By: JOSEPH G.BANGALI – SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The building of the Secondary School in Mansonia –one of the 21 communities Tacugama works with around the LMNP is progressing in leaps and bounds!
We are looking forward to the completion of the school construction as it means that finally children in this community and others nearby, will be able to continue their education by having access to a secondary school (so far inexistent). Both our teams at Tacugama and Sunday Foundation, our collaborators on this project, believe it is essential to give children the means to achieve a brighter future with further opportunities.
Tacugama Sanctuary continues to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility by supporting the Free Quality Education initiative of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio by not only constructing schools but also issuing scholarships and school feeding initiatives. The Tacugama Kids Environmental Education Program (TKEEP) which winded down this past June prepared the children for their end of year exams and school break. Management of the Sanctuary is currently engaging the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School to ensure that the TKEEP program continues next academic year and continues to hold regular meetings with Mr. Osman Kamara at the Ministry. We are busy designing new concepts to incorporate into our TKEEP lessons for children and preparing a teacher training in September to the teachers who impart our lessons.
According to Bala Amarasekam, founder and Director of the Sanctuary “change starts with kids” and having a younger generation that is educated in environmental topics is definitely a step in the right direction towards the protection of our beloved planet and all the wildlife within it.
“We are still thrilled that part of the Environmental Education Workbook that our TKEEP
Department teaches to schools in Sierra Leone, is now officially part of the National Curriculum of the country!”
That is definitely a feather in the cap of this enviable institution.