The 100th marathon runner is… you?

Dear friends of Street Child,

I just wanted to get in touch with you all to update you on some exciting Street Child news.

Firstly, we've opened a new school in Bumbuna - our second in the area - with the kind and invaluable support of construction company Dawnus, who donated all materials and a foreman to help community members with the build. You can see pictures of St Matthew's beautiful new school building here.

In honour of the second annual International Day of the Street Child on 12th April, we'll be launching our completed headcount report in Freetown. Produced in conjunction with the Sierra Leone Government and more than 50 NGOs, the headcount report surveys the reality and scale of the children in Sierra Leone that are forced to rely upon the streets of the survival. It offers the most up-to-date and accurate picture of the problems that we are all working together to improve. There will be more news on this launch as the event draws nearer.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to let you know about progress with Street Child's principle event for 2012: Sierra Leone's first ever marathon.

With a little over two months to go, we're closing fast on a massive milestone as we're just short of 100 runners, all of whom are coming to Sierra Leone this June to visit our projects, raise valuable funds for the organisation and then run for the lives of the very same street children that we'll be giving them the opportunity to meet. It promises to be a fantastic event.

I recently met some of our intrepid runners at a marathon event in London along with other potential runners that still found themselves sitting on the fence. I can understand that position; running a marathon itself is no small task - but running one in Sierra Leone is something altogether different. But, as I told them that night, there will only ever be one 'first' Sierra Leone marathon and only one chance to be a part of it. Better to have visited this wonderful country in which we work and slogged round our marathon than always regret having not been part of this landmark event!

And that's the very same message that I wanted to put out to all our friends at Street Child. If you're at all considering joining us on 9th June for Sierra Leone's first marathon - or half-marathon or even just the 5km run - then please don't hesitate to visit our website and register now (www.KilnSierraLeoneMarathon.com); there's still a £100 discount available for the 100th runner to register so please act fast and take advantage of that offer.

And, just in case £100 is not enough of an incentive... then consider the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of seeing me running the 5km race, quite possibly in as yet unconfirmed fancy dress!

We'll hope to see you there.

Many thanks, Tom Dannatt

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Project 50/50 – Helen Cain

My clearest memory of charities when I was at school was colouring in a paper figure and watching it race against my class mates to the top of a pyramid as we brought money in.  I also remember a cardboard box that we only ever put 1 or 2 pence coins in, until it was bursting at the seams and the bottom fell out – it was clearly meant for notes not coppers!

A ‘few’ years later – I now find myself on the opposite side of the table - engaging schools in Street Child of Sierra Leone’s Project 50/50, a huge part of the first ever Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon, as we join together in our ‘Golden Jubilee’ fundraising campaign to celebrate Sierra Leone’s 50^th year of independence.

Project 50/50 is a unique opportunity for 50 British schools to partner with 50 Sierra Leonean communities and enable them to build schools in areas where children currently have no access to education.  It is such a simple concept and easier than you may think to achieve! By helping us to raise just £1000, your school can help a village in Sierra Leone build its first ever school and benefit thousands of children.  All you need to do is dedicate your already planned school sports day (or other event) to Street Child of Sierra Leone.  Since 2008, Street Child has already enabled thousands of children to receive a primary education by facilitating the building of new schools in rural, isolated communities around the country as well as providing them with trained teachers.  You could help us double that number by engaging your old schools, your children’s schools or friends and families who are teachers or governors in this amazing scheme.

Alongside offering free talks and assemblies to engage young people and spark their enthusiasm, we have a wide variety of lesson plans, linked in to the national curriculum, for different age groups and subjects. We also have a mountain of fun and innovative ideas for fundraising events, and can help you create a fundraising plan for your school.

If you are interested in a free assembly in and around the London area let me know as soon as possible as I have a limited amount of places left – I’d love to get around to them all but we have to be realistic!  There is no obligation to engage in a partnership with us if we do an assembly – although we do find that people naturally want to continue supporting our work after they have learned so much about our projects and the impact we have had! Find out for yourself on our website: www.street-child.co.uk.

We can tailor a partnership to the school’s needs; some wish to go beyond the initial remit of Project 50/50, and engage us as their charity for the year (I have quite a few signed up for September already which is fantastic and promises to make it quite an exciting and busy year!). Others join us in a longer partnership spanning over several years.  It is incredible what our school partnerships have achieved – one of our current and truly exciting partnerships is with St James inAshford,Kent. They have committed to a longer project with us and are helping to build a secondary school in Lakka.  This is a huge commitment, but a very rewarding one!

We are really grateful to everyone who has got on board with us on this amazing project so far, however there are only 50 places available so make sure you don’t miss out on this unique partnership opportunity to help improve the lives of thousands of street children in Sierra Leone!

 

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International Women’s Day March 8 2012 : Adama Kamara’s story

Street Child of Sierra Leone Case Study: Adama Kamara (19 years old)

When I was young, my mother had nothing. She always strived to sell things in the market but it was so hard. There were problems at home - my father didn’t want his children to learn English, but my mother said: “No, let my children learn English.”

We were ten in number, a very large family and, my mother tried very hard but, rather unfortunately, my mother wasn’t able to look after all of us. When I was going to take my Bekker examination, I had nobody to pay for me. So I ran away from her and I went to Freetown and ended up at the market and on the streets.

I didn’t know anybody when I arrived. But that evening, I swept the market and some of the women gave me some money, with which I managed to buy food. Then I slept in the market that night. The next morning, by 5am I got up as people were arriving in the market. I struggled to survive and to save my money from odd jobs to get my school fees.

After a while I came back to Makeni to live with one of my Aunties. But she didn’t treat me like her other daughters. She was not feeding me, not talking to me or encouraging me, her daughters abused me. When they went to sleep, she locked the room so I could not get inside. So I was forced to continue to fend for myself.

When I was on the streets, at night I was forced to sleep with men of different ages and colour for so little money that I could only just afford to eat – I couldn’t even buy new clothes as they only paid around Le4,000 to be with me. I had to sleep with four or five men in one night just to get by. Most of them would use me and then not pay and, if I said anything, they would beat me up. One time, I was sick and there was a big man who wanted to sleep with me but I would not let him. So he tied my hands and raped me then beat me.

The first time I heard about Street Child, I was working in the market and a woman there explained to me about what they do. She encouraged me to go, but I refused to go that day as I thought maybe they would not help me. The next day, the woman met me in the market again and she begged me: “please go to that place.” So I went.

After I had registered with Street Child, they verified me [as a genuine street child], they counselled me and I explained my problems to them. I told them that I was a commercial sex worker. Through their work I have been able to change my life.

After going through the programme, I am now working with Street Child as a children’s officer. When I heard that they wanted me to work with them I was so happy, so proud. Now I am earning a salary, solving my own problems and I am taking care of myself and my younger sisters. Through my experiences, I understand what we are trying to do. On the street there is nobody to share your problems with that can help you, so the counselling here at the Street Child centre is so important for street children. So is the food, the health care and the clothing. Every day I counsel the new street girls at the centre in Makeni, play games with them, encourage them. Every day I share their problems and try to help them.

Children are suffering in Sierra Leone, because of poverty, because of the war and Street Child has done so much to help. Let them keep it up. If not, these problems with street children in Sierra Leone will not be solved. So many people are going around without anything, with no hope, and Street Child is working to change that.

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Pioneering UK charity signs first 75 runners to Sierra Leone Marathon

The UK-based charity Street Child of Sierra Leone has already signed up 75 runners to compete in the Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon - the first event of its kind to be held in the country.

These runners, from as far afield as Lithuania, Gibraltar and the Netherlands, will participate in the race in an effort to help achieve the charity's goal of permanently reducing the number of children living on the streets of Sierra Leone.

The Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon will be held on 9th June 2012 when up to 500 international and local runners will come together in Makeni, Sierra Leone's third largest city and home to the charity's flagship street children centre.

There, they will compete in either the marathon, half-marathon or a 5km event - all aimed at raising money through corporate sponsorship and competitor fund-raising to get some of the world's most vulnerable children off the streets, reunified with their families and back in full-time education.

As well as participating in the event, runners will also have the opportunity to visit Street Child's inspiring projects throughout the country to better understand where their fundraising efforts are being spent. "They desperately need our help and this Marathon is a fantastic opportunity for us to give it to them."

As well as the first 75 runners, the marathon has already attracted the attention of lead sponsor the Kiln Group, a City insurance firm, which will send a team to take part in this unique adventure.

With the money raised by sponsors and participants this year, Street Child aims to get a further 1,000 children off the streets of Sierra Leone and 5,000 children into school.

As recently as 2008, Sierra Leone was considered to be the poorest country in the world [UN World Poverty Index] and, despite significant development progress through an increase in international commerce and tourism, there are still an estimated 50,000 children relying on the streets for their survival and around 300,000 children unable to attend primary school.

Street Child founder, Tom Dannatt commented: "I'm delighted that the Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon has already attracted the interest of our first 75 runners as well as the kind support of key corporate sponsors like the Kiln Group and Brandex ."

"This event is aimed at giving fund-raisers and corporate entities the chance not only to raise money to help some of the world's most vulnerable children, but also to better understand their plight by visiting and even running on the very streets that those children rely upon for their survival every day."

---------------- MEDIA CONTACTS: Martin Forsyth Communications Director Street Child of Sierra Leone martin@street-child.co.uk 020 7614 7696 Megan Lees-McCowan UK Charity Manager Street Child of Sierra Leone megan@street-child.co.uk 0207 7614 7696 Interviews available on request. ---------------- NOTES TO EDITORS About the Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon (KSLM): The marathon event will take place on Saturday 9 June 2012 in Makeni, Sierra Leone. The event will cater to all abilities; including 5k, half marathon and marathon disatnces. KSLM is offering runners an excellent value travellers' package for £299 pp, which includes race entry, up to 5 days' accomodation and food, travel in-country*, and a visit to Street Child of Sierra Leone's most remote projects in rural Sierra Leone. Further information, including videos of KSLM Patron Ben Fogle, Street Child Patron General Lord Dannatt and Street Child Director Tom Dannatt, are available on our website:http://kilnsierraleonemarathon.com. *Does not include flight About Street Child of Sierra Leone: Street Child of Sierra Leone was established in 2008, at which time the UN ranked Sierra Leone the poorest country in the world. The volunteer driven organisation focuses on locations where no other children's charity is working and unless donors request or give permission, spends 90% of income on projects in-country. Through its two programmes Street Child of Sierra Leone has reached over 3000 children: 1. Its 'Street Child' programme has successfully reunited over 1000 street children with families, placed them into school and has worked with the families on income generation support to ensure sustainability. 2. Its 'Every Child in School' programme (ECIS) has built 12 primary schools in remote, rural communities which have never had schools before. ECIS supplies materials to the 2000+ children who attend the schools. ECIS is training 160 community members to reach the official government teaching qualification. About Sierra Leone: Emerging from a decade of civil war which ended in 2002, Sierra Leone was ranked the world's poorest country in 2008 - the year in which Street Child was founded. Sierra Leone has experienced substantial economic growth in recent years, although poverty and unemployment remain major challenges. More than 48,000 children live "street-centred" lives in Sierra Leone (Street Invest/Street Child of Sierra Leone draftreport). 50% of its population is under the age of 18 (UNICEF, 2009) 40% of its population is literate (World Bank, 2009)

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Street Child’s Educational Programmes Part 2

John Momodu Kargbo – Regional Co-Ordinator, North & North East

Further north of Makeni we are doing quite different work in Tambakha – the most remote chiefdom in the country. We are working with community schools. We call them schools but when we first went there they were make-shift structures made out of thatch where a few children would gather with an adult teaching them their ABC and how to count. But we discovered that a lot of these children were actually languishing in the communities without any education at all. So we talked to the local communities about the greatest need and they told us that education was a high priority. So Street Child created a project that offers a wider access to basic education and we called it Every Child In School. It’s a completely new approach for community schools to reach a standard that is acceptable by the government and the wider community.

In some places we build permanent structures and in other places we built temporary structures out of tarpaulin and sticks and we pave the floor. We provide teaching learning materials to these schools. We give furniture to both teachers and pupils. All things that you need for a good learning environment. We provide a monthly stipend for the teachers. Before they had very little motivation because they were not being paid but now they are much more committed to their work. We also give them access to training facilities at the Northern Polytechnic in Makeni. We have enrolled them in the three year distance learning course. At the end of the course they will go back to their communities as fully qualified teachers, recognised by the government. In total the numbers have increased from 39 to 100 teachers in Tambakha alone. We are running similar projects in Bumbuna, Sambaya Bendugo and Masimra in the Port Loko district. This year Street Child has been able to enrol 150 teachers into distance teacher training programmes both in Makeni and Port Loko. We are very pleased to see the progress of these teachers in the classrooms. You can see such improvements through their lesson plans and notes, through the registration and the general standard in the teaching.

The impact in Tamabakha has been great. We can see a larger number of children going to school – a 70% increase. Every member of the community wants to send their child to school now because of the support that Street Child has given. We see teachers that are motivated, members of the community getting excited about education and they are helping us monitor the progress of these schools to ensure our investments are being utilised to effect. It’s great to see these schools are growing. Some are getting over-crowded because the demand is so high! There are more children coming everyday to our schools.

I would like to see more schools being built in Tambakha, more teachers being trained in the next two or three years. Tambakha will be able to boast about the high number of qualified teachers in their communities. When we first went to Tambakha two out of forty-five teachers were trained and qualified. But now almost all of the teachers are enrolled in the teacher training course.

I think Street Child is different from other NGO’s. We go directly to the community with an open mind and respond to the greatest needs. For instance in Tambakha you can see that it’s a very poor community. After our assessment we realised that education is a very very serious problem and everyone wanted to improve education there. So since we have started Every Child In School the support from the community is overwhelming.

Street Child is doing such good work in many parts of Sierra Leone. In Makeni our aim has been to reduce the number of children in the streets. Now when you go out at night you can see the number of children on the streets has decreased. Back in 2009 before we started the Street Child project we were talking about 300-400 children sleeping on street corners in Makeni. Now the number is far less and that is thanks largely to Street Child’s contribution.

In Tambakha – Street Child is a household name! Now you see a lot of children going to school and this is because of the good work of Street Child.

I would like to tell all our supporters that they have made a good choice! I hope more people join Street Child to help vulnerable children in Sierra Leone.

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Street Child’s Educational Programmes

John Momodu Kargbo – Regional Co-Ordinator, North & North East Street Child is involved in some very exciting educational programmes at the moment. In Makeni we are providing direct educational support for street children who have been reunified with their families. We are negotiating their admissions back into school with the authorities and then we provide teaching and learning materials – books, stationary, uniforms and footwear – and we go the schools and pay their fees direct to the authorities and by so doing we get these children to go back to school. Most of their parents would find it very difficult at the initial stage to send their children back to school so our intervention helps them a lot.

Others we place in vocational training centres. This year alone we have 100 children who are placed in formal schools and 20 that are enrolled in skills training where they learn things like catering, tailoring, hairdressing and the boys do auto-mechanics and things like that.

The thing I love most about my job is going out in the communities in these remote areas, talking to people, listening to them, planning with them, discussing their suggestions and finding solutions. I find it very inspiring and that makes me believe that even though they are poor they still have their dignity and they have the capacity to effect change in their own community. They just need a little input from the outside to turn their situation around. One thing I admire is their willingness to change. They are so quick to realise that they are backward and that the effort of organisations like Street Child are going a long way to help their situations. So working with them is very challenging and very rewarding.

I really believe Street Child’s work supporting education in SL is a step in the right direction. We believe that education is the best asset you can give to a child and it is the best thing to contribute to their positive development –whether it’s for a street child or anybody. Education can change the life of a child.

Take for instance these street children in Makeni,. In the streets they look so miserable and wretched but not long after we send them back t school they look refined, they’re well behaved. They integrate themselves back into society because of the influence of education in their lives. In remote communities the work of Street Child is bringing a bright light into a dark community. Everybody knows the importance of education now, teachers are being trained, children are happy to go back after holidays and are motivated because they know that education is the key to their brighter future. To be involved in this I am so happy. To see how much the communities appreciate our work, how they embrace it, even the elders who give their ideas and support in whatever way possible is so rewarding. Everyone wants to get involved in the work! I am satisfied to be involved.

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The Street Child of Sierra Leone 2012 update & The Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon Introduction Evening

Happy New Year !

2012 is a hugely exciting year for Street Child as we continue to develop our work in Sierra Leone and organise our ground-breaking Sierra Leone Marathon events (a full and half marathon plus a 5k run) on the 9th of June.

In light of this, we warmly invite you, your friends, and anyone else who wants to come along, to join the Street Child team, marathon committee, other charity supporters and runners on Thursday 26th January to hear the latest news on our projects and a preview of our 2012 plans as well as see a presentation on the Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon.

On this night you can:
- Hear the latest new from Street child and a preview of our 2012 plans
- See a presentation on the Kiln Sierra Leone Marathon
- Meet members of the Street Child team, marathon committee and other charity supporters and runners
Come and hear how we plan to spend (and have been spending!) your money on children who really need it. Come and hear how you can back us this year in different ways to help us reach even more children in Sierra Leone.

If you are hesitating to participate in the marathon, this is an excellent opportunity to meet other runners and exchange tips, or speak to the Street Child team who can answer any questions you may have. We look forward to meeting all our Street Child supporters there!

WHEN: Thursday January 26th / 18:30 arrival for a 19:00 start
WHERE: The Jewel Bar, Piccadilly
http://www.jewelpiccadilly.co.uk/gallery/main.html
Please RSVP to jannah@street-child.co.uk

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‘Salone for Christmas’ by Poppy Lloyd

This year my boyfriend Martin, and I, will be spending Christmas in Makeni, Sierra Leone. We’ve been out here since the end of June 2011, volunteering for Street Child and will be going home at the beginning of February 2012. Two months turned into four and soon it will be seven before we finally head home.It’s pushing forty degrees most days and there’s not a mince pie in sight so it doesn’t feel like the Christmases I’m used to in the UK but a few shops in Makeni town have tinsel and The Clubhouse, Street Child’s flagship bar and restaurant, is blasting out ‘Let It Snow’ on a regular basis so we’re desperately trying to make everyone feel festive.

Last week Street Child’s Sierra Leonean team had their Christmas party and all of the UK volunteers went along. The essential ingredient to a party in Salone is loud music. At least one louder than Spinal Tap. Giant speakers were piled on top of each other, blasting out popular party tunes at top volume. Chop My Money – the hit single by Nigerian group P Squared which is everywhere at the moment, played at least five times in a row. But nothing was loud enough to wake baby Francis, the four month old son of one of the social workers, who slept through everything!

Everyone tucked into cous-cous, goat stew, pasta salad and prawn crackers and knocked back the Stouts and the Star beers. People drink less in SL, certainly less than the average UK Christmas party, but there was not a single person who didn’t get up and dance. There’s something about a white person trying to dance here that attracts attention so as soon as the Street Child volunteers hit the dance floor we gained a small audience – mainly of kids living nearby – who just stood and gawped.

Two days later the social workers put on a party for all of the former street kids on this year’s project in Makeni. The speakers were piled up once again and social workers Abina and Adama cooked up giant vats of rice and stew while we helped put together party bags of popcorn and prawn crackers. Just like school discos the party started off with the boys on one side and the girls on the other but the barriers came down as soon as Chop My Money began to play.

As well as loud music, speeches play an important role at Salonean evens, so Project Co-Ordinator Cecilia asked one boy and one girl to say a few words on behalf of their colleagues. I was then handed the mic and asked to officially open the party!

Looking at the kids, in their new clothes, looking happy and healthy I couldn’t help but think of how their situation has changed since I’ve been in Sierra Leone. All of them, some as young as 10, were living on their own on the streets just a few months ago, engaged in child labour or prostitution to survive. When I first met them at the beginning of the project in June, they were sleeping on market tables or in the lorry park, dirty, mal-nourished and incredibly shy. Now, thanks to Street Child, they are back with their families, have just finished their first term back at school – some for the first time ever – and their confident optimism is infectious. Street Child will continue to support these kids for the rest of the academic year when we will then work with their families, giving them business training and a small grant, with the hope that they will be able to support their children on their own. And hopefully, with your support, they will have the childhood that they deserve.

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Street Child expands national teacher training initiative

19th December 2011: In an effort to significantly increase access to quality education in some of Sierra Leone’s poorest regions, Street Child of Sierra Leone launched an expanded initiative this week to fund 150 teachers from three districts through distance teacher-training.

The event was held at the Northern Polytechnic in Makeni, where many of the teachers will began their training, and was attended by Alieu Conteh of the Sierra Leone Teacher’s Union (SLTU) and Brima Sawa, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Education.

In coordination with local partners, Street Child will pay for all 150 teachers from Bombali, Port Loko and Tonkolili districts to complete their three year distance teacher-training qualification. In addition, we will supply the teachers with a monthly stipend, all of the required educational materials and pay transport costs for the teachers to attend their colleges.

“Whatever we the teachers learn in college will be transferred to our pupils and the advancement of their education will continue into the future,” said Tamba Frank Mansaray, a teacher from Sambaia Bendugu in Tonkolili district.

“So this opportunity is one of the best that can be offered to Sierra Leonean teachers. We want to develop and we feel that Street Child is the best programme to help the poorest of the poor to be educated and enable us and our pupils to become somebody tomorrow.”

“As a woman it's very important to be a teacher. I want to improve the standards of education and be a positive role model for the children,” added Sarah Turay, a teacher from Bumbuna.

“It is very important that I receive proper training so that I can impart quality education and can teach other girls that, through education, their lives will improve in any community or society. I want them to follow my footsteps and I want to share my knowledge with the children of my community.”

All of the teachers that began Street Child-funded training have been selected from some of the country’s poorest communities. We are working in these areas to deliver greater access to education through school building and educational development programmes as part of our Every Child in School initiative.

“Every Child in School; I love the name of this programme,” said Mr Sawa of the Ministry of Education. “It is the Ministry’s obligation to ensure that every child born in our nation has access to a basic education so I want to recognise Street Child’s efforts to compliment the achievement of that goal. Let me assure you that the Ministry of Education will support them with this programme.”

“It is said that no nation can develop above the level of its educational system and that no educational system can rise above the calibre of its teachers,” added Mr Conteh of the SLTU. “So Street Child’s intervention is both timely and valuable. Programmes like this are very important and the SLTU will do all that we can to support them.”

The Every Child in School initiative began last July and now more than 2,000 children are benefitting from Street Child’s educational development programmes. The NGO has already created 12 school structures in Tambakha and a brand new educational facility in Bumbuna. We also plan to expand in both of those areas and are already developing plans for educational facilities in Masimra and Bendugu Chiefdoms.

“Education is the corner stone for the development of a nation,” said Kelfa Kargbo, Street Child's in-country Executive Director. “And through our Every Child School programme, Street Child is committed to ensuring that we help the next generation of Saloneans realise their true potential.

“We have started working in the poorest areas of the country where the need is greatest; but it is our hope that will continue to expand this programme throughout the nation, until eventually every child in our country has access to a quality education and hope for a bright future.”

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