Latest News from Waterloo Schools Charity, Waterloo, Sierra Leone, Africa.
Posted February 2024
A HUGE THANK YOU FROM ALL THE CHILDREN AT WATERLOO SCHOOLS Hello and welcome to the Early Spring Issue of the Waterloo Schools Charity Newsletter. We are writing to thank you for your wonderful support of the students during what have been a difficult last twelve months. Despite the cost of living crisis, you, our supporters, have continued to show huge generosity and kindness. Thank you. The cost of living crisis has affected Sierra Leone badly and the price of commodities has and continues to rise rapidly. A 25 kg bag of rice has almost doubled in cost in the last year from Sierra Leonean Leones 275 to SLL 400. As a result of your funds we have bought and supplied rice, cooking oil and condiments to support the school community through this crisis and provide lunch subsidies. A child cannot learn if he or she is hungry and the parents were increasingly unable to afford to fill a lunch box for their children. Through your support we have been able to assist families who are struggling. |
Ongoing Projects: A pump which was installed in an existing well has since broken down and we are urgently looking into funding the cost of repair. Access to fresh and clean water is one of our key priorities. We are pleased to report that the toilet block in the Zoe Carrs Nursery School has been completed. We have supplied teaching and learning materials and second hand toys for the children to play with at school. We now need to focus on construction of a playground at the nursery – so important for the development of the younger children. The provision of classroom furniture and the painting of buildings and general maintenance in the unforgiving climate of Sierra Leone always need the charity’s attention. Your continued support, therefore, is vital. Shortly before Christmas we sent a financial contribution to help the teachers provide a special Christmas lunch for the Nursery School children who had been traumatised during the short State of Emergency which occurred in Sierra Leone in November. It was felt that a party would help to raise their spirits.
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Dr Laurie Read Bursaries We are so proud of all our Bursary students who continue to do so well in their studies. These students are either awaiting their results or taking their final exams:
- Zainab M Kallon , BSc Business Administration and Management at Njala University College
Here is a message of thanks and appreciation from Zainab Kamara, who has just graduated with a BSc in Nursing from Njala University College. We are so happy and so proud of her and wish her well in her future career. Good afternoon sir, I want to reach out wonderful news regarding my final score in university.
We would also like to congratulate Simeon Turey who graduated with Bachelor Degree with Honours in Electrical Engineering and Kadiyatta Bangura, who graduated with a Higher Diploma in Community Health and Clinical Sciences. She has been admitted to pursue a programme of study leading to a BSc with Honours in Nursing. |
Donations St. Nicholas’s Church in Dormston held a service of thanksgiving for the charity and children of Waterloo Schools. It was a very happy day and the congregation donated a very generous sum of £320 to the charity.
More good news – We held another Quiz & Fish n’Chip Supper which was very well supported by the local community in Dormston and Inkberrow – an outstanding £800 was raised. Huge thanks go to our superb Quiz Master and Trustee, Neil Morland, for providing an evening of much enjoyment and fun. We would like to send our sincere thanks to everyone who came along and supported the evening so generously. By popular demand, we are hoping to hold another quiz evening in May/June and will send out details in due course. It is also important to mention our Standing Order Donors, who over the years have given and continue to give to the children so generously. Without their donations coming in regularly we would not be able to plan for projects. If anyone reading this newsletter would like to become a regular donor please click on the donations box below. Thank you so much for your support. Finally, may we also take this opportunity to thank Kenneth Kromanty, who has personally experienced a very difficult year with the sad loss of his wife. Despite everything, Kenneth has continued to work relentlessly as a Trustee for the Charity. We would also like to thank our other Trustee in Sierra Leone, Morlai Kamara, for his worthy contribution and all the good people who assist and drive through the projects in Waterloo – namely Christiana Aligie, Mabel Sawyerr and Augustine Moiba. |
We wish you all good health and happiness in 2024 The Trustees of Waterloo Schools Charity |
Mission Statement Founded in 2005, the Waterloo Schools Charity has done a great deal with your help to achieve its stated aim and vision: To advance the education of children in Waterloo, Sierra Leone, particularly but not exclusively those attending Waterloo Primary School and the Peninsula Secondary School, by the provision of financial assistance, equipment support and such other facilities as the trustees shall from time to time in their absolute discretion determine. |
- Latest News - New Year 2023 Update - January 2022
- Latest News - Autumn 2022 Update - September 2022
- Latest News - Autumn 2021 Update - September 2021
- Urgent Appeal - August 2020
- Latest News - Christmas Wishes 2019 - December 2019
- Make a note in your diary - Invitation to our Summer Concert 7 July - May 2019
- Latest News - Winter 2019 Update - January 2019
- Latest News - Spring 2018 Update - February 2018
- Latest News - Summer Update - August 2017
- Latest News - Spring Update - March 2017
- Latest News - Summer Update - September 2016
- Latest News - Spring Update - May 2016
- Latest News - Winter Update - February 2016
- Quiz & Fish and Chip Supper Fundraising Event Update - April 2016
- Ebola Update - October 2015
- Celebration of Waterloo Schools Charity and Remembrance Service for Laurie Read held at St.Nicholas` Church in Dormston - June 2015
- Charity Day held at King Edward VI Aston School, Birmingham - May 2015
- Many thanks to the Tarantara.org mixed choir - November 2014
- TARANTARA! at St. Andrews Church, Shottery on 11th October - October 2014
- Ebola Crisis - October 2014
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Welcome to Waterloo Schools Charity based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Africa.
Fifty years ago Laurie Read, founder of the Charity, worked as a teacher in Sierra Leone, Africa before returning to the UK to take up medicine. His love for this little African country never left him. At that time, newly independent Sierra Leone was developing and full of promise for the future.
However, the subsequent years of dictatorship and civil war brought the country to its knees and made it difficult for Laurie to keep in touch. Upon retiring from the NHS in 2005 he and his wife, Sue, made a visit to Sierra Leone to see whether he could work there as a surgeon. It also gave Laurie a chance to visit the Peninsula Secondary School where he had been principal and had taught science so many years earlier. He was horrified by what he found. As a direct result of that visit Waterloo Schools Charity was founded in 2005 and its aim is to co-operate with the people of Waterloo in restoring and developing nursery, primary and secondary school education.
Sadly, Laurie Read passed away in 2014 but his legacy lives on through the efforts of a committed group of trustees, here and in Sierra Leone, and ably led by Sue Read. Thanks also go to our dedicated and hardworking team of fundraisers and all our donors who give so generously.