Mokpangumba
Child’s Story
BTA
Report May 2012
Regina Samukah
Regina Samukah is eight years old and in Nursery 3 at
Mallory Jansen Primary School Mokpangumba. Regina’s story is a sad one. Her
mother was sick during pregnancy. When he mother gave birth to Regina, she
became seriously sick which resulted in her mental disturbance.
Regina did not enjoy her childhood with her biological
mother. Another mother took care of her for two years until her mother
recovered from her sickness. The grandmother of Regina thought it fit that
Regina attend school in their village since there was a COTN school there.
There was little for them to eat at home. Regina was poorly malnourished at the
time they took her to school.
With the school feeding program of BTA, Regina always gets
her one meal in school during lunch. She started looking healthier because of
the nourishing food she gets from school. She comes to school every day and is
very conscious to learn and will attend church service every Sunday with her
friends. Her teacher Mr. Joseph Foday, says Regina is a promising girl if her
parents continue to encourage her.
The other sad part of Regina’s life is that her father who
was a fisherman died last year because of a severe cold that attacked him.
Regina’s mother used to visit the school where Regina attends. She is very
appreciative that her daughter is doing well in health and also improving in
her learning. She thanks God for the blessing that God is providing for her
daughter in their village.
Augustine Musa
Augustine Musa is a nine year old boy who is in class two in
Mokpangumba COTN school. He lives in a village three miles off from Ngolala. He
is one of the first members of the COTN Mokpangumba school. When Augustine was
born, his father died in their village. Life for his mother was hard as now she
could not take care of her boy.
Augustine suffered from malnutrition for three months. He
was taken to Mattru Jong hospital for treatment where they stayed for some
time. When they were discharged from the hospital, his mother brought him back
to the village. In that village, there was the COTN school so his mother
enrolled him in school.
Though Augustine was not too healthy, he was willing to go
to school. In that school there was the BTA food program. Augustine was very
happy among his friends in school because he will join them to eat the good
nourishing food that is provided by the school feeding program. Today,
Augustine is regular in school and always attends church services in the COTN
church. He has grown physically and mentally. He is a promising child in this
village. This shows that the feeding program helping children to learn and has
saved them from sickness and malnutrition. Augustine is always thankful to God.
Jenneh Bangura
Little Jenneh Bangura is seven years of age. She is in
Nursery 3 in the Mokpangumba COTN school. As with many children all over the
world, Jenneh lost her biological father last year. Jenneh’s mother is a widow
and has little to provide her children with.
Jenneh got seriously sick during her childhood and they
admitted her to a mission hospital for one month. She was malnourished when
they returned home. One day her mother decided to take her to school as she saw
the other children attending school. It was difficult for Jenneh to adjust to
school and she would always cry when her mother left.
Among other things, the provision of BTA in the Mokpangumba
school has helped Jenneh to enjoy school and she no longer cries. She always
comes to school with her plate and spoon ready. She gets her BTA meal and feels
very good. She is not regular in school and growing well. She can recite memory
verses, rhymes, numbers, and the alphabet. This shows that Jenneh is learning
and is receiving a quality education. She is also spiritually growing and
attends church every Sunday.
According to her mother, she says she is very excited
because her daughter is doing well in her physical growth. She is thankful to
God and the teachers for helping Jenneh.
A BRIGHTER TOMORROW FOR AFRICA
FOUNDATION (BTA)
CHILDREN OF THE NATIONS (COTN), SIERRA
LEONE FEEDING PROGRAM
JANUARY 2012 REPORT FOR GLOBAL GIVING
Submitted by COTN and Sarah Armstrong,
Director, BTA
All praise and Glory be unto our God Almighty for bringing us safely to the end of
first term. We pray that he will see us through this New Year. Last year a
Brighter Tomorrow for Africa successfully and fully supported our school
feeding which is still blessing the lives of our school going children in all
aspects of their learning. It was evident that the social, mental, physical and
spiritual growth was in them in their effort to acquire quality education. The
present total number of beneficiaries in the school feeding program is now 973
covering three surrounding villages namely; Ngolala, Mokpanguba and Mosenensie
in the Banta- Mokelleh Chiefdom.
As we went through last year, reports and
child’s stories were sent to you with joy and to thank you for the wonderful
help given in providing daily nourishing meals for our school children in this
part of Sierra Leone, Banta – Mokelleh chiefdom in Moyamba District.
As mentioned in other reports, the BTA feeding program serves as the greatest
motivation to get our children to school in this literacy backward and
poverty-stricken community. So far the BTA school feeding program, in
collaboration with COTN’s educational activities, has helped reduce the
illiteracy rate in Banta –Mokelleh by 12%. In April this year COTN will send 30
senior high school students to the external examinations for University
admission. The grade 9 students made a 100% passes in their external
examinations for admission to senior school. The 6th grade students
also did well in their external exams for admission to the junior high school.
We are happy to report that in all these BTA played a significant role to bring
COTN schools to this level of achievement.
School reopened on the 4th January for the commencement of the 2nd
term. The kids were so excited to return from school after a short Christmas
break. Preparation of BTA meals for the various schools resumed immediately on
the 4th January. The school kids enrolled at the village partnership
project were also excited to resume school knowing that their daily meal at
school is sure.
The regional office of the World Food Program (WFP) in Moyamba donated 20 bags of
bulgur and five cartoons of vegetable oil towards the feeding program. They
informed COTN that such supply will not be regular since our project proposal
for constant food supply is under due consideration by WFP. We have saved these
donated food items for some cloudy days ahead. An effort to indentify
prospective school feeding organizations within and without Sierra Leone is in
dire progress.
COTN is extremely thankful to BTA, its donors and more to the Armstrong family in
the U.S for their constant donation and support to keep the Banta school
feeding program alive and active. Thank you Sarah, thank you BTA, thank you the
Armstrongs.
CHILDREN’S SUCCESS STORIES
TITY MANNAH
– is a ten year old Girl attending COTN school in Ngolala. She is in class
three. She stays at Senehun village about seven kilometers away from the
school’s location in Ngolala. She walks with friends daily to school. She has a
poor vision and uses glasses provided by COTN which makes it difficult for her
to walk seven kilometers daily to school. She has two younger brothers who are
not attending school but staying with their Uncle in the village.
According to Tity, she does not bring any lunch to school and so finds it difficult to do well in her school work. She expresses her extreme happiness in school now that she is assured of her daily meal from
BTA. Her teacher confirmed her academic progress in school.
Tity is also a beneficiary in COTN’s “Challenged Kids Project” in Ngolala.
TITUS BALLAY – is
a ten year old boy attending COTN School in Ngolala. He walks from Mokpanguba
where he lives about five kilometers away. He is in class 4A.
According to Titus, his biological parents have long
been separated. The Mother is now married to another man who now becomes Titus’
step father. The Step Father had always stopped Titus from going to school
because he wanted him to help with the farm work (Garri production). This
became a big problem for Titus since he is desirous to be educated. Titus will
hide himself and sneak to be in school without fees, books nor lunch. Titus
later confided in his teacher who encouraged him to be determined and studious
and got him enrolled in our “village partnership project” (VPP). His fees and
basic learning materials are all provided by the VPP .With the provision of BTA
food, Titus is fed everyday and is very happy to be in school. He is also
growing spiritually as he now attends church with other COTN children. He came
from a Muslim family background. He is thankful to God for helping him grow in
all his development.
Please see full report in PDF attached. Thank you
