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August 3 - 7, 2009
Schools for Salone and
InterConnections 21
hosted former child soldier,
New York Times bestselling,
award winning author,
and UNICEF Ambassador
Mr. Ishmael Beah.
During the first week of August, 2009, Schools for Salone, in collaboration with InterConnections 21, held several events in Jackson, Wyoming to help people understand the experiences and conditions in Sierra Leone during and since the long and devastating civil war in that country.
SfS Executive Director, Cindy Nofziger; SFS Board President, Bob Heavner; New York Times Best selling author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Child Soldier, Ishmael Beah; and World Bank Program Manager of Education for Africa, Chris Thomas teamed up with InterConnections 21 for a week long series of educational and fun events in Jackson, WY. Events included student centered activities such as a West African cooking class, a hike and a ropes course; receptions/dinners at private homes, a presentation at the Jackson Men's Roundtable luncheon, and a public panel discussion at the Arts Center in Jackson, attended by over 450 people who then enjoyed live music and both silent and live auction of donated items. Plus a side trip to Yellowstone.
All proceeds raised during the week’s events will build and support 2 primary schools in rural villages just north of Bo: Sembehun and Kpakuma.
Community members, planning to attend the opening of both schools, also hope to establish student pen pal exchanges and an on-going relationship between the Jackson and the two Sierra Leone communities.
Upon returning from Jackson Hole’s August events, Cindy Nofziger, Schools for Salone Executive Director, exclaimed, “What a week. It was amazing.”
Board President and co-presenter, Bob Heavner added, “Cindy, Chris Thomas, Ishmael Beah and I just spent a truly remarkable week in Wyoming. We gave four separate presentations, the final one on Thursday night before a packed auditorium at the JH Community Cultural Center…. The four of us presented as a team. Ishmael spoke first, telling his story which enraptures any audience. Chris went next and spoke of African education from a more global and economic perspective as well as that of an RPCV. Cindy then told the incredible story of how she started it all and what the vision has become. I spoke to the reality of trauma/torture recovery and how healing the Sierra Leone way is not the western way, but through rebuilding of community, meaning education, is the best mental health intervention.
Ground-breaking ceremonies for both schools were held the first week of October 2009, with planned completion dates before the end of December 2009. Both schools held Opening Ceremonies in February of 2010.
- - - See More - - -
The Jackson Hole News & Guide
writes about the week of events in
"Former child soldier works to help others"
Sunday, August 2 - Cooking Class at Wilson Community Center by Author Ishmael Beah.
(for more photos and recipies see the Jackson Hole Middle School POP Blogs)
Monday, August 3 - Hike to Ski Lake and Picnic Lunch.
Monday, August 3 & Wednesday, August 5 - Private Receptions.
Thursday, August 6 - Ropes Course at Jackson Hole Middle School.
(see the
Jackson Hole Middle School POP Blogs for more Ropes course photos)
Thursday, August 6 - Public Panel Discussion & Recpetion
at Jackson Hole's Arts Center.
Tuesday, August 4 - Side Trip to Yellowstone
InterConnections 21 was founded in 1997 in Wilson, Wyoming.
Their mission is to help US schools and communities learn about critical world concerns and take action. We give students and teachers opportunities to "think globally and act locally". Their current program focuses on engaging high school students in:
You can help build a promising future for Sierra Leone's children.
