By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
British celebrity, Kiera Chaplain has opened the Keira Chaplain Desert Flower School at Number 2 River, Freetown Peninsular. Kiera said the school is part of her effort to empower the community to fight social problems like early marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
“What we’ve realised is that the only sustainable way to get rid of FGM is through knowledge and education. So we have to start with the source, which is the kids; to give them the tools to make better decisions and understand better. The more they have, the better they can understand,” she said.
Keira is granddaughter of famous British actor, Charlie Chaplain. She is an actress, model and entrepreneur. She works closely with the Desert Flower Foundation which was founded by Somali model and actress, Waris Dirie.
Keira’s school is the first of its kind to be built in the Number 2 community. The community previously had only a two classroom block which has been there since 2014. The old building which was also renovated under this project will now serve as vocational institute for women in the community.
Before now, children in the community had to go as far as Sussex (which is almost a mile away) to attend school.
Memunatu Fullah, a single mother of two kids, said the school is a relief for her.
“This has reduced much burden on me as a single mother. Before now my kids went to school in Sussex. I had to spend money on transportation and there were days that we couldn't even get a vehicle to drop them off, so we would load them three or four on motor bikes,” Fullah explained.
The Desert Flower School is located in a new settlement at the Number 2 community, overlooked by a bare hill that has been depleted for construction. Number 2 is home to some of the most pristine beaches in West Africa.
The beaches are some of the most popular tourist hot spot in Sierra Leone. The area has seen a construction boom because of its touristic attraction. But for the locals, it is a disappointment that this boom has not come with opportunities like schools.
The Keira Chaplain Desert Flower School has been opened since September 2019. Keira was visiting the school for the first time since she sponsored the completion of the project.
Deputy Ministers of Education and Social Welfare, who were present during the ceremony, thanked Keira and the foundation for what they have accomplished in the community.
On Friday jubilant kids sang and performed songs and drama for Keira, showing their gratitude for her support.
Ibrahim Bendu, 13, told Politico: “They teach us well and we get knowledge.”
“In the future I want to be a lawyer."
The head of the Desert Flower Foundation, Rev. Fr Peter Konteh, said seeing a school in the community is a transformation that he only dreamt about.
“My first image about Number 2 community when I used to come here is seeing children breaking stones. The transformation from breaking stones to opening a school here is a great progress,” Fr. Konteh told the press after the ceremony.
School authorities say the school accommodates around 125 children; 25 in each, from classes 1-5.
Whiles settlements continue to increase at Number 2, the school may need to be extended in the future to deal with the population explosion in the Freetown-peninsular.
The school's authorities are already demanding ahead. They used their address to plead with Keira and other donors to build one more building to accommodate Class 6. They said the need for this is urgent, considering they would have children who would be promoting from class 5 to class 6 next academic year.
Because of the remote location of the school, they also deal with constraints like getting water.
In the future, school administrators hope Keira will also support the community with a secondary school.
Copyright © 2020 Politico Online
