Schools for Salone - Schools

Calaba Town Abigail D. Butscher PrimarySchool
Opening Day March 27, 2009

Calaba Town, East End of Freetown, is one of the poorest areas around in the Freetown. It was built after the war by the reconstruction efforts. The community is home to many of the ethnic groups that were relocated during the war. There was no school built for this community. There was only the remains of an old foundation. The only water well located for miles, was broken, and the people were forced to drink water from an unclean stream.

Thanks to Richard Sabo's generous donation, Schools for Salone was able to begin construction of the water well in October 2008. Schools for Salone Board Member, Michael Gibbons, visited the site before construction began. (More about the Well.)

Another special thank you goes to the warm heart and generosity of Madieu Williams and his Foundation for funding the Abigail D. Butscher Primary School at Calaba Town.

The Ground Breaking Ceremony was held December 16th, 2008. Lansana Bayon, Project Manager for Masanga Children's Fund, supervised the construction, which began in January 2009 (More about the new School.). The school was finished by early March and Opening Ceremonies were held March 27, 2009, with Schools for Salone Executive Director, Cindy Nofziger; MCF staff and Board Members and Madieu Williams attending. (More about the Opening Ceremonies.)

The Well

Progress on the well was slow and challenging. While hand digging to a depth of 6 meters, the workers met granite. Workers used “fire and water” to break up the rock and then hauled the pieces out of the pit by hand. At the end of January the water well reached a depth of 11 meters and water began to flow between the layers of rock.

Inspecting the Well
November 1, 2008

Well Complete

Protective grating blacked by
the fire and water technique
January 4, 2009

The Well, before hitting rock
November 1, 2008

School walls near completion

Workers use fire and water to breakup the rock
then haul it to the surface

The School

Of the December 16th Groundbreaking Ceremoney, Joseph Lamin wrote, "In Freetown, the day started with heavy pouring of rains like a raining season but we considered it as showers of blessings. The groundbreaking ceremony of Calaba town school construction started at 9:30 with representatives from the community, MCFstaff & few board members, School Agency and community police, about fifty adults and six children attended the ceremony. The layout of the building is progressing and sand transportation started yesterday, and more materials will be ordered."

After the new year holiday recess, school construction resumed in early January 2009. By January 11th, the walls had almost reached their full height. By January 19th, the rafters were built and the walls ready for the zinc pan roof. The roof was completed by February 3rd and the plastering of the walls began. By February 14th, the school was painted. Steel doors and windows were used to increase security for the school.

In early February 2009, digging for the toilets began. Because this school is in a semi urban setting, a septic style system was built, rather than the traditional pit latrines used up country. The entire project was finished by the end of February 2009.