An international Non-Governmental Organization with headquarters in Tennessee, the United States of America, Develop Africa on Thursday 6th November 2008, donated school materials worth millions of Leones to the less privileged in society. The donated items included text books, note books, crayons, rulers, colored pencils, pens, markers and other important learning materials, including scholarships.

A display of some of the donated school materials

Making the first presenting of items to the United Brethren in Christ primary school at Lumley, an assistant to the founder of the charity, Mr. John Tucker, disclosed that Develop Africa is a non-profit making organization aimed at empowering the future leaders of Africa, by supporting their education and development. He said the dishing out of scholarships also forms part of the donation, established to provide financial assistance to increase educational opportunities and access to vulnerable children and youths that need economic base to afford tuition and other educational costs. He called on the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity to upgrade their educational standards.

One of the beneficiaries recieveing her scholarship.

At the Tower Hill Kindergarten and Primary School, another senior member of the organization, Miss. Joane Tucker, on behalf of the coordinator donated similar items to help boost the pupils of that school. Here the pupils expressed great happiness for what they referred to as a timely windfall. Some of the pupils spoken to said the donation was unique as most of the books supplied are hard to come by even on the markets.

Pupils of the United Brethren in Christ Primary School.

Also at the UMC Primary School at Dwarzark, Miss. Tucker donated similar items and awarded the sum of Le.200,000 (Two hundred thousand Leones) each to fifteen pupils of various community schools in Freetown.

Pupils of UMC primary school Dwazark displating their items

On her part, the Head Teacher of the UMC Primary School, Dwarzark, Rev. Nancy Showers, thanked Develop Africa for such a great gesture. "I am very grateful to Develop Africa for thinking of developing education in this country. I also hope that they will continue with such as this will help immensely in the development of education in Sierra Leone," she added.

 

Pupils of Towerhill Kindergarten and primary schools displaying their items

The following were the beneficiaries from various schools: Gibao Barwoh, Abdul Rahman Bennigo, Alpha Kamara, Mathew Vamboi, Patricia Koroma, Zenobia Robert, Mustapha Koroma, Momoh Koroma, Martha Johnny, Ishmael Gassama, Christiana Yenoh Kanu, Rebecca Kanu, Timothy Horton, Maya Kamara and Hawanatu Bernard.

A Beneficiary recieveing her scholarship from Madam Joune Tucker

One of the beneficiaries, Hawanatu Bernard thanked Develop Africa for the gesture, as according to her, the scholarships in particular will go a long way in helping her achieve better education for the betterment of the future. She called on other organizations to follow the good foot steps of Develop Africa.

A school teacher receiving scholarships and other items on behalf of her pupils

The founder and president of Develop Africa, a Sierra Leonean based in the United States of America, Sylvester K. Renner said Develop Africa is committed to developing Africa’s human potential through education and human resource development, the training and dishing of scholarships to the needy, investment and partnership, investment training strategies and youth empowerment. Develop Africa is currently making an impact in the lives of some African countries like the Gambia, Kenya, Cameroon and Uganda.

Another beneficiary recieveing his items and scholarship