SIERRA LEONE SUMMER SCHOOL AFTER-PARTY

With the start back to school delayed again because of the deteriorating political situation, Hopes' free Summer School kids return to pick up their results and diplomas and an afternoon ram-packed with fun and surprises!

But thanks to uncles John and Guilliaume and the team at Aspida Global the kids are in for a big surprise - a brand new school bag packed full of kit, pencils, pens, ruler, eraser, sharpener and a case to keep them in, as well as a half dozen exercise books each.

And the surprises don't stop there - after the prayers, presentations and kids speeches all the kids and parents attending tuck into a well-deserved take-out box of Aunty Zainabs famous fried rice, chicken, fizzy pop and lollipops to thank the kids for giving up a month of their hols!

Named by our kids, Hopes' High Standards summer school taught 44 local kids struggling with basic math and English and class 6 kids facing exams next year with breakfast every day and free school supplies. An additional benefit for the Hope team was getting to know the kids and their stories - the little girl who couldn't write her ABCs and whose family couldn't afford to keep her in school, the teenage goat-herder and the after school stone-breaker who both two years behind in school and whose grandma is increasingly frail and the little boy in danger of falling out of school after his father lost his sight and job. As a result four children from the summer school are set to join us on a respite basis while we carry out further investigations with the Ministry.

With a monthly minimum wage of 600 NLe ($35), no social security safety net and 40%+ inflation in Sierra Leone it can be very tough-going for families. And in large polygmous families, which are commonplace, it's often the case that only the brightest one or two children go to school and the rest, although illegal, are set to work helping the family make ends meet - marketing trays of butterscotch, bananas, little tie bags of sugar whatever small things the family can make money from.

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