Yengema Secondary School Old Students Teachers and Friends Association Continues Work in Sierra Leone Despite Ebola

www.yss-association.org.uk

YSSOSTFA is based in the UK, partnering with Yengema Secondary School, YOSA, similar groups in other countries, Peace Corps, Christian Brothers, Rockel Shipping Co and many other business and community organisations, to further our objectives of raised standards of teaching and learning at YSS. 

We've recently completed our pilot library project, the school has an attractive functioning library with a growing collection of books and publications.

Despite closure of all schools in Sierra Leone due to Ebola, for the last few months we've turned our attention to planning and implementation of the first part of YSSOSTFA's science labs project, the creation of a working chemistry lab, funded so far by the Finnegan Family Fund for YSS. 

Work has gone far on the furniture, with 100 stools constructed (50 for the chem lab and 50 towards the physics and bio labs) most of the 3m long student work benches.  Special chemical resistant lab worktops from the UK to go on top of the benches, have now arrived at the school. 

FFFYSS have purchased and shipped chemlab sinks and taps which will arrive next month, they have also implemented urgent repairs to roofing blown off in storms over the last two years.

In order to complete this and other projects, FFFYSS recently issued a challenge that requires old students, teachers and friends of Yengema Secondary school in Kono District, Sierra Leone, to raise several thousand pounds towards YSSOSTFA projects, before continuing any further funding. 

It's only fitting that alumni, old teachers and friends of the school should show their commitment after the thousands of pounds that the FFFYSS have donated to YSSOSTFA projects over the last few years. Although we've done a lot, there's a lot more to do and the organisation needs greater involvement of alumni and ex-teacher volunteers and a steady flow of funds to ensure sustainability. We've set up a secure Paypal payments system. Payments can now be accepted from anywhere in the world and paid directly to Paypal via the 'Donate' button on our website.

Visit www.yss-association.org.uk for more details. Check our Gallery page for photos from the last few years. I have to say I'm quite proud of our work, I remember back in 2010 none of us alumni or ex teachers had connected with each other for 40 years, the school was a distant vague memory of childhood days and for me, a scruffy photo I had asked my father to take and send to me when he was an MP in Sierra Leone way back in 2002.

Since then, so many have helped rebuild the school and we at YSSOSTFA made it real, presented it to the world, ex students teachers and strangers alike for all to see in three dimensional technicolour. A living breathing institution bustling with the next generation of students, their hopes and their dreams. The fog of war is the best way to describe the contrast between seeing and experiencing and not seeing or knowing about the school at all. Visit the Gallery at yss-association.org.uk and you'll see what I mean.

We're also on Facebook at yssassociation and twitter @yssostfa