By Dr Steph Dobrowolski | Director, Solon Foundation
The Turtle Islands are an archipelago of tiny, low-lying islands off the southern coast of Sierra Leone. The islands are home to fishing communities with a rich history and deep traditional practices. But in a country with some of the poorest education outcomes in the world, the Turtle Islands represent a particularly deprived community. A 2011 survey found that less than 1% of women could read or write.
Isha, 13, grew up on the island of Nyangai where there was no formal primary schooling. Children would attend informal lessons every now and then, on days when they didn’t need to go out to fish or gather sticks for firewood. But to complete primary school was rare - to even complete grades 5 and 6, children had to be sent off the island - and to attend junior secondary school was almost unheard of. The chiefdom is one of a handful in the country with no junior secondary school: why finish primary school when there is no opportunity beyond it?
Through our support for the construction and operation of a primary school on the Turtle Islands, and our Scholarship Fund to support secondary education, Isha is part of a new generation of students from the Turtle Islands who have been able not just to complete primary schooling but go on to further study.
Isha is now in her second year of Junior Secondary School at Rising Academy Grafton in the Western Area Rural district, where her favourite subjects are Maths and Creative and Practical Arts. Last academic year, 17 students were supported. This year, that number has more than doubled, and Isha is one of 38 students from the Turtle Islands attending schools in Freetown on a Solon Foundation scholarship.
"Isha always comes to school happy", says Mr Banya, the master teacher at her school. "She’s very kind and thoughtful and will help other pupils if they’re having difficulty with a task in lessons. Isha also likes to ask the teachers lots of questions and you’ll often find her busy in the library. I’m looking forward to seeing how she’ll do in her BECE exams next year."
In a short period of time the Scholarship Fund has shown that it is possible to turn the tide on education for the children of the Turtle Islands.
(Photo credits: Patrick Temme and Bex Singleton)
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