the schools; light is provided by oil lamps or not
at all. The two schools for the blind in the capital
city of Freetown do have generators, which give
them the ability to have power and computer access more regularly.
Water is provided by a well at each of the
schools. The girls have the primary responsibility of carrying large buckets of water (on
their heads, of course) to the cooking huts
each day where one meal of rice, beans, and
some type of sauce is prepared.
What would you provide or try to accomplish
at a school in a third-world country where no
materials exist and living quarters are grimy
and cramped?
Koinadugu District, northern Sierra Leone:
we've put an emphasis on building relationships and have learned to involve the teachers/administrators in the process of deciding
the needs for their schools. We've worked
with the Kabala School for the Blind assisting
with medical and nutritional needs as well as
providing equipment for the students and
teachers. Cheryl, in 2012, arranged for five
children to have cataract surgery and traveled
with the kids to the eye hospital to help take
care of them post-surgery. Those kids were
so happy to see her this year; they'll be forever changed because of her careful attention to them last summer.
Basic teaching materials and Braille books
have been delivered and received with enthusiasm at the Kabala school and we are happy to
report that 17 braille writers are in their inventory, many of which were purchased or donated
by TVIs in Colorado along with numerous folding canes! A beautiful dormitory has been
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