WOMEN ROLE MODELS

At CAUSE Kids we are fortunate to have a very dedicated team to be looking after the welfare of all students and implementing innovative programs that will benefit them far into the future. Rugiatu Tarawalie and Mariama Jalloh are two young ladies who are working to coordinate our sponsorship program as well as to monitor and support our partner schools. Rugiatu is currently going to school (on the weekends) to complete a program in Business Administration as well as hosting a community program on the local radio station and leading a youth group in her church. Mariama has a diploma in Business Administration and brings us accounting and administrative expertise from her previous work with a local NGO. Along with their enthusiasm and strong work ethic, these two young women serve as positive role-models to the many girls in our primary schools – real examples of the potential of women to be leaders in Sierra Leone.

Pictures: Mariama Jalloh and Rugiatu Tarawalie visiting students in their homes. Teachers and staff visit the homes to ensure students have good living conditions, share news about the program and to promote the value of education.

National Tree Planting Day

National Tree Planting Day was held in June in Sierra Leone. CAUSE Kids helped our schools to plant over 100 trees throughout their school yards. Not only did the students learn about the environment, but as the trees grow they will provide shade and fruit to all the children.

SPORTS DAYS

Nothing is bigger than Sports Days in Sierra Leone primary schools. Not just an exciting day for students, these gatherings are well-attended by everyone in the community. This spring CAUSE Kids provided funds so that three of our schools (two for the first time) could plan a sports day.

The planning begins weeks or months ahead of the event where students are divided into four different “houses” and then the training begins. During Physical Education classes and after school, students can be seen running, jumping and preparing to lead their house to victory. On the field itself, teachers and students build booths out of bamboo where the houses will gather (there is even a prize for the best-made booth). The event is usually two-days long and begins with a parade and grand opening, as well as the attendance of dignitaries who oversee the proceedings. Festivities begin with the typical running, wheel-barrow, relay and three-legged races, high and long-jumping and also the unique eating contests, egg-carrying, tug-of-peace and the biggest event of all – musical chairs. Girls and boys of all ages compete against their peers. Even though these young athletes run with no shoes, high-jump with no mat and don’t have equipment that is taken for granted in Canada, it is easy to see how their skills and abilities and incredible enthusiasm transcend their circumstances.

Supporting sports is one way that CAUSE Kids promotes positive lifestyles, healthy competition and community development. Everybody wins when we work together to support quality education!

The Promise of Education

Numerous studies from around the world have proven that education is one of the most effective ways to help a country develop. When more girls and boys go to school, we see that incomes, health, life-span and basic human-rights are increased. Children, families, communities and countries are all better off. While these many statistics are impressive, it is the individual educated women and men in Sierra Leone who have made me realize how important CAUSE Kids’ work is.

Joseph Bangura is the Engineer for CAUSE Canada and oversees our partnership with the World Bank and UNICEF to build schools and associated wells and latrines throughout Sierra Leone (CAUSE has built over 50 such schools). He also goes beyond his technical engineering position to coordinate the distribution of thousands of textbooks throughout the country, and the training of “School Management Committees” which ensure that the schools are sustainable.

Along with his education in Sierra Leone, Joseph received scholarships to pursue an undergraduate degree in Geophysics in Russia and a Masters of Engineering in Germany. After his time in Germany he was offered several jobs that would have offered him both a salary and a “comfortable life” that could not be rivalled by Sierra Leone. However, his passion was with his people and the potential of this beautiful country and he tirelessly works to develop that potential.

I had to persist past Joseph’s quiet nature and modesty, but his guess was that he has built over 40 schools and 150 wells throughout Sierra Leone. And finally, as a testament to this man’s character, one day over some groundnut stew we were talking about some of the engineering accomplishments and pursuits of this decade (including the building of the largest mall in the world in Dubai) and someone asked him what his dream project would be. He commented that he would love to build a youth centre where young people in the trades could improve their skills and advance in their professions. Of course.

There are many Josephs – and Josephines - in our schools and I can’t wait to see what they will build!

Pictures:
1.Joseph in the middle of a bunch of students at the openning of one of the schools he built with CAUSE
2. Our new school in Koromansiliai that Joseph oversaw the building of
3. A girl pumping water out of a well at one of our schools

Holiday Celebrations!

Who says that our schools are all work and no play? This Christmas we had parties for all of our schools complete with music, dancing and good food and drinks! The kids danced away the afternoon and even had some speeches and skits to perform.

Thanks to the sponsors that made this day possible and to all the teachers who worked so hard to put it together.