School Feeding Program in Sierra Leone

One of our feeding programs takes place at a wonderful nursery school in Freetown and they sent us the following report:   

The BTA feeding programme continued as usual with the provision of the favorite menu of the children. The quality of the food provided continues to be of high standards.

We cannot underestimate the support of BTA to the success of this programme. We appreciate Sarah for her desperate effort to ensure that the programme is fully supported.

The cost of living has gone up exponentially and as such purchasing feeding items is increasing day by day and this is a serious challenge we are facing. Notwithstanding we continue to maintain the standard of providing a balanced diet for these deserving children.

There is a saying – a sound mind in a sound body. This is true of the pupils at Connecting Destiny School as they are making great strides in their schoolwork. The school came second in the BTA Essay Competition and this made our pupils proud.  Students were asked to write about the BTA Feeding Programme and these essays were reviewed by judges. 

In another programme held during this period -- National Reading Competition -- our school came first in the first stage of the competition. The second phase will be done shortly and the first five winners will participate in an international competition to be held in Liberia and we are confident our contestant will emerge as winner and will represent the school in Liberia.

Finally, we wish to report that the school had its first candidates for the National Primary School Examination. Five candidates took the exams and all five were successful. They were recognized and given prizes at this ceremony. Students who also came first to go to the next class were also recognized and this served as a motivation for the rest of the pupils that if they work hard they will be recognized.

Thank you BTA donors for helping to make these things happen!

This term started as usual with excitement from the children on their school work and of course the feeding programme.

The Connecting Destiny Nursery and Preparatory School was set up to provide comprehensive child care services for children 2- 12 years and to provide the opportunity for children to develop their independence, self-confidence, interpersonal skills and relationships with others through active play and learning.

We cannot sufficiently thank BTA for their support to ensure the feeding programme is on course. The children look forward to lunch time and their parents from time to time express their gratitude to the school for the quality of the food provided.

The menu still ranges from spaghetti, pasta, rice with a variety of local sauces, bean and rice cakes with fish. The children are well fed daily. They are also provided with yoghurt once a week. They really enjoy a balanced diet and the food is well prepared and could be eaten by anybody (even a visitor from BTA!).

The number of pupils is increasing rapidly and as we start the new school year this September we are expecting a higher intake. The cost of purchasing feeding items is increasing day by day and this is a serious challenge we are facing. Notwithstanding we continue to maintain the standard of providing a balanced diet for these deserving children.

Hello from Ben Hirsch to our donors!  We have such trust and confidence in the power of A Brighter Tomorrow for Africa (BTA), especially when things are difficult in the country financially and from a health perspective.

In spite of many ongoing challenges, the children at this school are really successful in their work and community participation is marvelous in terms of supporting the students.  As a result, the physical and psychosocial aspects of the children have improved tremendously.

• Those who have gone on to secondary schools are coping very well with their schoolwork.
• The COVID-19 education for every foster home is still on course.
• Those from Ben Hirsch are now getting involved regularly in sports which also brings interaction for the students with children from other area schools which is great for morale.   
• And the newly introduced one-to-one counselling sessions are helping greatly. The social workers have started working closely with the children and community in activities both in and outside school to ensure regular contact.

All of these things are possible with the blessing of BTA. Children’s’ lives are improving.  Every single day. They have the energy to do all of these things to improve their lives because of the donations you have given to feed these beautiful young people.

Thank you!

Dear BTA Donors and Partners,   

On behalf of the management, staff and Children of the Children of the Nations – Sierra Leone, I write to extend to our philanthropic donors, a prosperous and healthy 2022. We are expressing our continued,   sincere thanks and appreciation for your relentless effort in serving the needs of the underprivileged and the less fortunate children of our society.

We remain grateful for your continued support in helping our children fight hunger in schools. Your never-failing school feeding provision, otherwise called the BTA meal, is still the wonder that keeps learners through daily lengthy school day and the silent reason for our academic excellence.

In the same vein, the provision of solar lights at Jiminga, Mokpangumba and Ngolala old Town villages, to aid students’ night reading, is enhancing improved examination results. Your action will never go unrewarded. You have given us the enabling environment to access the true meaning of free and quality education. With the presence of the school feeding program to support to us, you have enabled us to fight poor health which might have cost the lives of some of the children from poverty-stricken homes and communities. You are highly appreciated. Thank you so much.

Children’s stories

A 17 year old girl student: We are five in our family. I am the eldest daughter with one junior brother and sister. I am currently in SSS 2 Science at Mallory Jansen Memorial Senior Secondary Scgool, in COTN-SL compound in Ngolala. I live with my parents in Ngolala Old Town. My mother is a petty trader in my school and my father works in the Rutile mines as an engineer.

I truly believe that without BTA school feeding, a host of us would have stopped schooling. They say education is difficult but hunger makes it more difficult and unbearable. School feeding is the best thing that ever happened to us.

I would love to be a donor when I become successful in life. Thank you to the management of the school food and lots of love to you, our donors.

A  12 year old boy student:  I am now in Class 2B at Mallory Jansen Memorial Primary school in Ngolala. I live at Ngolala Junction with my parents who are farmers. We are 10 in our family. I have five sisters and two brothers. I am the 5^th child in my family.

I am very grateful to COTN-SL and the BTA family for their daily contribution to our livelihood in school and for supporting our academic life. BTA keeps us happy in school. I miss BTA when on holidays. Long live our Donors and long live the BTA school feeding program. Thank you so much.

Dear BTA Donors and Partners,   

We deliver greetings from the management, staff and Children of the Children of the Nations – Sierra Leone (one of BTA’s four feeding programs). To our selfless donors we express our sincere thanks and appreciation for your philanthropic work in serving the needs of the underprivileged and the less fortunate of our society. We are very grateful for your continued support in helping us fight hunger in our schools with your never-failing school feeding provision. The BTA meal is still a wonderful meal with a unique flavor and experience having it for lunch. Only the eater can tell you about its impact on them.

Your provision of solar lights for studying at night at Jiminga, Mokpangumba and Ngolala old Town villages have already started paying dividend to us through the 2020/2021 Basic Education Certificate Exams (BECE) results. In that examination all of the pupils passed.  You have given us the enabling environment to access the true meaning of free and quality education. With the presence of the school feeding support to our school you have helped us fight hunger and poor health especially for the host of us who are from poverty-stricken communities and homes.  We appreciate you so much as we are gradually getting our basic needs in food, light, clean drinking water, toilet facility, hospital, etc.) at our doorsteps. Thank you loads!

Children’s story

Story One: We have a Junior Secondary School 3 pupil who earned the best Basic Education Examination Certificate Examination (BECE 2020/2021) result. She loves and has always appreciated the BTA Donors for their school feeding support to them. She is giving all the glory of her academic success to God and to BTA for the support to earn this success.

“Dear Donors, I am not a born of Ngolala Town community, but my parents have settled here for a while and have become permanent residents now. In our small family home, BTA School feeding food has been the reason for our rush to school in the morning and the source of the smiling faces home. Thank you.

Story Two: We also have a young girl who has been brought up by COTN-SL since childhood.  She earned the 2^nd best result in Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) with Aggregate 14. According to the scores of her BECE report, she is qualified for all the different streams of study (Arts/Science/Commerce &Tech/Voc.)

She is very grateful to COTN-SL and the BTA family for the thought of providing us food in school through the school feeding program.

In conclusion, we the staff, children, and community as a whole are very much appreciative of your endless support to our children's welfare in school. We thank for your relentless effort to provide our needs.