 2015. The scheme is now overseen by a Sierra Leonean teacher, Mr Unisa Koroma, who supports the children and their foster families and informs WPUK of the children’s progress.

The education of the original children, plus a few more, continues alongside the education and feeding of the Ebola orphans. This is overseen by WPSLchairman , Alieu Badara Mansaray, his wife, Aminata and the Trustees of the Partnerships.

EBOLA: Schools far and wide contribute to Ebola fund

Posted by WPUK on Monday, January 5th, 2015

certsWe have been surprised and delighted at the generosity shown towards the Partnership by schools local to Waterloo and those further afield. We would like to place on record our thanks to the following schools who have really made an impact in helping us feed those families in quarantine and also those children left orphaned by the terrible Ebola virus. Again, thank you so much to all the staff, parents and pupils that have made this possible.

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EBOLA : Schools Collaborate to raise funds

Posted by WPUK on Friday, December 19th, 2014

Recently a group of schools from Sefton and Liverpool got together to help the work of the Waterloo Partnership in Sierra Leone. The efforts of All Saints – Anfield, English Martyrs, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Monica’s, Rimrose Hope and Rice Lane have staggered us here at the Partnership and we would like to thank you all for your enthusiasm, hard work, generosity, and support for the work of the Waterloo Partnership during the Ebola epidemic.

The schools arranged a variety of individual and collaborative fundraising activities, from Fun Runs to an evening at Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC. All of the proceeds from the events will help us in our fight to help the community of Waterloo, Sierra Leone. One of the teachers at the school writes……

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Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School Visit Sierra Leone

Posted by WPUK on Monday, April 28th, 2014

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During the February half-term 6 pupils and 4 members of staff visited their partner schools of Nelson Mandela High and Hope Preparatory Schools. The partnership is now in it’s 5th year and supported by the British Council has seen reciprocal visits between the schools.

This year Merchants took 6 pupils on the trip who had funded their own costs and they also had the chance to open a new school building which they funded at Nelson Mandela High. Mr John Power, who is International School Co-ordinator at the school said, “This is my 4th visit to Waterloo, Sierra Leone. This year visit was the most fulfilling as we had promised the pupils at Nelson Mandela High and Hope Prep that one day we would bring pupils with us and now it is a reality. An added bonus for us all this year is that we opened a 3 room classroom block at the school. We also had the chance to visit the many life changing projects funded by the Waterloo Partnership. We have many made friends in Waterloo over the years and feels like our very place in West Africa!”

You can read all about the experiences of the staff and pupils by reading their blog  – Sierra Leone Blog 2014

 

Cynthia’s letter of thanks

Posted by WPUK on Thursday, March 13th, 2014

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One of the first beneficiaries of the school education scheme, Cynthia Reffel, has successfully completed the first two years of her State Nurse Training Course and is embarking upon the third year of the four year course.  She remains ever thankful for the support provided by the Partnership and had the opportunity to talk to pupils from Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School about her hopes for the future as a nurse in Waterloo, Sierra Leone. Below is a letter of thanks that she has written to the partnership.

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