Home today

And so our 4th Annual Visit to our Partnership Schools has come to an end. We have seen much progress in this country since 2010 both in terms of education and infrastructure. We are proud that the link with our schools has played a small part in this.

Our driver Saidu and Mr Unisa Fullah were ambassadors for their country and helped us move around the country with ease.

And so to the future of our Partnership - the Connecting Classrooms Project will fund a visit of our partnership schools in the summer and we look forward to the next stage of our collaborative projects and hosting the amazing people of Waterloo, Sierra Leone.

Mr Power

Our final day in school

Today was the day for farewells! It was done with flamboyant African song, dance and music. It was a National Holiday in Sierra Leone but both Hope Prep and Nelson Mandela High School pupils came in to say our farewells. Miss Smith spent the morning at Hope Prep teaching the reminder of our British Council Connecting Classrooms Project - the topic was recycling.

Mr Power went to Nelson Mandela High also to speak about the Connecting Classrooms Project with the teachers. He emphasised the collaborative nature of the project. The teachers also met to discuss a return visit to the UK this month. We also visited a school under construction and paid for by The Waterloo Partnership in Lumpa Town with a view to using this as a prototype for the new classrooms we are going to fund at Nelson Mandela High. The town is about 10K away and people remember our names from a visit 3 years ago. Three people asked me 'where is Miss Yardley?'

And so we said our byes! It's hard to do this now more than ever - Waterloo feels like our very own bit of Africa. As I have mentioned we walk through a part of town and someone will ask about someone in our school. We met the group of African teachers who came to Liverpool last summer and when they knew we were from MTGS the first thing the mentioned was the concert last summer!

We exchanged our gifts and gave hugs and embraces and set off to spend the night on the coast before our flight on Tuesday morning.

See you all in school next week with lots more stories and pictures!

Mr Power & Miss Smith

Church and Beach!

Sunday in Sierra Leone means church and beach!

Our route to school passed through villages where everyone was dressed for church! Beautiful hats, dresses and suits! Marching bands too! Mr Power went to church at St Raphael's and Miss Smith accompanied Mrs Doherty, head of Hope Prep to St Barnabas Church. Our welcome was again significant and heartfelt. We were greeted by the congregations and made to feel very welcome !

We then went Mrs Doherty's house too met her friend and enjoy a lovely lunch of plantain, rice and fish - and a very welcome cold drink!

After this we went to another welcome party! To be greeted by education ministers and local community leaders.

We of course had to see the beaches - which are beautiful! So we got in the jeep with our Friends to York Beach.

Tomorrow is our last full day in school an we will begin to say our farewells to pupils and staff. It will be a sad day!

Mr Power and Miss Smith

Sports Day

Today was another amazing day. We had the very first Nelson Mandela High School Sports Day! This was after going into Freetown to meet with teachers funded by the British Council and who have set up links with other schools in the area.

The Sports Day was held at the Police Sports Ground. When we arrived the field has been decorated with Merchant's Balloons, badges, banners and messages of good luck that our girls had prepared. It was quite surreal - home from home! Just very hot!

Miss Smith and I were principal guests and afforded a place on the top table! Again our welcome was humbling! As the 2000+ crowd assembled I was asked to address the crowd! I protested but Mr Sandi insisted! Miss Smith thought that she had got away with it.... 5 minutes later and the microphone was passed to her!

The delirious excitement from the pupils and the sincere pride in which the staff spoke about out partnership was again humbling!

The Olympic flame was lit and the 3 sports houses processed around the sports ground! The Olympic flame was a coke bottle filled with petrol and carried around the track by the pupils!!!

Miss Smith had the honour of presenting the medals and shields which our school provided for the day. The pupils were delighted!

A late return to the hotel and two very hungry and slightly burn teachers returned to the hotel for food! Lets just hope there is no power cut tonight!

Mr Power and Miss Smith

Sports Day

Today was another amazing day. We had the very first Nelson Mandela High School Sports Day! This was after going into Freetown to meet with teachers funded by the British Council and who have set up links with other schools in the area.

The Sports Day was held at the Police Sports Ground. When we arrived the field has been decorated with Merchant's Balloons, badges, banners and messages of good luck that our girls had prepared. It was quite surreal - home from home! Just very hot!

Miss Smith and I were principal guests and afforded a place on the top table! Again our welcome was humbling! As the 2000+ crowd assembled I was asked to address the crowd! I protested but Mr Sandi insisted! Miss Smith thought that she had got away with it.... 5 minutes later and the microphone was passed to her!

The delirious excitement from the pupils and the sincere pride in which the staff spoke about out partnership was again humbling!

The Olympic flame was lit and the 3 sports houses processed around the sports ground! The Olympic flame was a coke bottle filled with petrol and carried around the track by the pupils!!!

Miss Smith had the honour of presenting the medals and shields which our school provided for the day. The pupils were delighted!

A late return to the hotel and two very hungry and slightly burn teachers returned to the hotel for food! Lets just hope there is no power cut tonight!

Mr Power and Miss Smith

Teaching at School

Today was a very, very hot day - 32 degrees by 1015 am. We made our now familiar journey to Waterloo. Mrs Robinson will be pleased to know that the dust road has started to be resurfaced. It makes some of the journey a little less bone shaking!

Miss Smith went to Hope Prep and taught about recycling and Mr Power taught about Human Rights at Nelson Mandela High School.

What is clear to both of us is how much fondness we are held in, personally and also our schools. You would be surprised at how many of the girls names from MTGS, the teachers have asked me about. They speak so positively about their visit to our schools last May.

At lunch time we visited Mr Unisa Fullah's family. His mother, who cannot speak English travelled over 100 miles to see us and made us feel very privileged. They gave us beautiful gifts! After this it was back Waterloo to see the preparations for the first Nelson Mandela High School Sports Day. They are expecting 2000 visitors and Miss Smith and I are 'esteemed' guests. It will last five hours so plenty of water will be needed!

We finished the day to see Hope Prep in the regional final of the schools quiz competition. Hope Prep won hands down with Barnaby Bear as their mascot; they want to keep him!

We hope everyone is well back home and thanks for checking the blog (check out the tshirts!)

Mr Power and Miss Smith

Day 1 - arrival and straight to school

We landed at 0500 and we were met by Mr Fullah from Nelson Mandela High School. We drove to the port to catch the ferry and saw a beautiful sunrise.

Our first stop was Nelson Mandela High School. Our welcome was overwhelming! Old friends came to say Hi and we met the new Principal Mr Sandi. The school have arranged a Sports Day on Saturday and it looks like Miss Smith and I will be very special guests. The banner made by Mrs Jones was very gratefully received.

We then went to Hope Prep School and met met the 'little ones' - they sang a special song of welcome for us. Again, it was lovely to reacquaint ourselves with friendships made over the last 3 years.

We have been made to feel most welcome!

Mr Power and Miss Smith