Sierra Leone, Barbara
Facts
A school building with six classrooms, two offices, and a library
120
€47,000
Education
Academic year
September to June
Literacy rate (15+ years old)
43.21 %
Attendance rate
Primary school – 37.8%
Upper secondary school – 23%
Out-of-school children
Children (6 to 11 years old) – 6,104
Adolescents (12 to 14 years old) – 267,640
Youth (15 to 17 years old) – 431,814
Project implementation
This school is located in the village of Barbara, in Sierra Leone’s Port Loko District — an agricultural region where most families have an income of less than $2 per day.
In rural areas like this, more than 50% of males and 70% of females are illiterate. Most disabled children have never attended school.
Before the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program and GoDaddy Pro funded the construction of a new school in the village, the Barbara community already had a school, but it was nearing collapse. The building was constructed out of mud bricks and sticks by community members with little construction experience. Its foundation had been attacked by termites, and the classrooms were narrow, dark, and lacking furniture. Out of the 13 school teachers, only three were paid by the government, while the rest were supported by the villagers.
In 2022, three new school buildings were constructed. The new school is designed to let in plenty of natural light, with a roof designed to let in fresh air and cool the rooms. It has amenities to support disabled children, and locals took an active role in the construction process as laborers.
With a safe and convenient new building, more parents are expected to send their kids to school. A hygiene room for girls — as well as the distribution of reusable hygiene kits — will allow them to attend the school without shame.
This new building will put Barbara’s school in the focus of the Ministry of Education, hopefully increasing the number of teachers receiving a government salary and easing the economic burden for the community.
Partners
Gallery
News from the project
About the country
Country
The Republic of Sierra Leone
Capital city
Freetown
Population
8 million people
Currency
Leone (SLL)
Major languages
English, Krio
Travel information
The climate is tropical and humid all year. Between November and June, it is very hot and dry, although the coastal areas are cooled by sea breezes. In December to February the dry dusty winds blow from Sahara.
Annual average temperature
26°C (78.8°F)
Dry season
December to May
Wet season
May to November
Travel tips
Hotel recommendations
Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel
Home Suites Boutique Hotel
The Swiss Hotel
Metro Hotel
Places to eat
Mamba Point Lagoonda Restaurant
Toma
Best souvenirs from the country
Grass and reed baskets, wooden masks, cutlery, crockery, material called gara
Travel agencies
Interpreting services
Proposed one week tour
Day 1: Bureh beach and Freetown city tour (Old Wharf Steps, King’s Yard Gate, Cotton Tree, Sierra Leone National Museum, St. John’s Maroon Church)
Day 2: Loma Mountains Forest Reserve
Day 3: School visit
Day 4: Banana islands
Day 5: Yongoro village
Day 6: Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Day 7: York cemetery, Town Bell, York Centenary, Brunswick Methodist Church
