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From eighteen pupil being educated under a palm tree shelter back in 2009, our New Hope Primary School has grown and flourished!
Under the leadership of Headmistress Mrs Alice Fofanah, the school now educates over 380 children in classes Nursery 1 to Class 6 (ages 4 – 12 years), from underprivileged families living in Thombo Bana and surrounding villages, in the Lungi area. Thanks to the dedication of the Christian staff, the school is very successful and pupils are always in the top 3 of the schools in the area for results in the National Primary School Exam (NPSE).
The forty nine pupils in this year’s Class 6 (pictured above with their teacher Mr Sofie) have sat the NPSE, after studying hard and attending extra classes after school. They are the eleventh cohort of pupils to go all the way through from nursery to class six. In September, they will be the fifth year group to attend our New Hope Academy Secondary School.
Pupils love attending New Hope Primary School and would come in during the holidays if they could! They understand that getting an education that will help them break out of the cycle of poverty. They also enjoy learning about Jesus’ love for them, through lessons, assemblies and the example and care of their dedicated Christian teachers. At least half of the children regularly attend Sunday School at our New Hope Church that meets in the school building, many have brought their Muslim parents to church services, where they have been led to new life in Christ.
The school feeding program, provides all the pupils with a nutritious lunch every day, for many pupils it is the only proper meal they will eat, some of the poorest families in this area only eat a meal at home about twice a week.
For several years we had prayed about building a secondary school, as the available secondary schools were fee paying Islamic schools. A lot of the pupils finishing New Hope Primary School were from families who couldn’t afford school fees, leading to them being forced into very low paid and often dangerous work, and putting girls at risk of early arranged marriages, those who could afford fees were then in school on a Sunday and unable to keep attending church and growing in faith.
We were delighted to be able to begin building New Hope Academy Secondary School in 2022. The official opening of New Hope Academy Secondary School took place in November 2023 and was a joyous occasion! We are very grateful to GBA Logistics for their generous support, and to all the churches and individuals who have given towards and prayed for the dream of a secondary school to become a reality.
There are approximately 200 pupils being educated from JS1 to SS1 (equivalent to UK Years 7 to 10), as more cohorts of pupils move up from the primary school, classes will go up to SS3 and sit the ISSSCE exams (equivalent to A levels).
Mr Bockarie teaches Business Studies, Computer Science and Religious and Moral Education at New Hope Academy. He says “I am very excited about the future for these students, they are able to continue their education, in the future they will be able to share their knowledge and their faith with others.”
Evangelists from our New Hope Church lead regular outreach at several other villages and communities, churches have been planted at Lokomasama and Rogbaray. At both of these villages there wasn’t any early years education, so the church teams have started pre-schools, where the children enjoy games, singing and learning about Jesus. Lokomasama preschool is pictured in the temporary structure that is also used for church services, we are very thankful that we are able to build a permanent building in that community, and are praying that we will be able to do the same at Rogbaray.
Pastor Michael Fofanah, our Sierra Leone Director is pictured above with his wife Alice and pupils from New Hope Academy, he says; “Myself, Headmistress Alice, and all the staff of our New Hope Schools, and the pupils, send our joy to God for making all things possible in His time. We are deeply full with gratitude and appreciation for all that God has planted in Sierra Leone and how International Aid Trust has planted and watered God’s Blessings and Love amongst Sierra Leone’s children, and around the world.”
We thank God that over 740 pupils across four sites are benefiting from a good education and nutritious meals in a caring Christian environment. Please pray for wisdom and strength for the staff teams, for all the pupils to know God’s love and care, and to come to deep and lasting faith in Jesus.
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