TVL is bringing free education to Golu, Sierra Leone!

After a long and hard year of battling Ebola, Sierra Leone is still working tirelessly to put the pieces of it's already fragile healthcare system, education system and economy back together. People are back to work but the lasting effects of Ebola are still very much present. There are more orphan's and teenage pregnancies than before and the local businesses are struggling to recoup lost revenues. During the height of the Ebola outbreak, TVL knew that the community we work in - Golu - really needed something to keep a sense of normalcy while things were anything but. So we proposed to the community committee an education program that would provide 300 children out of school with a daily obligation to lessons. On March 1st we launched our Radio Education & Tutoring Program. We provided 100 radios and 300 school supply kits so that the children could take advantage of the broadcasted school lessons that the Ministry of Education and UNICEF put on in place of schools being closed. In addition to this we hired 4 volunteer teachers from the community and provided a monthly stipend for them to help and tutor the children on their lessons. Furthermore, we wanted to encourage attendance and we were able to keep an average weekly attendance around 80% by providing incentives in the form of biscuits for the children.

Even though Ebola is still lingering in the country we are moving forward with our plans to install a digital library into the community resource center in Golu. TVL is headed back to Golu this August to begin the final phase of our Project Golu - providing access to free education. We have already purchased the digital library but we are still collecting donations to go towards more computers and tablets. If you would like to make a contribution towards free education in Golu you can do so here. TVL will also accept hardware donations. If you are upgrading your laptop or tablet you can make a donation to TVL by getting in touch with us at info@thevillagelink.org.

We'll keep you posted on our progress as we countdown the days until we leave and during our trip. Stay tuned for more!

Cheers,

The Village Link Team

UPDATE: Radio Education & Tutoring Program In Golu Is Off To A Great Start!

The Radio Education & Tutoring Program has only been launched in Golu for just over a week and we're so pleased with the progress and participation so far! The community has really come together and made this program into something special.

Since 85% of the adults in Golu are uneducated, the resource center committee held a meeting with the parents to discuss sending the children to the village school building, along with their radios. This way the village can provide a classroom setting to aid in the learning process. The parents and resource center committee unanimously agreed that this would be the best approach to set the children up for success and get the most out of the program. In addition, the committee confirmed volunteer participation from the teachers in the community to spend daily time with the children, providing guidance during broadcasted class lectures. During the meeting they also agreed that the children should have a schedule, which will be to attend school Monday to Friday.

Even though school is not officially back in session, in the traditional sense, the community has really stepped up and come together to utilize the radios and supplies TVL provided. They have created a structured school environment, giving the children a chance to continue their education and succeed in this program. TVL is so proud of the people of Golu and how well the community has worked together on taking advantage of the tools and resources we provided. Take a look at our most recent photos of the program below.