School Feeding Program in Sierra Leone

A Brighter Tomorrow for Africa Report  Global Giving June 2011

A Brighter Tomorrow for Africa (BTA) continues to support
the feeding program of Children of the Nations in Sierra Leone, West Africa
which centers on an area of this country with great needs, where the children
need to be encouraged. The involvement of BTA, and the nutritious meals which
they provide for so many of our school going children, positively impacts their
development in many ways.

Good food plays a great role in the physical health of a
child but is also crucial in their mental advancement. Not only does improved
nutrition allow for the healthy development of a child’s brain but the
incentive provided by the meals served daily at school encourages the children
and youth to come and come regularly. Since time spent at a Mallory Jansen
Memorial School also involves the development of social skills and spiritual understanding it
can be said that BTA assists Children of the Nations greatly in our vision of
caring for children holistically. With the support of BTA we can reach our
goals and bring more girls and boy in to school.
 

In the past, children were coming to school hungry and tired. Most parents in our community cannot
provide breakfast for their children. With the help of BTA we are able to
assist some children with milk in the morning hours and then later in the day
all of the students benefit from the main BTA meal. In the second term of this
academic year we were blessed by some additional assistance offered by World
Food Program. They have been able to give us some bulger wheat, vegetable oil
and salt. With the help of this supply we have been able to expand the BTA
feeding program. Now we are able to give all of our children both breakfast and
lunch at school. Breakfast is served from 7.30 am with the school day beginning
at 8 am. Lunch is then prepared by around 12 pm.

A Child’s Story –
Lombeh Sheriff

Lombeh Sheriff is 14 years old and she is in Prep 6. She lives at Senehun village which is
about 2 miles from the school she attends, Mallory Jansen Memorial Primary School, Ngolala .

Lombeh always walks to school through the stream that passes between Senehun and Ngolala. Her parents are
farmers. Lombeh often came to school late and hungry, already tired for her morning class. With the expansion of our feeding program this academic year, Lombeh’s punctuality at school has been very exciting to see. This will help in both Lombeh’s educational performance as well as her physical health.

A Child’s Story - Lahai
Yovenah

Lahai Yovenah is a 15 year old boy staying at Wubangay
village but during the week he transfers to a village called Monicawe about 1
mile from our school in Ngolala. Lahai is one of the children who has benefited
from BTA meals since they began being offered in our schools. Lahai is now in
Junior Secondary School 1, growing strong and furthering his education.

A Brighter Tomorrow for Africa is a real blessing for our
children in Banta Mokelleh. It brings us all great joy to be able to offer such
hope to these children.

Number of Children being served food daily – As of June 2011

School

Number of children

MJM Nursery, Ngolala

 72

MJM Primary, Ngolala

400

MJM JSS, Ngolala

172  

MJM SSS, Ngolala

 72

MJM Skills Training,
  Ngolala

  2

MJM Nursery, Mokpangumba

20

MJM Primary, Mokpangumba

43

MJM Nursery, Mosenesi

-

MJM Primary, Mosenesi

-

MJM Nursery, Marjay Town

-

MJM Primary, Marjay Town

-

Total

 781

• Brighter Tomorrow for Africa Report -- Summer 2011 (PDF)
  

Progress Report For A Brighter Tomorrow for Africa Foundation (BTA) SCHOOL FEEDING AT UPPER BANTA CHIEFDOM MOYAMBA DISTRICT Sierra Leone, West Africa Upper Banta Mokelleh is situated in the Moyamba District which is located in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone, West Africa. The Mokelleh Chiefdom is the smallest in terms of population since the war ended in 2002. Many people in this area were killed by the rebels who entered the country through the South during the ten year conflict. It is also considered among the most backward impoverished area in the country – but things are changing! There is now a future for the children in Banta Mokelleh, because of a well-established feeding program for children who are now going to school each day in this area. Working with Children of the Nations intervention since 2005, A Brighter Tomorrow for Africa (BTA) has continued to provide the opportunity for the children in Upper Banta Mokelleh to a full cup of milk in the morning when they first arrive at school and then later, between 11am and 12pm, the main meal is served to now six hundred and eighty children each day. The meal is cooked by the women of neighboring villages and is served on a plate of rice, which is served with a palatable source. This can either in the form of a leafy vegetable as well as groundnut stew, beans and palm oil with fish. Due to better nourishment, the children are now in much improved health and are therefore able to more fully access quality education as their brains are healthier and much more capable of learning. There is also a component of improved agriculture for the community as BTA and Children of the Nations are working together to build and harvest a farm to supplement our program. Also, since the children getting enough food in the school community, the status of our school in the last national primary school examination result has improved tremendously. Last year results were very excellent, for example. 58 of the pupils who sat for the BECE examination all passed with an average score of aggregate 16 which brought a score of 100% successes in the Upper Banta chiefdom. Additionally, the extension of food supply to our schools has been of great help as parents are sending their children to our schools especially from the neighboring villages. And, there has been a great effect on the running of the school. According to the head teacher, the impact of the food program has recruited more pupils and staffs. Even the nearby villager like Mokonde and Hemabu villages are sending their children to school. Because of this, more attention in the children academic performance is good. The children are rapidly growing in their physical, mental, social and spiritual development. Typical examples of our cluster school children from Mopanguba primary school are: Kudus Kamara and Aisha Sidikie both of whom started school when they were completely malnourished because the homes from which they came had barely anything to eat. Now are never late for school and are doing very well in school as they are regular in their school attendance. As the year progresses, there is a high increase in the enrollment of pupils than the previous years. We hope to sometime increase the number of children supported by BTA at this time. There are brothers and sisters of our students who want to join their siblings at school, and we will must find a way to continue to provide essential nourishment to this special community in Sierra Leone, West Africa where one in five children die of malnourishment before their fifth birthday. Without the support of Global Giving, our program may have very well be in danger of being severely reduced. Due to the economy and other factors, fund raising in 2010 had become quite challenging and we did not have the funds to maintain the $4470 a month budget on our own. THANK YOU from all of us! Submitted March 1, 2011 by BTA Director, Sarah Armstrong and Upper Banta National Education Supervisor, Mr. Joseph Lamboi Contact: Sarah Armstrong Sarah.armstrong@brighterafrica.org

Links:

• Interview about Sierra Leone Feeding Program for BTA