Spaces for learning in Sierra Leone
“The kids would have got a better foundation educationally which they could build on to better their lives in the future”
- Melrose, Teacher at Youth Dream Center Sierra Leone
Education is important. It’s fundamental. And so are safe and condusive spaces to learn. Ever since 2010, we’ve been working with a cool organisation in Sierra Leone. They’re called Youth Dream Centre. What they do is pretty special…
Youth Dream Centre Sierra Leone see and act on a gap in the formal education system, where the marginalised children and youth are excluded. They have developed their organisation around non-formal education programmes, to ‘fill the gap’ and reach the most vulnerable children and youth. Together with YDC-SL, we got lucky and received a grant in 2022 from Erik Thunes Legat. This allowed us to scale up the work with education - across Freetown, Makeni, and Kono in Sierra Leone. Through the project, 300 children and youth receive access to education.
“With such support, it has contributed to YDC-SL continued provision of safe place forchildren to access free quality Non-Formal Education. And helping mitigate marginalisation, and increase literacy rate in Sierra Leone for social sustainability”
- Paul Kargbo, Executive Director hos Youth Dream Centre
In the project, we create access to basic education for children and young people through support for and development of three education centers. Here, children and young people receive education adapted to their needs, which creates opportunities for them in their further lives. The students are a mix of children and young people who come from different backgrounds and are at different academic levels. Some have gone to school before but have dropped out - usually due to financial constraints. Others may have never been to school. Therefore, YDC-SL does a lot to make sure everyone feels at home - so they get a good experience of getting started learning on their own terms.
As part of the project, 15 new teachers have been trained through a broad programme, where they are introduced to the way of teaching at the YDC-SL, the pedagogical foundation, and get a lot of new tools to plan and improve the teaching. Some of the core topics are lesson planning, evaluation of teaching, leadership, conflict management, psychosocial work and inclusion. All prepping the teachers for making the best possible learning space.
The project has also supported YDC-SL with teaching and training materials, establishment of smalll libraries, and resources to improve on the physical learning environment at the learning centres. This has made it possible to get more children and young people on board the education programmes. Here is a mixture of teaching - across teaching in learning how to read and write, and ‘social studies’, with learning on community structures and how a local community looks and is governed.
But what is equally important is the community that surrounds the classroom, and the education center. It is important that parents, care givers, community stakeholders, and all others around are in support of education for everyone. Noone should be without access to learn. So as part of the project, YDC-SL and their team will also mobilise the communities they work in to get more people to support and invest in education for children and youth. A big shout out to Erik Thunes Legat for the support - and for believing in the power of education.
“Without education of any type, poverty continues. But with this project, it has given hope and support to access free education to make children responsible citizens in the future”.
- Paul Kargbo, Executive Director hos Youth Dream Centre