Sierra Leone

A call for students. Sierra Leonean kids want to communicate but don’t have computer access. If you would like to chat with a student in the City of Bo, Sierra Leone let me know at pjfishing@yahoo.com and I’ll hook you up through Local Government officer Sheka Kamara.

Like all parents the world over, education in Sierra Leone is highly valued and great sacrifices are made by many for the future generation. The enlightened see education especially of girls as the way out of poverty. However the education system has badly failed due mainly to the lack of teaching skills and poor treatment of teachers. Non Governmental Aid seems to have focused on the construction of buildings rather than to increase the capacity of local government to provide the teaching materials and the central Government to provide sufficient salaries. Meanwhile The World Bank complains in a recent report that “Sierra Leone needs to show clear evidence of the effective use of funds already available, together with a credible plan for utilizing future, additional resources” Obviously funds are provided but are not being used – sadly we should read corruption, an all too common thread.

Officially school fees are abolished for 6 primary years and for a further 3 years for girls. Nonetheless 25% of children don’t attend especially among the poorest. Moreover the standard of schooling is dreadful. Schools in Sierra Leone are considered as “public” since they are funded out of the central government budget (funded almost 50% each year by the World Bank). The funds are then trickled to Local Government such as Bo and Makeni to maintain and build the buildings, supply school materials and implement curriculum. The teachers are paid by Central Government – a tiny amount of about $40 per month for first year graduates although this is frequently late and occasionally not paid at all. Notwithstanding this I am astounded that many students wish to be teachers – mainly because there are so few other alternatives. I now know that the teachers survive by accumulating money or benefit from the parents and children in various ways. The children are “taught” farming by doing it on school grounds and the resulting crops are then appropriated by the teacher. Teacher brings home cooked treats to class and the children are expected to buy. Marking papers, photocopying texts and an array of methods supplements the income. Importantly education is supposed to be “free” for those in primary school - under 12’s but in reality it’s quite different, largely because the teachers are not paid enough.

The other big problem is that the standard of education is so poor, the main issue being the poor training standards coupled with the poor pay. Public schools seem to spend a high proportion of the year doing non teaching such as a sports week and a farming week. All these issues are accentuated by the huge class sizes that can reach over 100 kids crammed into an often dark and dismal room seated on rough wooden benches. The World Bank reports that “Most schools in Sierra Leone have very poor classroom conditions and still lack sufficient learning materials and adequately qualified teachers; learning in many schools
is minimal.“ A sad indictment, but obvious when seen just casually on the ground.

The dismal standard is recognized by parents most often seeking private schools if they can afford it. Private schools are quite common and are usually built on a religious foundation.

I visited one school run by a Bo City Councilor Abdul Karim Sesay. Sesay who is a fully qualified teacher and was a public school principal is also the Chairman of the property tax and licences committee. I often had to interact with Sesay but we didn’t always agree. Recognising the problems in the publicly funded schools Sesay started his own primary school only last year with a series of other teachers and I went to visit. The school is located in a poorer residential area and is an old mud brick house with 5 rooms. Mindful of the parents lack of discretionary cash, students don’t have to wear a uniform. Islam is the foundation of the school and there is religious instruction. However it is obvious that Christian students also attend. Prayers are said for both religions and I’d say that 25% of the kids are Christian. The school is cramped and 4 of the rooms are dark. However there are about 200 students already. Costs are under $20 per year and there is considerable leniency for some parents. Things like paper and pencils are extra. Books – well there are none. Instruction comes from the chalk board and the students seem to copy from the board or by rote from the teacher. The important element here for Sesay is that the class size is smaller and although the teachers are not well paid at the moment, they are more dedicated than his experience as a Principal in the public school. The plan is that when the school becomes more popular then better funding will be available. The teachers appear to be prepared to wait.

Interestingly the name of Sesay’s school is Al Gaddafi Comprehensive Academy and honours the Libyan leader, somewhat strange since Gaddafi was known to have financed the rebels during the war in Sierra Leone (for obvious diamond access). Sesay explains that Gaddafi has recently been very generous for Sierra Leone. I am constantly surprised at how easy it is to buy favours, even a foreign despot like Gaddafi.

At the other end of the scale is the very privileged Bo School founded by the British in 1906. Of course this is for boys only. Many of the most influential politicians and the successful in the country were educated here and competition for entry is enormous. Apart from fees the family has to be well connected. Whilst in Bo I lived opposite the school grounds and used the football pitch for morning exercise. The model is obviously based on the English Public School and the construction was funded by the UK in the early 1950’s. Funding for the school is very poor and there is no longer any support from the former imperious “British Colonial Office”. The impression, just looking at the grounds is one of sad neglect; likely no maintenance for over 50 years. Buildings now are sadly in a poor and dilapidated condition. Nonetheless this is the best there is.

Dormitories house about 400 boys and there are another 400 day boarders. Students who are typically Mende have an air of superiority much like at English public boarding schools and they seem very polite and well mannered. A discussion in the early morning reveals very lofty ambitions of high Government office, banking or an education in the US but few wanted to go into industry. (Unlike Makeni none of the boys joined me in an early morning jog)

I noted on the notice board recently that the Principal Bob Katta complained bitterly about the poor performance with only two students passing the regional examinations WASSCE this year. I met Mr Katta one morning after a jog and I asked him about the challenges of getting students through the regional exams and he squarely pointed to the falling standard of teaching as a result of the war. He is hoping for improvement but it is going to take much to recover.

Altogether this is a rather sad story and it is easy to feel hopeless. I feel that with locally driven funds this will lead to better responsibility and to better teaching conditions. Aid as it is now provided is simply abused and leads easily to corruption thereby hindering progress. It is easy to voice a call for no aid but unless education is tackled, people stay dreadfully poor and the youth succumb to rebelliousness and fanaticism. Somehow intelligent people in the worlds development industry need urgently to come together, co-ordinate and help mobilise some change. Local people seem to know what they need and want but they urgently need some intelligent guidance.

The Missionaries of Charity in Makeni – now at last officially expanded with the construction of the newly completed perimeter wall. This report is a little late in coming but I have called Sister Rykter and she is happy that in the end everything worked out ok. Life in Sierra Leone is tough as one quickly realizes and doing business in Sierra Leone is just as tough. Experience in the development industry in Canada helps but….

So the story is that the builder Mr. Sheik hired for the job – see the previous article – quit after about 80% of the work had been completed. No amount of persuading using the Paramount Chief, Councilor Ismail Bangura both signatories to the contract or other influential locals could bring Sheik back to the job. Just finding him was difficult. He claimed that the specifications were too onerous and he wasn’t making any money (typical claims) and essentially that Sister Rykter was too much of a pain in the butt. The last point was probably true based on my experience since she was always highly critical, a constant nag and nothing would be good enough. Sister Rykter operating in Makeni with minimal funding has to be resourceful, insistant and strong even in the face of a weak position having limited money. She relies on guilt - a strong driver in all religious circles. I understand this having had a Russian Grandmother whose family historically lived in poor surroundings somewhere east of the Urals.

Fortunately I had kept a tight grip of the cash and we still had about Le3 Million of a Le15 Million budget which was sufficient to complete the job using another local builder who perhaps owed Sister Rykter a favour. Sister decided that the wall was not high enough and the razor wire was insufficiently placed. Such an improvement of the specs needed more cash but I had determined that the specs that were agreed were sufficient. A non-religious disagreement ensued and needed some firmness but in the end the wall was completed to everyone’s satisfaction. I could see that the unfortunate souls living at the Mission enjoyed a greater freedom of movement and especially the children were thankful for the safe space to play.

I left Sierra Leone in May but I will be visiting Makeni again in September on another unrelated assignment (more about that later). However I hope to see the children and even Sister Rykter again.

Well it seemed all too easy in the end as we drove off with the Binkolo vehicle literally into the sunset, intoxicated with the sweet success of motoring under the power of palm nut oil. Actually the first noticeable difference was the surprising fried fish exhaust smell. Certainly no difference in power and engine noise and the town could still hear the whooping and hollering from the happy band of bio-dieselers being transported on a lap of honour. We had won the “Stanley Cup”.

There is still a way to go before this can be called a new fuel supply for Binkolo or Salone but the practical demonstration has had a huge effect on many and the enthusiasm will hopefully carry this through to a small production stage. Nonetheless the impact of the event was quite momentous and could definitely have long reaching effects. I see as most important, a potential new industry based on a small scale, suitable for village level production. A stable local fuel supply available at a controlled price - actually the cost of production was 44c per litre instead of the retail fossil fuel price at $1.11. Another biggy here is the advantage of an inexpensive alternate cooking fuel instead of using the forests. The soft facts that bio-diesel is a renewable energy and that the emission is carbon neutral is not that important to Saloneans but nonetheless significant I think.

It seems that bio diesel has not been tried yet in Salone. Many have talked about it but the combination of chemicals, equipment availability and experience have prevented others from getting going. Our success was that we eventually had put together a team of differing skill sets as well as a good dose of dogged determination. Actually it was a fun thing to do as well. The NGO installing the solar equipment at the library was also keenly interested in the Binkolo result and they will be a good conduit for others.

The idea was mooted quite a few weeks ago when it became obvious that the Binkolo vehicle uses expensive fuel and my conversation with another VSO volunteer Maria who told me over a Star beer in Freetown that she had produced bio-fuel back home in Philippines that was used to power their vehicle. I didn’t need any more encouragement to move this idea along and Ishmael seized on it immediately. A search of instructional material on the internet revealed a few good sites in particular http://www.journeytoforever.org/. It became clear that in our poor country the chief hurdles were getting the chemicals and the right equipment. The search was on for the chemicals and after quite a treasure hunt and more than a few bribes we managed to find 4 litres of Methanol and 5 kilos of Potassium Hydroxide (enough to make a good bomb I think). Maria had met a local agricultural machinery manufacturer Mr. Kamara outside Freetown and we paid him a visit one morning on the way to Binkolo. Mr. Kamara’s eyes lit up at the prospect of potential new customers for equipment but he was more than enthusiastic about the bio-fuel story. It was heartwarming to have such a great new team member.

Ismael Bangura is the manager of the Binkolo Growth Centre and he is Mr. Enthusiasm. He quickly had several bags of palm nuts amassed for us to take to Kamara for crushing. Actually the nuts are a by-product of the palm kernels and are normally fed to pigs or used for fertilizer – see an earlier blog story. To get the oil from the nut, a crushing machine is needed that Mr. Kamara at FINIC luckily has in operation at a village, Masumana about 90 miles away. We loaded up the truck and the nuts and spent a great day watching the crusher in action. We ended up with 20 litres of oil and a by product of this process is fed to the pigs.

The last step is the processing of the oil using the chemicals and for this we needed to build a reactor. A meeting with advisory team of Maria, Mr. Kamara and me took place a couple of weeks ago where we sketched out a design based on Maria’s experience and the internet info. I went with Kamara in search of a suitable container and I saw his amazing workshop where old vehicles are taken apart and made into an assortment of agricultural machinery. This was perfect for the job of building something using a mecano type assembly because much of the design was rough, needing a trial and error approach – and there were quite a few trials. Eventually and with much excitement, the finished reactor was hauled up to Binkolo for the big experiment early yesterday morning.

Ishmael meanwhile had assembled the required laboratory equipment of beakers and measuring instruments, strainer and he had even managed to locate an electronic measuring scale with the help of a local high school teacher Mr. Lamin Kargbo. It turned out that Lamin was keen to join the team and will be an important part of the small incubator industry. A large ventilated room was set aside at the Growth Centre to host the big experiment. The reactor was set on a platform and last minute adjustments were made to the equipment needing the blacksmithing skills that Sadiqe a polio victim has been taught. Actually the whole scene was quite amusing. Here we were hoping to compete with the big oil producers in the back yard of a small village and using an untried collection of old car parts, old pipes and taps attached to a used chemical container, all put together in an image downloaded from the internet. Nonetheless we were fuelled by much excitement, with much of the local community looking on, wondering what on earth we were up to.

The various steps were followed with trepidation and fear in particular the handling of the chemicals. The assorted mixture safely poured into the reactor signaled the need for the engine to start the required 1 hour of continuous agitation. There were several moments of breath holding but the process went perfectly – perhaps a few design changes needed but the reactor seemed to do the job. The mixture needed a few hours to settle and so we sat under the mango tree sampling the local palm wine “poyo”, while speculating on the results and the impact of the whole experiment. The more the poyo the greater the speculation but it was fun.

With some confidence spurred on by the effects of the poyo I invited some reporters actually Canadians, Mackay Taggart and Rachel Borlese who happened be working in Makeni for an organization, Journalists for Human Rights. We were having fun and what the hell, even if the results were not what we expected. They thought the story was worthy and having people Kamara and Ishmael Bangura talk glowingly about the idea and process, would reinforce their energy to keep trying.

Much excitement surrounded the various tests that were made. Lamin had some litmus paper and the acidity to our relief was low. A second wash test revealed a good separation of the fuel from the water within 30 seconds all according to the internet information despite the fact that more settling was recommended. One of our problems in the reactor design was that the glycerin wasn’t fluid enough for the plumbing system to handle and so an indelicate and messy decanting of the diesel was required. Nonetheless we had what we thought was diesel fuel and the big moment and risk had to be taken.

All of the fossil fuel was drained from the tank of the Binkolo truck and replaced with the bio diesel. Tension was high and a crowd by this time had gathered around. The ignition initially failed to get the engine going but worried looks and much breath holding were rewarded by the familiar rumble of the engine and then cheers. Wow the feeling was great. Everyone piled into the vehicle and we were off, gingerly at first but then cruising around the streets of Binkolo. What a wonderful feeling. The unsaid feeling of potential freedom, independence and empowerment were not missed on the faces of the local stakeholders, Ishmael Bangura and Kamara.

Here in Sierra Leone there are no social safety nets and the need for urgent housing and feeding for the destitute is a critical function. Unlike developed countries Government here is neither capable nor able. The Missionaries of Charity offer a really remarkable and heartwarming service under difficult conditions. They are Catholic missionaries who offer service to the poorest of the poor, based on the teachings and example given by the famed Mother Theresa from Calcutta. The Mission in Makeni was started in 1989, well prior to the war and the nuns here maintained the mission throughout, even suffering the death of 4 of their Order.

I have had the opportunity to chat with Sister Rikta on several occasions. Together with other VSO volunteers we put together a Christmas Party, and since then we have chatted about the needs of the Mission. This afternoon we talked again and I took John Keating a fellow volunteer from Ireland. On previous occasions I have been asked about my own beliefs and I have found it wonderfully refreshing to find that my openness about my atheism has not offended and rather we have had a really involved discussion with humour and directly about religion. John today joined in the discussion and we had a great debate.

The Mission in Makeni is quite small and houses 110 including 60 children. These people are really in desperate need and Sister Rikta refers to these people as the dying destitute since they suffer from disease including HIV/AIDS, TB, Polio, whilst some are just seriously wounded. Many of the children are severely malnourished. Sister took us on a tour and the plight of these people is obvious. In addition to the residents, the Sisters also feed about 200 others who simply turn up each day for a meal. I see these visitors each day as I work in the adjacent Makeni City Council building. Many are blind, suffer from mental illness, or are physically disabled. Obviously these people are not cared for. I am unsure if or how they are housed but they arrive in a terrible state and the Sisters carry out a wonderful service.

About two weeks ago I found the Sisters trying to find the mother of a small 10 year old girl along Teko Road. A local hospital had to discharge the disabled girl to the care of the Sisters since the mother just hadn’t turned up. A small piece of paper with an address was the only clue. However the mother could not be found. This is a common story unfortunately. Families just can’t afford to look after the infirm. It is really very sad and the Sisters again perform a wonderful service.

The Mission facility is small and there is not much open space. The Makeni City Council has offered some land now forming part of the Council property so that the facility can expand the open space. The Plan has been approved and I have seen the survey. This is quite heartwarming for a Council dominated by Muslims and with a Muslim Mayor. As I have said on previous blogs I find that the embracing (not just tolerance) of other religions to be a particularly impressive characteristic of Sierra Leone and sets an example for many other parts of the world. The donated land needs to be walled and Sister Rikta has asked me to help with the quotations for costs at about $9,000.


I find that the conviction of the Sisters is the most inspiring aspect of the Mission. They seem to function, as Sister Rikta explains, more on a philosophy of Divine Intervention, that somehow her God will provide. The costs of the Mission seem to be met by charitable people everywhere. It is a magnificent example of how people can come together to help.

Well the Binkolo vehicle is off and running, already finding uses for its practical hauling ability even though the food processing plant is not yet operational. Local people here in Makeni are amazed at the new motor gracing the streets (a non NGO vehicle here is quite a rarity and attracts a huge attention as I am finding out). Ismael Bangura the food processing manager beams and crows as proud as a peacock to the crowd walking and vending on the streets. The “official” hand over hasn’t yet taken place but the anticipation is building. I just need to give some instruction and practice on the gear shifting to the manager. Thanks to all those in Canada who contributed.

The vehicle is needed for the Binkolo Growth Cenntre a new food processing plant so that raw goods - cassava and palm can be brought to the centre and that the finished products can be taken to market. In addition the “Growth Centre” teaches artisan skills such as blacksmithing, tailoring and carpentry and the resulting goods are then sold, so the vehicle is also useful transport for the entire project.

The Binkolo vehicle was found in Freetown, the only place in Salone where vehicles are bought and sold. It had found it’s way from the Netherlands and was clearly not a new vehicle, a rather unusual pick up, a Nissan Cabstar. The most popular line seen on the streets are white ex-NGO Toyota 4 wheel drives that typically fetch a premium. The Binkolo ugly duckling stuck out like a sore thumb but I liked it. The main reason was that the ugly duckling would be difficult to later convert to cash. My “paddy” Desmond seemed to have good experience at repairing and maintaining old vehicles - a good skill to have in Salone since there are very limited new cars. So a deal was struck and the dealer was happy to have the space on his lot.

Desmond undertook some repair work; sprayed for rust protection, and did the usual servicing and we took delivery. Driving around Freetown is a bit scary since there are few rules, very narrow roads, enormous traffic and so Desmond was my instructor. The vehicle was soon put to work gathering palm fronds to roof a market. A bunch of VSO volunteers had organized a market on the beach for some of the local clothing sellers and some wood carvers etc. The intended customers being the wealthy UN and NGO personnel and this lot seemed to have good interest although not much to spend. Perhaps another time. The market structure was taken down and hauled by our Binkolo pick-up to be stored for another time.

I drove the vehicle to Makeni early one morning when the traffic was lighter, a 4 hour journey. I arrived to an excited Ismael Bangura waiting at the City Hall. It was impossible to hide his emotions and pride as others at municipal office were looking on. We took a spin through town to shouts of amazement and on to rural Binkolo about 6 miles away. The village seemed to be expecting us somehow and came out to greet the new arrival. An obvious delight to all, the shining vehicle was shown off to the paramount chief and other dignitaries. I presented the key attached to a Canadian flagged lanyard and this signified the hand over to an appreciative crowd. I was informed that this was not the “official” presentation and that there would be a larger formal affair to be arranged. Saloneans love their formalities and long speeches – I cant wait (not).


As we all know fuel is a major cost of running a vehicle and in Sierra Leone at $5 per gallon it is huge, especially when it takes most people 5 days to earn enough to pay for a gallon. I recognized the problem in the morning when I found the gas tank had been siphoned of its content. I immediately went to the Binkolo blacksmith and had a chastity belt type of arrangement put around the tank; and the battery housing. A discussion with one of my VSO colleagues about the problem revealed that she had some bio-diesel production experience in her native Philippines. For Binkolo this could be a huge boon and an additional industry. Maria is employed in an agricultural community near Moyamba but suggested that she could help us. The plant to be grown is called Jatropha and is common here, used for medicinal purposes but not a usual crop. Maria came to Binkolo and gave instruction for the demonstration of the planting and cropping. I went to investigate the machinery needed for the seed crushing. We then went on a treasure hunt in Freetown for the chemicals needed (Methanol and Potassium Hydroxide) to convert the oil to diesel. No luck so far. The chemicals are common and used in laboratory testing – as well as bomb making I am told. A developing country such as Salone has such poor facilities that everything needs to be imported and this seems to be a huge problem. I can import from the UK but the transit time is several months – too late for me. I am still hopeful of finding a supply in Freetown but it is only a feint hope. Nonetheless from what I have read and learned bio-diesel seems to be a worthwhile venture for a country like Salone to ensure security of supply and at a reasonable production price, I estimate at $2 per gallon.

Having a vehicle here is a huge business advantage in that the impression of the operation is enhanced considerably. One of the outcrops is that customers see the Binkolo Growth Centre as having the facilities to organize and deliver. Certainly having the name advertised on the side of the vehicle works I believe. CARE a large international NGO has now ordered 2,000 pieces of farming implements that can be made by the blacksmiths. I know the people at CARE and they were impressed that the growth centre has a vehicle and they much preferred to have implements made here rather than import from abroad.

Yesterday (Good Friday) we had a wonderful day transporting by the vanload a local female football team to a match in Binkolo. I became a “hockey Dad” again. I met then team last year and have sponsored the things they need. Ibrahim the amputee coach I have written about previously was keen to take the team and I agreed to offer the transport. The kids piled into the back of the pickup and off we travelled to Binkolo, with much chanting and singing. Wonderful.

Lastly the progress of the food processing facility is moving along but slower than I had expected. The people at UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) have now a requirement for adjustments to the building, a small amount of work but a delay of several weeks since all work takes much longer than in “The West”. I met the UNIDO official yesterday and she was helpful but would not release the equipment needed to start production. However she was keen on the bio-diesel production and she pointed me in a different direction for my quest for the chemicals. Off to Freetown again.