Thanks in part to donor support, more youths and young adults are getting the computer training they need for success in today's technology-driven environment.  On January 19, 2023, the Develop Africa Sierra Leone (DASL) team held a graduation ceremony at the DASL Computer lab for fifty-nine students who completed the Microsoft office computer training and the hardware & networking course. 

Thanks in part to donor support, another girl’s mentoring session was held at the end of January on Drug and Substance Abuse.  In 2022, Sierra Leone was identified by OSIWA as one of the major gateways in West Africa for Cocaine trafficking. A report published by OSIWA in 2022 similarly indicated that a series of drugs (tramadol, Pampas, Marijuana, and Tobacco, among others) are taken by youths in vulnerable communities in Sierra Leone. 

This past month, forty-five (25 girls and 20 boys) beneficiaries participated in an inter-mentoring debating competition about whether or not formal education is the key to personal success.  The goal of the debating competition was to improve beneficiaries' research and public speaking skills and to shed light on formal education and personal success.

We greatly appreciate your ongoing support for girls’ education in Sierra Leone. Thanks to you, more girls are getting the computer training they need for success in today's technology-driven environment, like Marian & Augusta.

Marian & Augusta benefitted from computer classes on Microsoft Office at the Develop Africa Sierra Leone Computer Lab in Freetown. 

Augusta & Marian were both very thankful for the computer training and said-

We are so thankful for the continued support to help build a nursery school in Kamawornie.  

In early 2022, we started construction of a 3-classroom block. The roofing and the building have been completed. You can see photos of the building process in this album.

On January 24th we celebrated the International Day of Education with the theme being To invest in people, prioritize education.

Education is a proven way to alleviate poverty and bring lasting change. 

This year's theme for the International Day of Education (January 24th) is “to invest in people, prioritize education”.   Education is a human right, a public good, and a public responsibility.- https://www.unesco.org/en/days/education

One of the ways educational support is provided to future leaders is through vocational training.  This provides crucial training in marketable skills, which are vital for poverty reduction, economic recovery, and sustainable development.  Thanks in part to your support, Musa recently started his second year of vocational school for electrical engineering. 

Musa sent this video of gratitude for the educational support he's received saying 

In December, an inter-mentoring debating competition was held on the topic “formal education is the key to personal success”. Forty-five (25 girls and 20 boys) beneficiaries attended the event.

Thank you for your support towards empowering and educating girls in Africa with girls' mentoring sessions.  Mentoring helps girls go through challenging life transitions, including dealing with stressful changes at home, critical decision-making, problem-solving, and transitioning to adulthood. 

Finda & Mariama talk about what they learned at a girls' mentoring session on peer pressure in this video.