An estimated 67 million school-age children around the world cannot read or write their own name.
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Children in Tonkolili district where Concern is working to improve access to education for out of school children. Photo: Sierra Leone, Concern Worldwide |
They are not attending school and they are deprived of a quality education because of their parents' poverty or cultural and social barriers. Imagine being born into poverty and living a life with little or no access to education?
In Sierra Leone, one of the poorest countries in the world, it is estimated that 70 percent of the population lives below the national poverty line.
Being a child in Sierra Leone is not easy. The 11-year civil war from 1991 to 2002 resulted in the destruction of basic services such as health, agriculture, water and sanitation and education. A staggering 66 percent of schools in the Tonkolili District of Sierra Leone were completely destroyed.
Concern is the only NGO supporting the education sector in Tonkolili district. Schools in this region are in very poor condition. Often there are no toilets. No classroom materials. No furniture. What’s worse is the quality of education is very poor with over 70 percent of untrained, unqualified teachers.
The worldwide education crisis remains one of our foremost development challenges, and it will remain a focus of Concern’s efforts in 2011 and beyond.
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Children at a Concern-supported school in Sierra Leone. Photo: Sierra Leone, Concern Worldwide |
Concern works closely with schools, school committees, governments, teachers and communities to build and renovate schools, develop and print quality curricula, train educators and provide books, desks and other essential learning materials. In 2010, Concern was able to improve the quality of education for over 500,000 boys and girls in 13 countries.
By attending the Winter Ball, you can join us in opening doors for 8,528 children in Sierra Leone by giving them a classroom experience they can treasure and by paving a path full of promise.
Your support at the 2011 Winter Ball, will provide boys and girls with a safer learning environment (particularly for girls) in two newly constructed schools, greater community participation, school supplies such as desks, uniforms, learning materials; and an overall increased enrollment. It will also provide teachers and advisors with training on child-centered learning methods, staff codes of conduct and Gender Based Violence awareness and methods of addressing it.
