Diamond Child School for the Arts in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Visit April 8-10, 2025
On April 8-10 along with Janet Thomas, Mission Coordinator for Airline Ambassadors, I had the opportunity to visit the Diamond Child School in Freetown. The children met us at the school with traditional Sierra Leonean music and dance. The children performed for ten minutes. Videos and photographs have already been forwarded.
The enrollment is more than can be accommodated by the physical size of the school. The school operates on a double session with the younger children in the lower grades attending classes in the morning and the older children in the higher grades attending in the afternoon. Classes are in session from 8 am through 7 pm. Very effective use of a school building.
We then proceeded to the lunchroom, it was lunch break and the children were being served. Janet and I helped the teachers serve lunch. Lunch consisted of rice and stew with vegetables and chicken. There are so many children, they enter the room in small groups by class and grade level. They form a line and wait to be served. The children were very orderly. As the children finish eating their lunch they exit the lunchroom and take the bowl and silverware to be washed, to be used by another class of children. The feeding process takes approximately 1-1.5 hour(s). The same feeding procedure will take place later in the afternoon with the older children. The lunchroom is also used as a classroom.
After we finished serving lunch we were met by Mr. Denis Kamara (not sure of his name) the head teacher and/or director of the school. He gave us a tour of the school. There are several buildings with at least two classrooms each. They were open classrooms, typical of the area schools. The window openings did not have glass panes and there are no doors or walls separating some of the classrooms. One side of the school had an ocean view, which can serve as both an inspiration or a distraction. The school has a small quest house with two small apartments which can be used by guests, or to house teachers.
The school is making tremendous strides in their teaching and education of the children. Mr. Denis shared that they teach all the core subjects required by the State which prepare the children for the Basic Education Certification Examination (BECE). In addition to academic subjects, there is an emphasis in traditional Sierra Leonean arts, dance and music. They offer a vocational component which has a very popular tailoring program with both electric and (non-electric) treadle sewing machines. They offer computer science and have a very limited computer center which we did not visit.
Mr. Denis is very proud of the fact that in 2024 they had 60 children sit for the Basic Education Certification Examination at the end of the school year. The pass rate was 100 percent for their students. The national average for the year was 78%. The majority of the students taking the exam are girls. It is impressive that all the students achieved a score of 100% and had to know how they managed this. Mr. Denis shared they have developed a three-week test preparation camp. The children attend a live-in camp held at the school for three weeks. The camp focuses on test preparation skills and review of subject matter that is presented in the exam. The children sleep on mattresses provided by the school, using the classrooms for sleeping quarters. He hopes for the same passage rate on the exams this year.
Sierra Leone has a significant issue where girls lack access to menstrual hygiene products, causing them to miss 3-4 days of school each month. That is a total of 36 days per school year. Missing school for this many days per year leads to lower academic performance, low self-esteem and increases the risk of dropping out. The challenge is compounded by poverty, with many families unable to afford menstrual hygiene products, as well as cultural taboos surrounding menstruation. First Lady Fatimah Maada Bio has pledged to provide sanitary pads to all school age girls in Sierra Leone. Schools in rural or last mile villages may not always receive their supplies and non-government schools are not included in these initiatives. I asked Ms. Memunatu Kamara, teacher about this issue and she confirmed that lack of menstrual hygiene products does indeed affect the girls attendance.
Throughout my brief visit to the school, I identified what I think are the three biggest challenges facing the schools education program.
#1 The first, the nutrition program which is already being addressed by Airline Ambassadors International (AAI). This is one of their biggest daily challenges. In addition to the daily nutrition program, I propose that we extend the nutrition program to include the three weeks the children and teachers are in the summer camp and meals during the day(s) the children take the exam. This would be an on-going annual event.
#2 The second challenge is the cost for the students to take the Basic Education Certification Examination. The fee to sit for the examination is $60 USD per student. This is a prohibitive amount for the family of the children served by the Diamond Child School. I propose that AAI raise the funds to cover the cost or as much of the cost as possible of the examination. This would be an on-going annual event.
#3 The third challenge, providing the girl students with menstrual hygiene products. I recommend that AAI embrace this project and raise funds to purchase Days for Girls Kits for all the girls 10 years of age and older (or 9 years of age based on the need). The initial expense would be somewhat costly, thereafter, it would be a much smaller number of kits each year.
This is a project that I hope we can move forward on to coincide with the proposed Mission Trip in October and to take advantage of the DfG Kits being distributed for the school year 2025-26. During my trip to Freetown, I made the time to visit Umon Tok a local Social Enterprise Program to meet with the director, Juliete Rhoman. They are certified by DfG in the US to manufacture, sell, distribute and teach the educational component on menstrual hygiene. She is more than willing to tailor a program to the needs of the Diamond Child School and AAI. By developing a collaboration with Umon Tok this will help provide the Diamonds with a greatly needed product and increase their self-esteem, school attendance, reduce drop-out rates and reduce teen pregnancy. At the same time it is a sustainable solution, supports the local economy and offer a community solution.
You can learn more about Days for Girls, International at www.daysfor girls.org
You can learn more about Umon Tok, Sierra Leon at International at www.daysfor girls. https://Inkd.in/dad_C_J2
And SchoolsforSalone.org/educationequity
Informal meeting with Seydu (Anthony Seydu Jalloh) in San Jose California: July 5, 2025
The Diamond Child School for the Arts and Culture: an Informal Discussion
This was an informal meeting with Seydu in which we discussed the Diamond Child School. I was able to learn more about the structure of the school, especially the administrative and fiscal management of the school. And, the relationship of Airline Ambassadors International (AAI) and the Diamond Child School. For auditing purposes, transparency and to meet the fiscal guidelines of the ONG registered in Madrid Spain, payments for teacher salaries and all other expenses are paid directly from Spain. The local school staff have no fiscal
responsibilities and do not handle teacher salaries or payment of BECE administrative fees or other expenses.
Short Term/Yearly Goals
The Nutrition Program continues to be a big challenge. Airline Ambassadors International’s (AAI) commitment and support helps sustain the program. The Nutrition Program does not currently operate during the school breaks. The Exam Preparation Camp is not included as part of this program. The camp takes place for three weeks at the school for approximately 60 students, plus the teachers. It is a camp live-in camp at the school.
Recommendation:
The Diamond Child School ONG reach out to AAI to request assistance to fund meals for the students and teachers for the Exam Preparation Camp and the day(s) the students take the exam. This would be a cost of $1.25 USD per day or $35 USD per student. Based on the number of students taking the exam in 2024 and 2025 it is approximately 60 students plus the teachers. Fees for the Basic Education Certification Examination (BECE)
Unlike the US, where students do not pay an administrative fee to take End of the Year Exams, yearly examinations are given by each state and the costs are incurred by the local school district or the state. In Sierra Leone as in most African countries, students must pay an administrative fee to sit for the BECE and other exams. The fee to sit for the exam is $60 USD per student. This is a prohibitive amount for the families of the children who will sit for the exam and an additional cost to the school budget.
Recommendation:
The ONG reach out to AAI to request assistance to raise funds to help pay the BECE fee. Based on the number of students taking the exam in 2024 and 2025, it would be for 60 students or could possibly be higher. Human Reproduction, Menstrual Hygiene EducationIn Sierra Leone girls miss 3-4 days of school each month due to the lack of menstrual hygiene products. This is a total of 36 – 40 days per school year. Missing school for this many days per year leads to lower academic performance, low self-esteem and increases the risk of dropping out. The challenge is compounded by poverty, with many families unable to afford menstrual hygiene products each month and cultural taboos surrounding menstruation. In June 2022 First Lady Fatima Maada Bio launched a program to distribute free sanitary pads to all school age girls in various districts. However, schools in rural or last mile villages do not receive these supplies and education and non-government schools are not included in this initiative.
In our informal meeting in Madrid in June in a conversation with Seydu, Raquel Sanchez Arman, Jesus Ripoli Lopez and myself, I raised this issue about menstrual poverty and whether it affects the girls at the Diamond Child School. They agreed there is a great need for period products. Seydu added that more important, any program must be sustainable and have an education component. I introduced the work being done by Days for Girls International (DfG), they make washable menstrual pads which last for at least three years if properly cared for.
Their program includes an educational component on human reproduction and is offered to both the boys and girls. This is followed by a component for the girls on menstrual health and hygiene before the distribution of the DfG Kits. Seydu raised the concern of the shipping cost and import fees to ship products from the US to Sierra Leone. There is a local DfG enterprise Umon Tok in Freetown, SL. The menstrual hygiene kits are made locally eliminating the cost of shipping and duty fees. The educational component is provided by certified educators and is culturally relevant in English and Krio. The Umon Tok Enterprise is primarily funded by Schools for Salone, a US based non-government organization (NGO).
To learn more about their programs visit: SchoolsforSalone.org
Recommendation:
The ONG and AAI partner with Umon Tok the local enterprise for Days for Girls in Freetown. During my April trip to Freetown, I made the time to visit Umon Tok, a Social Enterprise Program to meet with director, Juliete Rhoman. Umon Tok is certified by DfG headquarters in the US to manufacture, sell, distribute and teach the educational component on menstrual health and hygiene. Ms. Rhoman is more than willing to tailor a program to the needs of the Diamond Child School and AAI. By collaborating with Umon Tok this will help provide the Diamond girl child with a greatly needed product and education; increase their self-esteem, school attendance, reduce drop-out rates, reduce teen pregnancy and gender-based violence. At the same time the product is a sustainable solution, supports the local economy and helps reduce community and societal problems.
Recommendation:
the ONG approach AAI to help fund this project to purchase Days for Girls Kits for all the girls 10 years of age and older (or 9 years of age based on the need) or in grade 5 and 6 . The initial expense would be somewhat costly $12.50 USD per DfG Kit, thereafter, it would be a much smaller number of kits each year. The number of girls is to be identified by the ONG. This strongly encourage that this be a goal for the 2025-2026 school year, with distribution during the proposed AAI visit to the school in October 2025.
School Supplies and Uniforms
The cost of school supplies and uniforms is prohibitive for the families of the Diamond” children, especially if they have more than one child attending school.
The cost to send the “girl child” to school is often a lesser priority than it is for the
boy child.The children need basic school supplies plus a uniform. I recommend that the ONG approach AAI to help raise funds to purchase basic school supplies: pencils, pens, math sets (needed for the BECE), graph paper, chalk and basic supplies for the teachers: chalk, maps, elements charts, etc. And the funds to buy cloth to make school uniforms. The uniforms can be tailored bythe students in the Diamond School’s tailoring program. These item can all be purchased locally, eliminating the need for shipping and duty fees and at the same time support the local economy. This needs to be given priority to meet the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year.
Long Term Goals
Seydu was the international performer and recipient at the Salone Excellence Awards 2025. Seydu was recipient of the International Performer of the Year. Seydu shared that programs such as this are a good opportunity to introduce and promote the Diamond Child School and recruit new donors. There were three- hundred Sierra Leoneans from the San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento, California area in attendance at the program. Seydu suggested that being able to identify programs such as this throughtout the US give him the opportunity to
perform, introduce his music to a greater audience and the opportunity to promote the Diamond Child School. In the US the greatest population of Sierra Leoneans is on the East Coast in theBaltimore and Washington DC area. In the Maryland and Virginia suburbs of
Reston, Glen Dale, Essex, Farland, etc. within a 200-mile radius of Baltimore live2,650 Sierra Leoneans. In NYC 1,350; Philadelphia and eastern New Jersey 1,500. On the west coast in Los Angeles 550. There are 500 in the Dallas Metropolitan area, and communities in Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia. There is a sizeable population of Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora living in the United Kingdom, 23,500 mostly in and around the London area. Identifying community leaders in these locations is where Janet Thomas’ cultural and linguistic expertise and knowledge are invaluable. Ms. Thomas through her alumnae network with the Annie Walsh Old Girls Association, Annie Walsh Memorial School in Freetown, has the ability to identify successful Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora who are potential supporters and donors to theDiamond Child School.
Other ideas discussed
Identify elementary and high school teachers in the diaspora who want to support the Diamond Child School can partner or become a Sister School and adopt a grade or classroom or the entire Diamond Child School to help raise money for school supplies as part of a class or school project. For example: “Pennies for Pencils” small amounts of change adds-up to $5, $10, $15 or $20 which buys 30, 60 100 or 150 pencils.
Identify nurses and allied health professionals in the diaspora who belong to professional organization to help raise funds or sponsor the much-needed Days for Girls Kits. For example: they can “Sponsor a Girl” for $12.50 USD, $25 to sponsor two girls, $50 to sponsor 4 girls, $100 to sponsor 8 girls. Or they may sponsor a class or the entire grade. In addition to helping meet a great need, at the same time they will help introduce and inspire the girls and boys to nursing and other allied health careers. For more information on the menstrual hygiene
kits and education component visit: DaysforGirls.org Identify individuals in other career areas: accountants, real estate agents, engineers, internet technology, social workers, etc. who belong to professional organizations to introduce the Diamond Child School and generate interest and prospective donors.
Long Term Goals, Three to Five Year Plan
Seydu shared his vision for the future or long-term goals. The long-term goal, three-to-five year plan for the Diamond Child School is to construct another building and open a Senior Secondary School. This will allow the Diamonds to complete their Senior Secondary School at a school in their community that offers a quality education without the expenses of a government or private school. A capitol campaign to raise money for a building as it is known in the US or brick campaign as it is known in most of Africa takes more strategic planning.
In addition to the building itself, the funds for school furniture, laboratory equipment and other supplies must be raised. The funding for additional teachers
and administrative staff will need to be secured as well. For funding purposes the Diamond Child School’s mission and goals directly coincide with several of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations. This can be included in requests for funding to corporations, funding organizations and the ONGs goals and objectives. More information on the SDGs is available at www.sdgs.un.org/goals
These were the most important issues that Seydu and I discussed. Again, this was an informal discussion. This is information you as a Board of Directors may
find helpful and may want to include going forward in planning your goals, objectives and budget for the next year or long term. Adelante Diamantes!
Submitted by Michele Mesta Silva
