On behalf of the Board of Directors of Schools of Sinkunia, Inc., I would like to personally thank you for your encouragement and financial support following the completion of our first year in operation. This inaugural newsletter will share with you the progress we have made this year and describe for you future planning and opportunities. Much of the information in this newsletter is made possible by the Progress Report and Needs Assessment completed by Sheiku Mansaray this summer in Sierra Leone. Sheiku is the son of the Paramount Chief of the Dembelia-Sinkunia chiefdom, Alimamy Lahai V, and Schools of Sinkunia, Inc. Project Manager. Sheiku is currently attending graduate school in England, studying community development at East London University.
I. School Construction: The major accomplishment in our first year is the construction of the future Senior Secondary School in Sinkunia. There are no other Senior Secondary Schools in the chiefdom or surrounding chiefdoms in Sierra Leone’s Northern Province. In order for students to receive post-high school education they now need to travel to much larger cities which is not only in financially challenging but also culturally difficult. Historically, drop-out rates have been quite high, so it was decided that this effort should be a priority. We are pleased to announce that the new school is now in the process of being accredited by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Education. Also, thanks to your generous donations we are able to expand our goal of building “a” classroom to building a new “block” of classrooms. The new block will consist of three classrooms, an office and a storage area. The practical challenges of construction are complicated by two limiting factors: the rainy season makes roads virtually impassable in the summer months, and, since the majority of people in the chiefdom are employed as herdsmen or subsistence farmers, their volunteer support is generally not available until after the annual rice harvest. However, Sinkunians, like parents the world over, are determined to help provide their children with educational opportunities that they themselves were unable to receive. That we have made such progress in this past year is testament to their hard work and commitment of labor. We estimate a need of $5,000 to complete these construction projects and it is our first priority for this year’s budget. Thank you for your financial commitment so that they might complete this effort.
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