Small business has been identified as a way of improving family income of low paid primary school teachers/volunteers in rural Sierra Leone. Quality Primary education depends mainly on the ability of the teachers and volunteers to perform under reasonable conditions in terms of family income and sustenance. The grant will provide start up for 20 teachers in 3 village schools in MILE 91 to operate home businesses for economic empowerment to improve performance and quality of children education.
This project is designed to fight poverty and improve primary education in rural Sierra Leone. Primary teachers are the lowest earning civil servants and least motivated. Most qualified young teachers are reluctant to serve in rural communities. Half of the teachers are volunteers whose incomes are subsidized by contributions from the already poor communities. With limited capacity to supplement their income, there is low self esteem, poor performance and a steady decline in educational level.
Marketing of produce and household goods in the rural communities has been identified by these teachers as a sustainable means of improving family income. The project will support 20 teachers and their families with reasonable capital to engage in lucrative marketing businesses in the community that will take less time of the teacher. Management training for the family will enhance the sustainability of the business.The teachers will be monitored to cease using children for income generation.
Well established small businesses will create enough economic impact and stability in the homes and motivation for the teachers to perform with integrity and to the best of the ability. There will be remarkable improvement in teacher services delivery that will be reflected in the children performance and level of education in the community. The Improved economic activities and quality children education will lead to the reduction of poverty in these rural communities in the long-term..
