Thank you to all those who have kept in touch via this blog, the Facebook page and email and who have also responded and generous purchased gifts from the wish list.
Life continues to be mad busy in Maronka with the girls. And with Miriam fundraising in the UK, I have been extra busy with all sorts of things.........delivering supplies for all the schools, managing the teacher training centre construction site, general mediator......... I am enjoying it very much but am very pleased to have Miriam back now.
The girls are happy & contented and there is a real family atmosphere in the house now as we have got to know each other. The girls have become very caring and and look out for each other and for me too. Theresa ran after me the other day as I had not strapped my sandals up and she did them up for me. We have also settled into a routine for activities and Isata has been invaluable in settling the girls into the house. There are still a few ups and downs but with 36 girls there are bound to be......
We had a great half-term break here in Maronka as 99% of the home boys and girls stayed on site so we had an eventful week keeping the children busy with a lots of activities, we had puzzles and games, computer workshops, reading & handwriting, film nights with popcorn and we did sports every afternoon.
Catherine a volunteer from Liverpool came to stay with us in Maronka during half-term and she ran computer workshops for the teachers and carried Ibrahim to sports day as he had hurt his leg falling out of a palm tree. Catherine & I cooked pumpkin stew for the teachers, apparently there was not enough pepper but they enjoyed it still and now believe that I CAN cook.
We had our first community meeting in the girls house attended by Chief Obai and others and the feedback is that the girls are doing well, they are behaving well and they take their turn in village activities such as cooking and clean ups.
We have had another new addition to Maronka Obai's daughter had a baby girl, Obai is a very proud grandfather and we girls have another baby to cuddle.
Why not buy a special gift for someone this year? EducAid Calendars for 2012 are £9:99. Please contact annbeatty@educaid.org.uk to order yours. All monies go to EducAid.
If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young people, please go to http://www.educaid.org.uk/ and http://www.educaidsierrleone.blogspot.com/
Life continues to be mad busy in Maronka with the girls. And with Miriam fundraising in the UK, I have been extra busy with all sorts of things.........delivering supplies for all the schools, managing the teacher training centre construction site, general mediator......... I am enjoying it very much but am very pleased to have Miriam back now.
The girls are happy & contented and there is a real family atmosphere in the house now as we have got to know each other. The girls have become very caring and and look out for each other and for me too. Theresa ran after me the other day as I had not strapped my sandals up and she did them up for me. We have also settled into a routine for activities and Isata has been invaluable in settling the girls into the house. There are still a few ups and downs but with 36 girls there are bound to be......
We had a great half-term break here in Maronka as 99% of the home boys and girls stayed on site so we had an eventful week keeping the children busy with a lots of activities, we had puzzles and games, computer workshops, reading & handwriting, film nights with popcorn and we did sports every afternoon.
Catherine a volunteer from Liverpool came to stay with us in Maronka during half-term and she ran computer workshops for the teachers and carried Ibrahim to sports day as he had hurt his leg falling out of a palm tree. Catherine & I cooked pumpkin stew for the teachers, apparently there was not enough pepper but they enjoyed it still and now believe that I CAN cook.
We had our first community meeting in the girls house attended by Chief Obai and others and the feedback is that the girls are doing well, they are behaving well and they take their turn in village activities such as cooking and clean ups.
We have had another new addition to Maronka Obai's daughter had a baby girl, Obai is a very proud grandfather and we girls have another baby to cuddle.
Life in the UK is not so good and the economic crisis is affecting funding of EducAid so we are finding it really hard to meet the day to day running costs as the cost of living rises in Sierra Leone and while costs rise the income is not keeping up.
Thank you in advance for all your generosity.
Although Miriam has been fundraising in the UK we are still in need of as much support as we can get. If you are in a position to increase your regular giving, start a regular donation, please do think about doing so - the forms are attached. If you know a school, a club, a church, an organisation or institution that might be willing to fundraise for EducAid or make a donation, please do put us in touch with each other.
There is of course suffering in the UK because of the financial difficulties everywhere but if it is true in the UK, it is even more true in Sierra Leone. If we do not invest in these youngsters now, they will only be more of a load on society in the future and we all lose out.
We promise that all help that is given will be used well to help some of the most vulnerable young people in the world.
Thank you in advance for all your generosity.
If you are interested in knowing more about EducAid's work with vulnerable young people, please go to http://www.educaid.org.uk/ and http://www.educaidsierrleone.blogspot.com/
