We Yone Child Foundation Celebrates Completion of We Yone Secondary School in George Brook Slum Community

Speaking to Salone Messenger after the celebration, Santigie Bayo Dumbuya, the founder and Executive Director of We Wone Child Foundation thank all those who contributed to ensuring that that school is completed included Harmen Westerduin, Paul Kok, Sjors Rosendaal, Justin Van der Spijk, Gerrit Van der Noort, Lennart Jobse, Erik Boer from the Make Impact SL team. He also further thank St Powered By, Mercy Ships Holland, Sophie Radice, Thomas Carter, Sergei Boissier, Brian Wegdam, Jenny of The Paul Hodges Trust, groups, schools including community stakeholders and staffs of We Yone Child Foundation. “This is a BIG ACHIEVEMENT.” He added.

The construction of a 9-classroom school, a kitchen, a hall, a computer skills training center, and a community bridge in the George Brook Community, Dwarzark has been completed today.

The project will provide sustainable education and care to children in the community, as well as empower young and old people by addressing transportation challenges and improving access to essential services. The lack of road networks in the area has posed significant risks, including difficulties in referring sick cases to hospitals in Freetown central, leading to unwanted deaths.

Harmen Westerduin, Primary Caregiver at Mercy Ships during an interview with Salone Messenger on the first day they started the work  said “ I met Santigie of We Yone Child Foundation after I saw a child at a dumpsite, I felt something needed to be done and so I search for charity organisations working with young people where I came across We Yone Child Foundation”. He noted. Harmen Westerduin also added that they are here for little over a week working with We Yone Child to help finish the construction of the school and community bridge.

The initiative to build the school was spearheaded by Santigie Bayo Dumbuya and UK volunteer Sophie Radice in 2018 after recognizing the urgent need for a secondary school in the area. A fundraising Website called makeImpactsl.org intended to raise funds for all the projects including building the We Yone Secondary, community bridge, skill training center for the Dumpsite and Kroobay young people to take them off the street was set.

The completion of this project will save hundreds of children long distances daily to access secondary education in downtown the city due to the lack of facilities in their community.

The We Yone Secondary School will  serve between 300 to 500 children in the George Brook Community, providing them with a safe and conducive environment for learning. The construction of the school has been made possible through the generous contributions of various donors, including the Paul Hodges Trust, Wegdam Foundation, Monica and Douglas Taylor Foundation, Edgewater School Elementary School Canada, and Sergei Boissier.

The completion of these facilities represents a significant step forward in improving education and access to essential services for underprivileged communities in Sierra Leone. The collaboration between We Yone Child Foundation and Mercy Ships Holland serves as a shining example of how international partnerships can make a real difference in the lives of those in need.