Schools for Salone extends a heartfelt THANK YOU to all those individuals, groups and organizations, both in Sierra Leone and here in the US, who believe in and support our goals and contribute so generously to the success of our many projects.

Without your help Schools for Salone would be helpless.

 

 

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars for their friendship and support; benefit concerts in Apen, Colorado; Dallas, Texas and Seattle, Washington: to raise funds for Schools for Salone and eventually building a school in Maforki, the home village of one their members. 

(Click here to learn about their newest album "Rise & Shine" to release March 23, 2010)

John Sesay, Cindy Nofziger's co-worker from 1985, for inspiring the beginning of the entire Schools for Salone effort and for overseeing the construction of the very first school at Maforeka.

The children of Maforeka Primary School for Salone Note Cards drawings.

Joseph Lamin, Director of the Masanga Children's Fund, for coordinating and managing the building of Schools for Salone projects through out Sierra Leone.

Cindy writes of Joseph:  "He is one my oldest, dearest friends - we have known one another for over 25 years now, becoming close friends when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer at Masanga Leprosy Hospital from 1985-1987, and the last 4 years working closely together on these education projects.  He is my brother.  We have been through a lot together. Our friendship tested.  Our trust in each other has provided the freedom to discuss these differences openly.  It has only deepened our friendship and the trust we have for one another.  Joseph is much, much more to me than a "business partner" doing good things for Sierra Leone.  His love for his country and especially the children of Sierra Leone touches my heart every time I am with him.  He stays in Sierra Leone to do this work, even though his family now lives in London.  That is the hard part for him, to be separated from his wife and own children that he loves so dearly.  He is the reason why Schools for Salone has the success that it has, in a country that we love so much, but one that is difficult for many things to work, to make things happen and come together.  Joseph knows how to make things happen in Sierra Leone, what is realistic, what is possible.  He has high expectations for the people he works with. "

Lansana Bayon, a valuable member of Masanga Children's Fund, for overseeing the construction of the School and wells at Calaba Town, in east Freetown together with Joseph Lamin. 

Ishmael Beah, whose generosity, resiliency and tenacity to overcome his traumatic past, his integrity and love of his country, and his determination to make a difference in this world is truly inspiring, for funding the project at Junctionla, which serves 3 nearby villages, including Mogbwemo, his home village and for his continuing support in many ways of Schools for Salone.

Leslie Mboka, Social Worker and Child Rights Activist, Reintegration Officer and friend of Ishmael Beah, for helping to coordinate construction of the School and wells at Junctionla together with Joseph Lamin of Masanga Children's Fund. 

Leslie describes himself as: "the founder and Executive Director of the Community Advocacy and Development Movement (CADEM), a right-based organization advocating for communities impacted by Sierra Rutile mining.  We are involved in building the capacity of local communities to advocate on their own behalf in a bid to challenge the corporate excesses of the mining companies.  We are also involved in community development to improve the livelihoods of mining communities.  I am currently the National Chairman of Campaign for Just Mining, a coalition of civil society and human rights organizations working on just mining issues in Sierra Leone." 

Mustapha Sonnie, friend and colleague of Emily Heck, for helping to coordinate construction of the Schools and well at Niagorehun, together with Joseph Lamin of Masanga Children's Fund.

Mustapha Sonnie grew up in Niagorehun in Southern Sierra Leone, where he acquired his elementary education at the Niagorehun Primary School.  He is currently working with Helen Keller International’s country office in Freetown as the Program Manager for Eye Health and Neglected Tropical Diseases.   Mustapha believes that the best gift any of us can give the next generation is the gift of education and is the catalyst behind the rebuilding of the Niagorehun Primary School.

Madam Zainab Bangura, Sierra Leone Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Chief Civil Affairs Officer to the U.N. Mission in Liberia in 2006, for inspiring us to collect books for a small children's library in her village, Yonibana, and helping us succeed with our first container shipment of books to the schools we build in Sierra Leone.

 

 

Sallieu Turay, Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Book Trust and for helping us provide learning materials for our schools and for warehousing our 1st 22,000 books through our Books for Africa partnership.

 

Mr. Mohammed Sheriff, principal of the Every Nations Academy in Bo Sierra Leone for sharing their shipment from Books for Africa with us in the spring of 2009.

More

Copper Pot Pictures and documenatary "Brownstones to Red Dirt" for raising funds to build a school for the students at Children in Crisis near Freetown and a Library for the students of Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn.

Respect International for connecting students at the Children in Crisis school near Freetown, Sierra Leone with students in the Bed-Stuy area of Brooklyn, NY.

Melissa Wantz and Project Hello for connecting high school students in Ventura, California and Freetown Sierra Leone via email to share their cultural stories and eventually put them into booklet form, together with student poems and illustrations.

InterConnections 21 for organizing a week of fundraising events in Jackson Hole, WY.

Association of Sierra-Leoneans in North East Florida for their generous support of our Books for Africa joint project and to Halimeh Barrie, Executive Director/Founder of Save Africa Inc. for coordinating the support.

Betsy Small Campbell for spearheading fundraising for our first Books for Africa Container, for coordinating outreach and fundraising events at Souhegan High School in New Hampshire, and for serving on the Schools for Salone Advisory Board during our early formation years.

Books For Africa for helping Schools for Salone raise funds and send books to the schools that we build in Sierra Leone.

Mr. Demeke-Berhanu Haile, of DBH & Associates Architects Inc., for connecting us with Mr. Mohammed Sheriff, Principal of the Every nations Academy in Bo, Sierra Leone, who shared excess books from their Books for Africa Shipment in the spring of 2009.

Lawton Elementary School (Seattle, Washington) for more than once raising funds for schools supplies.

Wedgwood Elementary School (Seattle, Washington), 4th grade students and the Wedgwood PTA for raising $1000 for schools supplies and for correspondence with students in Sierra Leone.

Hall-Kent Elementary School (Homewood, Alabama), 5th grade students, for raising funds toward building the school at Niagorehun by issuing "chore coupons" and redeeming them for cash by performing the chores during the holiday break from parents, family and friends.  The Hall Kent PTO generously matched the funds raised by the students.

Gwin Elementary School (Hoover, Alabama) ESL students for raising funds toward building the school at Niagorehun at their December “Family Days” event.  Emily Heck’s sister, Katie Collins is an ESL teacher at the Gwin Elementaryl and spearheaded the event.

Aspen Community Charter School in Woody Creek, Colorado for their cash donation for schools supplies and their continuing interest in the primary school at Junctionla.

Acequia Madre Elementary School in Santa Fe, NM for their dollar donations and their continued connection to Maforeka Primary School.

Lowell Elementary School in Seattle, WA for more than once raising funds for schools supplies.

Emily Heck and her family for organizing an incredible fund drive to build the school at Niagorehun.

Madieu Williams Foundation for funding the Primary School in honor of his mother, Abigail Butscher, at Calaba Town near east Freetown.

Safa Mana and his family for raising funds for schools supplies and traveling to Sierra Leone where they held Sports Clinics at 3 Schools for Salone schools.

Helen Doan, a high school student from Edmonton, Alberta, for single handedly raising $500 for Schools for Salone by selling Note Cards, popcorn, candy, and roses.

Richard Sabo for funding a well in Calaba Town.

Eve Jaffe Memorial Fund for funding Masanga and Buma Primary Schools.

Chris Thomas & Rembert Pieper for Buma Well funding.

Rob Frey for funding Sahn Primary School in honor of his parents.

Paula Lavin of California for helping to build Kandor Primary School

University Rotary Club of Seattle for helping to fund Makali Primary School.

Sharon Parker for hosting a fund raiser Thai Dinner and Pranee Halvorsen for cooking. 

Bob Heavner and Sierra Leone Relief Agency of California for early help managing the funds that built Schools for Salone projects  before we became a registered non-profit ourselves and for contributing toward funding for Scarcies Secondary School in Mambolo.

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