By Amadu Barrie
An organization called Practical Tools Initiative has, on Tuesday 26th February, 2019, donated highly graded assorted textbooks, one giant printer, photocopier and most advanced science lab equipment to the Pendemba Vocational Technical Secondary School (PVTSS) in the Kailahun District.
The donation was as a result of the good discipline displayed by the Principal of the school.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Eastern Region Coordinator of the organization, Osman Saffa, said the donation will complement the effort of government in the implementation of the free and quality education, which was launched by His Excellency the President, Julius Maada Bio, in August, 2018. He said Practical Tools Initiative is a Diaspora programme from the United Kingdom and it was set up by some indigenes of Sierra Leone and the British people dealing with all aspects of development in Sierra Leone.
He said that the organization has been engaging on formal education from primary to university level, dealing with technical vocational education across the country and that they also support the health sector.
The Coordinator said the organization has been also giving support to the disabled, through providing power wheelchairs and other mobility. The Initiative also gives social and economic aid to disable person in order to ensure self reliance and stop them from begging on the streets.
He said, in 2015, the organization started its operation in the Eastern region, where they decided to give help to primary and secondary schools and very fortunately the Pendembu Vocational and Technical Secondary School was first of the schools that was given support.
The school have benefitted from text books three times and now they have also donated highly graded assorted school textbooks, giant printer, photocopier and most advanced science lab equipment, which, according to him, have enabled them to establish a science lab equipment the Eastern region can boast of.
The Pendembu community, where the school is located, particularly the Paramount Chief of Upper Bambara Chiefdom, Hon PC Cyril Foray Gondor II, the school administration, staff and the pupils of the school and even the wider communities, applauded the organization for the support given to the school.
The Chemistry and Bology teacher, who is one of the ECOWAS volunteers, a Ghanaian national that teaches in the school, was the happiest person to mark the occasion. He openly disclosed that the science lab equipment presented to the school is the same he was using in Ghana even at the university level.
The Principal of the School, Amara Babao, expressed profound gratitude to the organization for the gesture and said the support has transformed the educational standard of the school particularly in the public examination hence fondly increasing the population of the school.
He called on the teachers to make use of the equipment by using it for its intended propose. He also encouraged the science students to put their attention to their studies now that the school can boast of lab equipment.
The Principal concluded by saying that the newly constructed laboratory can now boast of chemistry, biology and physics, where the science students can no longer be constrained in their practicals. He feels proud that the school has the best science laboratory in the eastern region.