SIERRA LEONE, CHILDREN OF WATERLOO SCHOOL PROJECT

 POVERTY CAN BE ERADICATED BY LEARNING

Hello there,
my name is Mariam and  I was born in Sierra Leone ,  have grown up and lived in Australia most of my life.

In 2018 my family and I embarked on a life changing journey back to Sierra Leone after 23 years.

On this soul searching journey I met my biological father,  I was reunited with generations of family members I had only dreamt of  meeting , I experienced my heart truly being touched by people that had so little yet so content with life.

As the universe would have it on this trip, I was first introduced to Bola Isata Shyllon Odubenu  at her New Year’s Eve church service.

  A week had past so I decided to go down to the church and properly introduce myself to *(Mama Bola) as my father had spoken to highly of her.

My visit to Mama Bolo changed my life!

Mama bola and her mother were turned away by her father’s family after he had died when she was a young girl.   There she and her mother were subjected to the hard reality of poverty in Sierra Leone first hand. They begged, collected and sold anything they could sell till Bola was able to complete her secondary education.

 Mama bolo has always been a woman of faith, her calling has always been to serve and to educate the children of Sierra Leone no matter how hard their struggles are.

After completing her teaching degree and falling in love and getting married, Bola decided she was going to start her own school and orphanage and look after children who come from single parent homes.  With the help of her husband and their church they were able to build 2 school buildings, a bakery, a toilet block, water well and a house.

Sadly as the project was launching Bola’s husband Sunny died leaving bolo alone with their 3 children and the orphans they had adopted.

Even though things became increasingly difficult that did not deter or diminish the smile on bola vision. She has continue to provided education, stability, food, love and hope to all her children that attend Faith Cathedral Collage.

Life has a way of presenting your future, your path and calling without even being aware of it.

Since returning to Australia I have vowed to see this project through.

We have been collecting and recycling plastic containers, bring awareness to our project.

We know that every cent counts, and we know the difference this project will make in the lives of the children now and the future.   


With this GoFundMe page we hope to start with raising $10,000 then $30,000 and our big GOAL of $50,000 

·         Renovate and improve the 2 school buildings

·         Build more toilet blocks

·         Renovate the class rooms

·         Class room chairs

·         Class room desks

·         Black boards

·         Build a library (books)  

·         Stationaries e.g.: books, pens, markers, text books, chalks, school bags etc.

·         Continue breakfast/lunch program for children

·         Improve the water well

·         Fix the bakery  

·         Pay teachers

·         Teaching programs  

·         Install a Play ground

·         Build a garden and pens for the chicken and pigs

·         Install grass for children  

·         Install fence/gate around school grounds

·         Generator for power

·         Finish the church

If you have any further inquires or want to know how you too can get involved or donate email me at [email redacted] 

*The name which the children call her*