Updated: August 1, 2022
The building work for the Second Floor of the Burma IV School has started
Burma IV School - The Second Floor
Background
In 2016 Morrow United Methodist Church embarked upon an ambitious project to fund a Primary School near Kenema, in Sierra Leone. A little over 2 years later we had raised the $65,000 needed!
At that time, we knew that a second floor was needed and would be our next step. The time for that is now!
2021 Saunter for Sierra Leone
to benefit the 2nd Story Project
Saturday, October 23rd
16 mile Walk around parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn
WALK WITH US
Contact Tim Roebuck at timroebuck@gmail.com
Click here to give.
SIERRA LEONE Burma IV
The school is called Burma IV and is in a community that has grown significantly since the end of the civil war in 2000. This 'un-African’ name, derives from the country where many Sierra Leonean soldiers were sent during World War II and upon their return some were re-settled near an old airfield, near the town of Kenema, in remote eastern Sierra Leone.
The school Morrow funded replaced a 'mushroom’ school built of tarps and poles. In short, there was a school need but, simply, no physical building. Once opened in late 2018 the school housed 300 pupils in the 6 classrooms. There is now a need to complete the building and provide more classrooms so as to accommodate the pupils who now attend.
About Sierra Leone
Sierra is among the very poorest countries in the world, for example, ranking 182nd out of 189 in the United Nations Human Development Report. Average life expectancy is a mere 54 years.
Sierra Leone is poor and Kenema, despite some diamond mining, is one of the poorest regions in that country. It suffers from widespread poverty which was only enhanced by war and more recently Ebola which originated in that region.
With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of $1500 approximately (ranking 178th in the world) education is hugely unfunded by the State. In fact, if it was not for organisations like the UMC which provide around 1/3rd of all Primary (=Elementary) Schools in the nation the situation would be hugely worse. Just 1% of such schools have any internet access, for example.
The Second Floor
Bishop Yambusu of Sierra Leone, who led us to the project initially, always planned for a second floor as he knew the need was there. The design included protruding rebar in preparation for this next step.
Sadly, in 2020, he was killed in a road traffic accident. We want to complete this building because it is desperately needed and in memory of Bishop Yambasu.
More information timroebuck@gmail.com
Morrow Sierra Leone Partnership: Sponsor a Child Program
Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world, and our program enables Primary School children to have a year of schooling that they otherwise might not have.
The average income is a few hundred dollars a year and a composition book in remote areas can cost up to $7! ($75 supports one child for a year and pays for uniforms, a backpack, shoes, socks, stationery, sharpener, geometry set, crayons and pens)