Giving a brief background about the organization, the Chairperson, Ismail Koroma, said the US based group is a non-profitable, non-political, and non-religious organization that comprises Sierra Leoneans, who over the past 25 years have been giving out scholarships to pupils and students in tertiary institutions.
He said for the past two years, the charity organization has shifted interest to sitting accommodation as they have observed that enrollment in schools has increased immensely.
“Last year, we made similar donations to 3 schools in Freetown, but this time we have decided to go into the provinces and look out for the most vulnerable schools,” he said.
The chairperson noted that his organization will continue similar gestures in the coming years in the west and other parts of the country. He said the 35 desks and 70 chairs received by each school would cushion the sitting accommodation problems that schools were grappling with.
Handing over the furniture to the Kenema Eastern Polytechnic Practicing School, Ambassador of the mission, David Mendegila, told pupils that the organization was not giving out the desks and chairs to the schools on behalf of the government, but to complement their effort in ensuring that the free quality education succeeds.
He noted that the organization would consider strongly the challenges highlighted by the school authorities, and promised to working on them in their next scheme.
Head Teacher of Ahmadiyya Muslim Primary School, Roruks, Port Loko District, Madam Annie B. Kargbo, explained that the school lacked adequate classrooms and enough furniture, adding that they have been making adjustment to accommodate the government’s 50 per class policy.
She added that the donation brought excitement to her and all the teachers in the school, as the furniture, which everyone has been speaking of, has become a reality and thanked the donors for carrying out the project.
She appealed for more classrooms and furniture so as to cut down on the number of pupils per class.
“On behalf of my very self and the community, we appreciate the donation by the SLPU. We thank them so much and pray that God will richly blessed them for the wonderful work they have been doing. They have made no mistake in investing in education as it is the only way a nation would be prosperous especially in this 21st century,” she stated.
In the same vein, the deputy Head Teacher at Kenema Eastern Polytechnic Practicing School, Martin Umaru Senesi and the Head Teacher for St. Theresa Police Primary School in Bo, Augusta S. Kailie, expressed similar appreciation to the SLPU members.
