A pupil from Merciful Academy at Fire Force, Rokel Village, named Zainab Y. Sesay also benefited from an additional donation of note books, text books, shoes and school fees among other things from SLAI.

The move is part of the Initiative’s strides to boost the Free Quality Education initiative implemented by the Government of Sierra Leone.

Schools including Saint Joseph’s Convent, Freetown Secondary School for Girls, Baptist, Mercy Academy, Honton Don and Salaam, among other in Wellington, IMAT, Shell, Lumley, Waterloo, Bo and Makeni benefited from the donation.

In Bo, the ceremony took place at the Betty Savage Memorial Interim Care Center (BSMICC) under the auspices of No Greater Love International at Hindonas street and at Allen Town at the Network for Children in Need at Allen town.

Theresa Rose is Sierra Leone Aid Initiative’s current Country Director in Sierra Leone. Handing over the donation to over two hundred pupils and school authorities, she said SLAI was founded and formed by eight (8) families in Minnesota in 1998 under the perspectives of Sierra Leone Community in Minnesota (SLCM).

She recalled that since 1998, SLCM had been focused on addressing issues of street children and the needy.

After the country’s civil war Theresa went on, Freetown was overpopulated with children who have lost their homes and parents.

She said to support government’s strides in catering for these children SLCM came onboard and helped them with school materials, shelter, clothing and health facilities among other supports.

The brains behind this wonderful initiative according to Theresa, is philanthropist Jonathan Rose and Theresa Rose, United States and home based Sierra Leoneans with support from Fredric Claye.

Their leading goal has been to help needy children between the ages of 5 and 18years and also support pupils between the levels of Classes 1 and SSS 3.

Parents, guardians, school authorities and community stakeholders of the beneficiaries expressed thanks and appreciation to Sierra Leone Community in Minnesota and Sierra Leone Aid Initiative for thinking of them and their children. They concluded by appealing to the two organizations and many other philanthropists based in and out of the country to copy the initiative of SLMC and SLAI to build their poor children’s future.