Lalehun: Establishing Access to Education

On the 13th September 2022, OneVillage Partners, in partnership with the community members of Lalehun, Sierra Leone completed and successfully handed over a new Junior Secondary School. Lalehun is a community in the Eastern District of Sierra Leone with a population of 2,858 and 387 houses. A community lush in agriculture and desire for a sustainable change.

In 2017, Lalehun began their partnership with OneVillage Partners. During their first community meeting of assessment, they prioritized the need for WASH project and formal education as part of the Community Action Program. During their first development cycle, the community identified the need to create child-friendly and accessible latrines. With months of design and planning with the Community Action Group – a group of trained volunteer leaders working together with skilled workers, local health workers, sanitary officers, tribal authorities, local leaders and the community as a whole - the community designed, implemented 22 Latrine structures, with washing stations to curb the issue of open defection and the spread of diarrhea related diseases.

Lalehun Latrines

However, their journey did not stop there.

With their eagerness to continue creating sustainable change for their community, in 2020 Lalehun began planning their next development project. Their vision was to have a community where pupils writing the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) can easily access a Junior Secondary School closer to their homes.

Lalehun had an average of 70 pupils writing to the NPSE in 2021 however, the absence of a Junior Secondary School Education meant pupils writing NPSE must attend schools outside the community. This situation resulted in the prevalence of early school dropout and young pregnancies due to parents’ inability to pay for the expenses of travel, food and learning materials.

The community had 3 main priorities for this project:

1.     The community will construct a Junior Secondary School: Community will provide local materials and hire skilled workers to construct a three class room school structure with library, a principal’s office, staff quarter and staff room and a store. In partnership, OneVillage Partners will provide foreign materials that cannot be easily fetched from the community for the construction.

2.     The community will form a Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA): Community members will plan for the better administration of the school by forming a PTA to enhance relationships between parents and teachers. The group of will consist of parents whose children attend the school and teachers at the same school.

3.     They will form a School Advocacy Team: Community members will create a School Advocacy Team (SAT) that will lobby to outside networks for the approval of the school, teachers and supply of learning materials. The team will comprise the Local authorities, Members of the Community’s descendant association and the Ward Councilors.

This was one of the biggest projects undertaken by a community and we congratulate the members of Lalehun for their hard work, resilience and desire for sustainable change in their community. As customary, after the completion of the project, a handover ceremony was thrown in honor of their achievement.  There were cultural dances, speeches from community leaders and a mood of celebration coupled with hope for the future.  We are so proud of Lalehun’s work and their desire for long term change that will impact generations to follow!

The school is now in use with over 70 junior secondary school students beginning September 2022, Sierra Leone’s new academic year.

We are excited to continue this movement as we partner with other communities like Lalehun who are ready to take charge of their community develpment needs.