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Chris and Eloise's fundraising page

Chris Page is raising money for Education West Africa

Participants: Eloise Neathey

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Brighton Brooks 10k · 20 November 2016

At Education West Africa, we ask children, teachers and headteachers what their greatest needs are, and set up projects to fulfil those needs. Our main projects are school uniforms, school furniture and building refurbishments. All pupils must have a uniform before they can start school. EWA's school uniform project provides funds to pay local tailors to make uniforms for children whose parents are too poor to provide one. This crates employment for the local community, and enables more children to attend school. A school uniform costs £5. Many schools in Sierra Leone are short of furniture, so EWA employs local carpenters to build desks and benches for schools. This enables the funds to be used twice: providing employment for the furniture makers and desks for the schools. The sustainability of the wood and the quality of the furniture is monitored by associates in Freetown and Bo, and by Trustees on their visits. The cost of a desk set is £26. This provides a desk and bench, seating 3-4 children. Trustees have found on their visits that some schools can be in a poor state of repair. When funds allow, we contribute towards refurbishment costs, paying for materials and asking the local community to help provide the labour. We ask the local Education Secretaries in Freetown and Bo to send us photos of schools which are in urgent need and detailed costings of what is required. Once we have agreed to release funds for a school, we ask for photos of the completed work.

Story

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

We are raising funds for a small Sussex based charity called Education West Africa (www.educationwestafrica.info) EWA works with schools in Sierra Leone to improve children's lives in one of the poorest countries in the world by making sure they get an education. They do this by:

  • giving a uniform to children whose parents can't afford one, as children can't go to school unless they have a uniform;
  • giving locally made desks and benches to schools as many children have to sit on the floor;
  • providing teacher training;
  • helping to build new classrooms in rural areas to increase the number of children who can go to school.

EWA employs local tailors to make the uniforms and local carpenters to make the desks from sustainable wood, and checks the quality of the work, so the money not only helps children but also provides jobs. £10 provides a uniform and exercise books for a child for a year, and £30 provides a desk and bench for up to  4 children.

We are raising funds to support Nyandeyama Primary School on the outskirts of the town of Kenema. This area was badly affected by the Ebola crisis, when all schools were closed for nearly a year. The education system in Sierra Leone had already been disrupted by the 11 year civil war, and some schools still have bullet holes and other damage.

We have both been fortunate enough to have had a very good education, and we want to make sure children in Sierra Leone are able to go to school and learn, so they can help their country have a more positive future.

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Donation summary

Total
£300.81
+ £56.25 Gift Aid
Online
£300.81
Offline
£0.00

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