Newsletter
3. February 2005
Volunteers
help lay the foundations of the new school building on Saturday 11th
December2004
NEW
SCHOOL BUILDING UNDERWAY
In
our last newsletter we announced plans to begin fundraising for a new
school building. The village felt that after two years it was time the
bamboo and thatch structure, which had been constructed in under a
fortnight, was replaced with something more permanent. The school
committee drew up plans and a proposal for a new schoolhouse, in which
the villagers would contribute all the labour and
some materials themselves, namely: bush poles, sand and stones.
They would also make the bricks for the building.
The
cost was estimated at around £4,000.
Brandeston
Hall school in Suffolk chose Rogbonko Village School to be the recipient
of a year long fund raising drive, and remarkably succeeded in raising
sufficient money for the entire new building (see
below).
As
a result, work began in earnest as soon as the rains came to an end. The
laying of the foundations involved almost everyone in the village. A
team of 100 young men formed the core of the labour under the
supervision of the builder. Young women fetched water and sand from the
stream to help mix the cement. Older women provided food and water to
the workers. Thereafter rotating teams of five volunteers will be
assigned to the project.
All
participants will receive a T-shirt bearing the words ‘Rogbonko
Village School Volunteer.’
The
village is working to a deadline of March 2005, as the roof must go on
the new building before the rains return.
The
new building will comprise four large classrooms, a library, staffroom
and store room.
SUFFOLK
SCHOOL RAISES FUNDS FOR NEW BUILDING
Our
heartfelt thanks to the pupils and staff of Brandeston Hall in Suffolk
for all their work raising money for the new school building. The school
hosted a score of imaginative fundraising activities including a fashion
show showcasing outfits made wholly from recycled materials,
a non-uniform day and an exhibition of photographs of the village
by Simon Westcott.
Congratulations
to all those who took part, including the staff members who submerged
themselves in vats of beans for the Summer Fete and submitted to being
pelted with wet sponges, and to
former headmaster Stephen Player who volunteered to have his legs waxed!
Over
the year a grand total of £7243.08 has been raised.
Pupils
of Brandeston
Hall present a cheque to
Aminatta Forna of the Rogbonko Village School Trust
ADULT EDUCATION
CLASSES
The civil war in Sierra
Leone interrupted schooling for 10 years for many of the nation’s young
people. On a recent visit to the village, we found overwhelming support
for the introduction of adult literacy classes. As a result plans are now
underway for evening classes to be held in the new school building. A
three year course is currently being devised, which will be open to all.
In time
we plan to raise funds for the introduction of a follow on programme of
training in practical skills such as carpentry and tailoring.
A RAY OF HOPE
We are
delighted to announce that Rogbonko Village School has been nominated a
‘Ray of Hope’school by Director of UNESCO Youth Ambassador Don
McBurney. Don was one of the first to donate teaching aids to the school
and has continued to support us since.
In Brief:
Our special thanks to
Largymore Primary
School in Co. Antrim for their donation of colouring pencils, and pens.
Also to Carol Lofthouse for her gift of a Storytelling prize and cup.
And Patience and Michael Vince for their gift of maths workbooks
and dictionaries.
Sales of
the school calendar have raised a total of £1273.07. An exhibition of
photographs at the Temple in London has also raised £430.
