Students in class - SL Bo, Sierra Leone…
SOS School Bo receives prestigious award for educational excellence
- Lisa
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Students in class - SL Bo, Sierra Leone
SOS School Bo receives prestigious award for educational excellence
For the second time, the SOS Hermann Gmeiner International School in the town Bo in the southern region of Sierra Leone has received a prestigious award for excelling in the field of education in the 2006/07 academic year. The award was presented at an impressive ceremony which took place at the Bo Town Council Hall in March 2008.
Receiving the award at the ceremony, students and teachers who represented the school were given a standing ovation for emerging as the winner.
Asked how he felt about the award, the acting principal of SOS Hermann Gmeiner International School Bo, Mr Cassius Dauda said, "I felt very proud of our effort being recognised. I want to believe that we are on the right track and we are result-oriented. However, there is still room for improvement."
One of the students who witnessed the event, 15-year old Benedict Lamin said, "I am happy that my school was chosen amongst the many schools in the southern region. The teachers are doing their best and the students are working very hard to achieve excellent results."
12-year-old junior secondary student Mohamed Kargbo noted that the school's achievement was not easy and he urged the teachers and students to continue to give up their best.
A tutor at the school, Mr Frank Mattia was full of joy for the award. "Our school is a force to be reckoned with. We are a pacesetter in the southern region in terms of delivering quality education to children and youths," he stated. .
The award was initiated by the United Kingdom branch of the Bo District Descendant Association, an NGO formed by indigenes from the southern region of Sierra Leone. According to Cassius Dauda, over 200 secondary schools from the southern region battled it out for the award. It was not the first honour for SOS Hermann Gmeiner International School. In 2006, the school was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Bo District Descendant Association UK branch.
SOS School Bo - a primary and secondary school - has been in operation since September 1985. Since 1997, the school has included a vocational school branch with various practical subjects (e.g. dressmaking/textile work and home economics/catering). The school with a capacity of 300 students is situated only 500 m from SOS Children's Village Bo.
- Mary
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Youth Project from SOS CV Freetown (Sierra Leone)
Get a glance at how children and youths from the SOS Home for the Physically Challenged in Freetown, Sierra Leone, celebrate Easter Monday.
An Easter Celebration at the Beach
Like every year, Othman is looking forward to the Easter celebrations. This 17-year-old youth from the SOS Social Centre "Home for the Physically Challenged" in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown shares with us how he expects the children and youths from the social centre to celebrate this Easter.
Easter is usually celebrated in a very unique and sociable manner at the SOS Home for the Physically Challenged in Freetown. We do not only celebrate for ourselves, but we also bring together our relations.
Prior to the climax of the celebration, we attend church service on Easter Sunday. On Easter Monday, our relatives prepare different varieties of food and drinks, which are put together with the food prepared by the home. Around 10:00 am, all the children, staff and our relatives walk down to the beach for a grand Easter outing.
Easter beach activities
At the beach, people go into various activities such as flying kites, volleyball and football matches. While some children make their kite themselves, others buy theirs at the beach. Seeing all these kites flying is a colourful scene. They are all of different shapes, sizes and colours. They also have a deep meaning: flying kites symbolise the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
While we are at the beach, a football match is organised between the boys of SOS Home for the Physically Challenged and Chersire Home, where physically challenged children are also cared for. A volleyball match is also planned for those who are interested. Others are getting involved in activities like singing and dancing competitions.
Pleasure and fun
Easter Monday is a time when Sierra Leoneans find pleasure going to the beach. On that day, you will hardly find white people on the beach. As expected, some of us find pleasure in swimming, but we are not allowed to swim too far. In between our recreational activities, food and drinks are served to keep us going.
The celebration goes until late in the evening and I always make sure that I have a good time at the beach. Once everyone has gathered, we walk home with full blast music.
The Easter celebration is unique because it brings together different families. It is also a time to meet old friends and make new ones. It finally makes some of us remember about the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us by dying for our sins.
I always look forward to celebrate Easter because of the fun and good things surrounding the celebrations.
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