Accessible education
This shipment went to an organisation that has established schools, vocational training and basic health services in six of Sierra Leone’s most isolated districts. Their work has already shown how providing education can help an entire community that was previously illiterate subsistence farmers to break out of the poverty cycle as they learn about the outside world and how to engage with it.
“More educational opportunities have a ripple effect through the whole community.” NGO director
Above: For many of our partner group’s students, the only shoes they owned were their school uniform pair: not really suitable for walking 5 or more kilometres to and from school on bush tracks.
Above: All students and teachers, males and females, were able to receive a brand-new pair of sturdy shoes that offered stability, weather-proofing and protection against snake bites, thorns and other hazards on the path.
As usual this container contained items most requested for schools and village clinics – furniture ranging from hospital beds to school chairs, textbooks, computers, clothing, nursing supplies, sports equipment and children’s toys.
All those items were most gratefully received and immediately pressed into service but by far the greatest excitement was saved for the large quantity of hiking boots and other solid shoes that were included.
In the remote areas served by our partners, there are no paved roads and many students need to walk long distances to and from school along often hazardous bush paths. Each group of students had their own favourite thing about the new shoes: the youngest ones received ones that they could just wash clean in the river, the older girls valued the safety, and the older boys loved having the coolest-looking shoes in their communities!
Above: Nearly all the photos our partner sent showed shoes! Here one class collects their new shoes while the next class waits excitedly.
Above: Bicycles from the shipment waiting for distribution to nurses and field workers who serve villages with no road access.
