- My first visit to Bo – the most incredible experience
Going to Africa for the first time was immense and the greeting I received from everyone that I met was full of joy and happiness. Having the opportunity to teach children at St Francis Upper Bo was surreal. It felt like a dream, the rapport that I had with all the children was immense, they would not let me leave the school, I felt like a famous person. I taught children in Year 4 and in Year 6 a variety of subjects including Maths, Literacy, Reading and Science.
On our ‘Field-trip’ day, two children from each linked school, visited the Bo Waste Management Centre. Here the children learned about recycling and why burning plastics is harmful to the environment. The boys from St Francis, were enthusiastic, energetic and passionate.How it all began
Jane Knight conceived the idea of a friendship link after visiting West Africa in 1977, assuming that the idea would be welcomed by communities in both countries – it was not that simple! She has now written an Early History of One World Link describing the many twists and turns she had to negotiate before the link was established in 1981. With great frankness her daily diaries show how her spirits were frequently dashed by one person and then rekindled by another as she visited schools, hospitals and other contacts in Sierra Leone.
June 2019 – a Month to Remember
In June 2019 we welcomed four teachers from Bo; John Sandi, Lucy Amara, Kula Fangawa and Francis Jusu. This was the second part of a British Council funded Connecting Classrooms project. For some of us it was like welcoming old friends, for others the excitement of having a ‘real person’ from Bo in their classrooms, where pupils had been learning about life in Sierra Leone.
The highlight of their visit for us was bringing together 550 children for the Day of the African Child, this year our 10th Anniversary. As usual the children were treated to six workshops throughout the action-packed day and saw the fruits of their labours as their ecobricks were made into a planter.
- New Committee in Bo
Following the tragic recent deaths of Maada Fobay and Alpha Bah, both active and key members of the OWL committee in Bo, the committee met on 14th March 2020 to elect a new executive. The new Chairman is Dr Wusu Sannoh, ex. Mayor of Bo, and Chairman of the Bo Children’s Hospital Board and a much respected elder in the Bo community.
They are a committed and active team and we can look forward with confidence to the future of One World Link.UK Teachers visit Bo, Feb 2020
Four UK teachers visited Bo in February 2020. Their busy schedule included both professional development and a deepening of friendships. They visited all 15 linked schools and saw lots of improvements. They were even interviewed on radio. The whole visit was ably co-ordinated by the Bo OWL Teachers Committee.
Health Link Visit to Bo
Helena White and Richard Hall visited Sierra Leone in January 2020 to make contacts and discuss further development of a health link. They visited St Paul’s School for the Blind, Bo Children’s Hospital and Yemoh Town Community Health Centre to discuss future plans and to look at projects completed.
Alpha Bah took them to his own community on the outskirts of Bo, Ngeybayama, where there they were met with a full community reception. Sadly, Alpha died soon after.
