Pupils of Tamagalie, a community in Fotonbuyeh section in Bramaia Chiefdom Kambia District, have on Monday January 18, 2021 appealed to the Government of Sierra Leone, Non-Governmental Organizations and other humanitarian organizations to construct a proper school structure to improve their learning environment.
The pupils currently use a makeshift structure ‘bafa’ made of dry stick vertically positioned and covered with palm fronds on the sides and at the top. Abu Bakar Jawara, the Head Teacher of the school explained that, they had been without a proper structure for a very long time. According to him mostly during the rainy season children usually stay at home because the structure cannot secure them from the rain. He emphasized, “Children have passion for education in our community, but the lack of a proper school building has affected them. As a result of the intense rays of the sun in the dry season, some refuse to come to school also.”
He further complained that they also do not have school learning materials like uniforms, furniture, books etc.
He added that other communities in the section have schools helping their kids to be educated, adding “We usually see the Government and NGOs supporting schools in other communities in the Chiefdom, we also want the same facility, but there is no way. So in order to help ourselves, we established the community school and voluntarily decided to be teaching the children. We believe that giving them an education today would empower them to represent us tomorrow; and we also believe that, through education Early Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy will reduce in our community among girls.”
Jawara said the school has four teachers teaching the kids on voluntary basis, adding “we are not asking for pay, all that we need is a proper school building and other essential materials.”
Aminata Kamara, a resident of the community said that before the school was established, their children used to cover a very long distance to attend schools in other communities. He furthered that this caused some of their children to be raped by unknown people in the bush when returning from school.
“As a result of assaults some of our kids encountered on their way from school in other communities, we decided to stop them from attending school in faraway communities and decided to establish our community school for the safety of our children. But since the school had been established there has been no proper structure and that has really affected our children.”
She also appealed to the government, NGOs, and other organizations to help the community.
By Ibrahim S. Bangura
25/01/2021. ISSUE NO: 7987