International Women's Day - The Courage to Stand Strong!

Hey all,

In light of International Women's Day, thought we would offer up an incredibly inspiring and true story from our 2nd year scholarship applicant, Saio Jalloh, currently pursuing her Bachelors' of Education at Milton Margai College in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Here's a reminder that real changes and real lives can be improved when a more holistic approach is taken, and we invest in programs that BUILD people up through education and opportunities.

Hope you enjoy and get inspired!

SAIO JALLOH, 21 years old:
From the moment I first met Saio 3 years ago, she has remained one of the most intelligent and strong-willed women I have ever encountered. During out first scholarship interviews in 2010, Saio boldly expressed the following to our panel of interviewers:
“Not everyone wants to be a teacher, because the level of education here, and the way they treat teachers is not good…their salaries are not good. So everyone in my country wants to become an accountant, or a lawyer…But I want to be a teacher because I want to render a service to my community and help it improve.”

For a 19 year old girl coming from a very poor family, this was not only a daring and unusual dream, but it was one that Saio believes in with her whole heart. She is so passionate about building up her hometown that she insists on finding a teaching job in Kabala when she is finished school, rather than working in the capital city, Freetown, where she could make more money. Needless to say, Saio’s story inspired and challenged me, as she was and still is more than willing to sacrifice for her country so that future generations can have a better life and education.

Not only do Saio’s educational goals that remain astonishing, but her character and integrity offer up a challenge to all women throughout the world, even those of us in much more fortunate situation. As one of the first members in The People’s Foundation of Sierra Leone mentoring programs, Saio attended our workshops on HIV/AIDS, Sexual abuse, and learned how to overcome difficult situations with the help of her community and her mentor. Saio also became a mentor to a younger girl in her community, sharing her stories of university life and overcoming hardships.

In her first year of university, Saio’s integrity was put to the test, and the programs had an even bigger effect on her than we ever could have dreamed. In our mission statement, we say that “we seek to put an end to sexual abuse…by empowering youth to recognize themselves as valuable, unique individuals who can make a difference in the world.” I never would have expected Saio to emulate these words and make them a reality in her day-to-day life, but when she came back for her 2nd interview to get another scholarship, she proved to all of us at the Foundation that she had done just that. When I asked Saio a question we asked all of our returning applicants, which was simply whether or not our programs helped her or changed her viewpoint about anything through her first year of school, she looked me straight in the eye and confidently delivered what would end up being one of the most rewarding and emotional speeches I have ever heard.

“Did this program help me? Yes, yes, it helped. Earlier this year, a professor asked me to sleep with him in order to improve my grade. I was really good in this class, but I always ended up with C’s or lower on my exam papers and didn’t understand, until he told me that was the only way I would pass. I was confused, because I knew I had to do well in my classes to get another year of tuition…but I talked to my mentor before I made a decision. She advised me not to sleep with him, and to be brave even if it meant failing a class. The next time he asked me my decision, I said “NO”! He was surprised. I got a terrible grade in the class, but I never felt so good about a decision. I think my roommates learned something too, because they had never seen a girl say “no” to a professor before!”

Perhaps it was the calm, collected way in which Saio recounted this story which nearly moved me to tears, as if she didn’t even think her actions were a big deal, as if she didn’t even realize how much of an impact her decision has made on other girls in the community and will continue to make in the future. Whatever the case, I remember being dumbstruck with her answer, questioning how something this momentous could occur in such a short time of us running our programs! Of course, there is still much work to be done, but with incredible young women like Saio to lead our programs forward, I have full confidence that a change in the youth in Sierra Leone can take place for the better. Saio’s confidence and ability to stand firm in the face of adversity just show that once you give a community the reins for a project, and ask them what is important, and stand by to help with development in a sustainable way instead of imposing your own ideas, things can really change for the better. Saio is a constant inspiration and encouragement to me, and a reminder of all the brave and amazing women all over the world who aren’t afraid to take a stand for what’s right and carve out a path for their sisters to follow in.


Oh, and did I mention she still wants to be the Minister of Education in Sierra Leone after she graduates and gets some teaching experience? Imagine how much could change then…

Finishing the Race! Final Celebrations...

Marian Marah, one of our successful applicants this year!

Hey all,
Sorry for the long silence, the last month has been beyond crazy. We had over 30 applicants for our scholarships this year, and we had to shortlist all of the applicants and interview the best 17 candidates during the 3rd week of July. The interviews were so challenging and encouraging - it was truly amazing to see the difference this program has made in these young people's lives in such a short time. It was incredibly inspiring to hear them talk about their visions, goals, and dreams with so much CONFIDENCE that they could actually achieve them, because they have now been given the chance to have that opportunity. There were also a few youth who are still in the developing stage, and were not too confident or sure of their self-value and unique talents yet - so although it was difficult to say "no" to some of these youth regarding scholarships this year, it is encouraging to think that in a year or two their confidence and ability to succeed in life will have grown due to their involvement in these programs. Honestly, the decisions were really tough this year - imagine having so many bright, talented youth with plans to impact their own future and the community around them, and actually having to choose which ones deserve that opportunity! They certainly all deserve that opportunity, but the funds were not enough this year to provide all of them with it; and in Krio we say "small e fayn o" meaning "small is beautiful". We don't want to offer scholarships that we can't continue next year, so it's best to start small and then grown big in the future. Fortunately, I had an experienced panel of judges doing the interviews with me, so we were able to make clearheaded and non-biased decisions at the end of the day. Rev. John Phiri, the Coordinator for the CRC Church in Sierra Leone and one of our head partners, was sitting in on these interviews, as well as the youth pastor, Maxwell Kanu, my program manager, Fakulie Jawara, and our two volunteers from South Korea, David Yu Up Lee and Keewhan Sung. It was truly a humbling experience working with all of these great people and having them all put their hearts, minds, and heads together so that we could not only make the best decisions, but also encourage and uplift our youth in the progress.

One of the questions we asked in our interviews was "how has this program affected or changed your life?" and I was nearly brought to tears several times because of the answers. One of the students being interviewed, Rugiatu Tarawalie, stated that "This program has really changed the way I interact with others and the way I view my life. Before, it was difficult to speak with confidence or look at myself with value and love, but now I know I am a unique child of God and I deserve love and respect in all my relationships - so I treat others with that same respect." Imagine that kind of a statement coming from someone who has only been in this program for two years! Rugi was chosen as one of the leaders in the program this year, and she will be facilitating the workshops and bible studies we run throughout the year.

Another student answered that question by stating that this program has really changed his life for the better, because it has given him the strength and courage to handle tough situations by talking to his mentor and relying on the support of the youth group. What encouraging and uplifting words to hear from youth who were struggling so much even a few years ago!

After the week of difficult decisions, we called all our applicants back and told them our final decisions - whether or not they had the scholarships. It was one of the toughest tasks I've ever had when I had to inform the non-successful applicants they had to reapply, but we all did our best to encourage them and tell them that this is not the end of the road, only a reason to get up and try even harder. I sincerely hope the program keeps benefiting them this year and that we are able to raise the funds to send all of these promising and amazing youth to school next year.
It was incredible, however, to see the joy on the faces of our successful applicants. We were able to capture some of these moments on video, and I look forward to sharing these clips with you all very soon (editing them now!) so you can see the incredible difference this makes in the lives of these youth. One of our successful applicants, Marian Marah, burst into tears and couldn't believe her ears when we told her she was successful. Marian's story is just one of many, but she has grown up in an abusive home and had no option to continue her education...she was nearly being forced to sleep with men for money, and she felt like there was no way out. How amazing to see a beautiful young woman like this given the opportunity to change her story! Truly, I can only thank you all and thank God for the support and growth of this program. These youth are so close to my heart and it means the world to me that even though you don't know them, you have chosen to believe in their potential and help them let their light shine. I think I can sum up the joy and celebration best in the words Rev. John spoke to Marian when she received her scholarship:
"Marian, you have been successful..we are giving you a scholarship so you can pursue the dreams of your life. God saw your tears when you cried behind that closed door...he saw your tears, and he did not forget you. God has a PLAN for you Marian, a plan full of hope and future, and hope that will not burn out. We want to see you achieve your goal of becoming a doctor, and we want to help you reach the dream you thought was impossible."

This year, we awarded returning scholarships to Martin Koroma, Martin Jonal Lisa, Saio Jalloh, and Frank Foray Sesay valued at $1000 each. We awarded 4 brand new full scholarships to Marian Marah, Binty Jawara, Lansana D. Koroma and Merah D. Koroma also valued at $1000 each. We awarded two partial scholarships valued at $500 each to Rugiatu Tarawalie and Amara S. Fefegula, so they could continue the school they had started and ran out of money for. We also awarded two high school scholarships for final year to Teddy Kamara and Sheku Jawara, valued at $100 each - both of these young men would have dropped out of high school if not for these scholarships, because there was no one in their family to support them. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for being a part of making dreams come true! Pictures and video to come...you have made more of a difference than you can ever know.
-Krissi Bucholtz, Executive Director

Excitement Exceeds Expectations!

Hey all,
Again, sorry for the break in communication. You can definitely tell you're in the right field of work when there's SO much work to be done that there's barely enough time to write aobut the work that's getting done. Our first volunteer, Haley Howe, left Sierra Leone on July 3rd (a week ago from yesterday). To be honest, it was so refreshing and wonderful to have her to work with for a month - her heart for the work, her commitment to get involved in the community, and her desire to help impact as much change as she could truly exceeded all my expectations. It was a real blessing to have a friend and volunteer for a month who could view the Foundation from another angle, be critical of some things that need to be altered, and also offer encouragement and advice into where things are going well. Haley kept saying that she didn't know why the community was thanking her, because she didn't feel like she had done anything - but to be honest, just living in this community for a month, understanding their struggles and issues, and taking the time to get to know them beyond just a first name basis is a huge commitment and a huge part of the work that needs to be done here. Without taking the time to build these community relationships, what we do with the Foundation would be impossible.

So while I was sad to see Haley go, I am thrilled to announce that tomorrow one of our staff members, our program manager Fakulie Jawara, will be arriving in Sierra Leone tomorrow along with two new volunteers from South Korea. We are overwhlemingly blessed with volunteers and contributors this year, a blessing which I hope continues on into the future! Fakulie is a native Sierra Leonean who has gone overseas to complete his Masters' Degree and in 2010 contacted me because he was interested in working for the Foundation. He is really passionate about giving back to youth within his own community and making sure they know their own value and worth, and it's amazing to have someone on our team who has all the local knowledge, experience, and background. Fakulie also designed our offical website earlier this year so you can see his talents have already been put to great use! I will be travelling back to Freetown tomorrow to pick him up along with our two South Korean volunteers, and hopefully we will be back in Kabala by Wednesday.

In other exciting news, we have received all the applications for the scholarships this year. We will be interviewing the 4 past candidates for a potential renewal of their scholarships, interviewing between 6 and 8 candidates for a new full $1000 per year scholarship, and also, interviewing between 4 and 6 candidates for our brand new partial scholarship program which we decided to introduce this year, which is a $500 scholarship for one year for students who have already started attending college but ran out of funds. It's great to see the organization developing and see the many ways in which we can constantly slightly adapt and change our plans to fit the need and what the youth here are longing for so that they can acheive the dreams of their life. This year is going to be a difficult year, as we have had over 25 applicants for the scholarships, and we are going to have to shortlist those that we want to interview by the end of this week. Our scholarship interviews will be taking place next week, from July 18-20, so please keep us in your thoughts and minds and prayers! It is certain to be a difficult time of decision making, as all the youth here are passionate and wonderful individuals, but I am also certain that we will be able to pick the ones who are the most qualified and most in need of the scholarships this year. If the interviews prove to be even half as encouraging and uplifting as last year, I'm sure I will leave next week with a new lease on life and a new passion for this work! So as you can see, my lack of frequent blog posts is not due to a lack of excitement - I am overwhelmed by HOW much there is to do in so little time! It simply blows my mind that in only one year this program could be so accepted and so supported by the community - I am so grateful for the way the people here have invested their hearts and souls into it, and I am ever encouraged to keep fundraising and fighting the good fight when I see the youth recognizing their value and unique ability to change their world. We will be awarding the scholarships this year on July 31st, and we are planning to hold a big ceremony for the whole community, not just the church, in the Kabala Community Centre. So stay tuned, exciting and busy times lie ahead! -Krissi Bucholtz, Director

Sierra Leone Exceeds all Expectations: Hope is stronger than Poverty

Our first volunteer, Haley Howe, has been with us for a month here in Kabala, and it has been a wonderful month learning and growing from her expertise and experiences. We are so blessed to have had her here working with the youth, helping develop the programs, and offering another opinion into the development work here. I hope you enjoy her last blog post, and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare to go to Freetown on Thursday, and as Haley's flight leaves Sierra Leone Sunday night. -Krissi Bucholtz

Last night I facilitated my first mentoring session. The mentoring programs of The People’s Foundation of Sierra Leone are a way for youth to connect and help themselves. How it works is that an older youth is paired with a younger youth and together they help each other to plan and reach goals and to offer each other support. This relationship is useful because it gives both people someone to turn to outside of their family and peers for support and help with problems. The younger youth can learn from things the older youth has already dealt with and the older youth gets a chance to offer guidance and support to the younger one. This is a small but effective step towards development taking place for the people and by the people.
By asking broad questions about Sierra Leone and the challenges it faces the mentoring session succeeded in generating maximum participation and discussion from the youth. The main thing I saw was the frustration in the youth due to a lack of services and opportunities available to them. Services such as education, health care, electricity, roads, and industry are either lacking or not existent at all. This is especially true of the villages. The sources of these problems are mainly traced back to a corrupt and ineffective government and the lack of infrastructure due to the war.
It’s really important to get information from the people and not assume that after a month or even a year of living here that you would understand what’s actually going on in the country. What I’ve found so far in Sierra Leone and in most countries is that there’s a huge difference between how things look on the surface and what’s happening on a deeper level. For example every morning I see piles of children washed and walking to school dressed up in their uniforms. They greet me with huge smiles and a loud, “Hello White man!” Coming from Canada I automatically assume that everyone ate breakfast that morning and that they are going to a school that employs qualified teachers who get paid a salary for their work. What I don’t realize is that many of the children haven’t eaten that day nor the previous one and that a single classroom can have over 100 students with only one teacher. The teachers are often not qualified and unpaid by the government and sadly some of the students find themselves in the terrible position of having to have sex with the teachers in exchange for grades or school fee payment or are simply just abused. These are the types of things that are uncovered after years of working with the youth through programs like the mentoring one. It’s so important that these issues are brought out in the open so that they can begin to be addressed and changed.
On the positive side many of the people here have a resilience that allows them to remain hopeful and proud of their country. Heartbreaking and hopeful is the only way I can describe the situation here. The fact that youth have the ability to come from such a place of poverty, and all the problems that come with that, and realize that the changes they need must come from them gives me the strength that is necessary to do this type of work.
When I asked the youth to write down what they would tell the world about Sierra Leone they wrote, “Sierra Leone has just come from eleven years of war which caused us to suffer a lot with the loss of property, life, and relatives. We are now trying to develop our country by improving the standard of lives of the people. We now have a peaceful country and we love one another and the strangers who come to our aid.”
A month has gone by already, and as I prepare to take my leave here and face the culture shock that will come with returning home I will strive to remember the grace and gratefulness that these people live out every day of their lives, taking little for granted and having so much appreciation for every opportunity that is presented to them no matter how small it is. I will also look for ways to continue to help this country from Canada. –Haley Howe

Another Side of Sierra Leone

Haley carrying water on top of her head "Sierra Leone style".

This week we are fortunate enough to have a guest writer on our blog, our first official volunteer, Haley Howe. Haley was in the Global Stewardship program that I graduated from at Capilano University, and she has been here working with me since June 3rd. I hope you enjoy her thoughts and experiences and gain another perspective from her words! -Krissi


My experience in Sierra Leone has been truly life changing. Although I’ve done a lot of travelling in developing countries, never before have I had such an opportunity to live as a local. Krissi’s hard work and perseverance have earned her the respect and trust of the community here in Kabala. Because of this I have an insider’s view on the culture and society here. I am living a life very different to the one I live in Vancouver, Canada. Seemingly simple tasks that the locals perform daily such as carrying large buckets of water on their heads or preparing a meal of groundnut soup leave me a sweaty and embarrassed mess acutely aware of all I take for granted in Canada.
A journey to Sierra Leone is not for the faint of heart and is not possible without sacrifice, especially when compared to the relatively pampered western lifestyle, but it offers so much more in return. The people I’ve met here have been some of the most gracious, hospitable, generous, human beings that I have ever met. Their spiritual faith is intensely passionate and permeates every aspect of life. People that have so little have a way of making you feel that you are in one of the richest places on earth. I’m not sure what I was expecting to find here in Sierra Leone, a country that survived a brutal civil war, but it certainly wasn’t a feeling of hope, contentment, or the gentle way that people have when dealing with one another. In fact I find it hard to find these things at home in Vancouver where I always have more than I need.
The People’s Foundation for Sierra Leone is giving opportunities to youth that are willing to work hard and want to heal and build their country. I can’t imagine a better way to structure development than to give a country the tools to allow itself to develop from the inside through its own citizens. In this way the Foundation avoids the common pitfalls of development such as the band-aid approach with only short-term effects or western imposed solutions to problems that are not really understood.
Working with Krissi has allowed me to see the strength and commitment necessary to do this type of work. This is not an easy task and I believe that there are very few people that could do it well with any lasting effect. Development work relies on the strength and trust of the relationships that are formed between cultures. This is why short term projects often don’t reach their potential or fail completely. Krissi has the conviction and commitment to see this work through but more importantly is that it comes from her heart out of a pure love for this nation. Her desire to help Sierra Leone is not tainted by ego or motivated by self serving reasons.
Haley Howe

Humble Beginnings, Hope for Tomorrow - Youth Arise in Sierra Leone

Hey all,
I hope that you are all doing well in Canada, the U.S, or wherever you might find yourself in the world. Sorry for the break in communication, it's been a hectic two weeks filled with excitement and learning lessons. Our first volunteer arrived here on June 3rd, and it has been amazing to see her getting involved with the Foundation, learning from the youth and also giving so much back to them in return. It has been a real blessing to have someone to work side by side with, so I can start to see my own weaknesses and dilemmas in running the programs day to day, and learn how to improve them and work through them to make this organization develop. On June 5th, we officially started a branch of The People’s Foundation of Sierra Leone in Freetown, so that all the past scholarship recipients could continue giving back to the program and supporting it. It was wonderful to see the excitement, need, and passion for this program in Freetown – on our first meeting day, over 20 youth showed up to talk about the program’s goals and how they could fit into their lives. It is truly amazing to see youth who have come from Kabala to still be eager to work together and extend their network of community through this program in Freetown. It was encouraging to see their zeal for the program, and on Monday June 12th, they ran and held the second session of the program all on their own! What a dream come true to see the capacity building we began a year ago with four university scholarships taking form, and those students taking ownership over the programs and over their lives, being willing to work together to create change in their community, country, and generation. Hearing the words of one of our scholarship recipients, Martin Koroma, in his report about the first meeting he conducted really uplifted my spirits – “We had over 20 youth attend the meeting, and we had very good discussions about the need for this program and how we can use mentoring and community to help our country develop. I think we will need a bigger space if we keep meeting like this – everyone was so happy and excited to see this program starting in Freetown!” Those words are every development worker’s dream – how awesome it is to hear from the youth themselves how this program is benefiting and helping them, instead of just assuming it is working how it is supposed to be.

Yesterday, we had a planning meeting with some of the local partners for The People’s Foundation. It was encouraging to sit down and discuss the past year with Rev. John Phiri, Rev. Ezekiel Sudu, and Pastor Maxwell Kanu, three leaders who were active in the development and maintenance of our programs over the past year. As in any work in this field, there are always lessons to be learned and obstacles to overcome, and our biggest lesson is that we need to thoroughly invest in indigenous leadership if this program is to develop and continue growing here in Sierra Leone. Although the Pastors are a great help to the program, it became clear that they merely need to act as resources and overseers, not the actual program managers here on the ground. As we sat brainstorming about the youth that could possibly take up the volunteer position of program manager for this year, it was great to see that several youth in the program have developed enough over the past year that they could take on this position as long as they had training beforehand. Please continue praying for us as we try to identify and interview youth who could succeed in this position!

Although our meeting yesterday brought up the issue of leadership and how we need to address this and put youth in charge of the program, there was also tons of positive feedback about the way that the program ran over the past year. Rev. Ezekiel mentioned that the change in the youth because of this program has been incredible, and even one of the elders in the church stated that her daughter’s life has changed immensely just because of this mentoring program – without her mother even asking her, she has started taking responsibility of her life and started mentoring and guiding her younger sisters. I found tears springing to my eyes as I heard the words of encouragement from those here in Sierra Leone from day to day – even though there may be trials and struggles in the future, we are certainly on the road worth travelling down, no matter the obstacles in our way. Rev. John said it best when he stated that “although we cannot yet see the elimination of poverty, which is one of the true aims of this Foundation, seeing the development of our youth in their spiritual, educational, and physical lives is the key that we are on the right track.” Those words made all the late nights of fundraisers and lost sleep to try and promote this program in Canada all completely worth it, and they also made me eternally grateful for the support of all of you in North America and around the world – this change could not happen without you! We have now issued out a list for potential scholarship applicants this year, and I am excited to see the potential and talents that will be revealed through our scholarship interviews this year.
I think the words of Maxwell Kanu, one of our partners, sum it up better than I ever could:
“This program has been so great in terms of the output of our youth, because it has worked in their lives, brought some amount of awareness in them and allowed them to rethink their old way of viewing things - some of them are now actually realizing who they are, realizing they ARE something and they can DO something. They have identified what they want to be in life, it has helped the individual youth and their fellowship as a whole. This program is of immense importance to help build our future generation”.
How humbling and awesome to hear those words spoken yesterday – and what a reminder that this work is so necessary, so important, and no matter how long it takes, change will occur in this beautiful country through the lives of these young leaders. Be Blessed!
-Krissi

Getting back to work!

Hey all,
So we're having a planning meeting today with the field staff and volunteers here (the three pastors at the church) to see what has happened over the past year with the Foundation, and how we can keep improving it it the future. It's exciting to think that it's been almost 2 years since this small dream to send students to University got started in Katie Jenkins' heart and in mine, and it's amazing to think of the changes that have happened already in Kabala because of it! With any exciting work though, there's always hard work and lessons to be learned. What we are focusing on today is how to make the program run sustainably and effectively when the directors aren't here on location - although the mentoring programs certainly have been growing strong and attracting attention over the past 8 months, it's become clear that we need to find and interview one or two dedicated youth who could take ownership over these programs and not only run them, but also report to the staff back home in Canada about what's going on. Hopefully training youth to run these programs and then putting them in charge will not only foster a desire in their hearts to continue on, but it will also prepare them to receive scholarships in the future, as they are already offering a service to their community. Keep your prayers and hearts with me as I go into this meeting with the Pastors to talk about the Foundation's strengths and weaknesses. I think this is a great opportunity to learn from last year, to see what we did well and what we could do more effectively. Tomorrow, I will be travelling to Freetown to pick up our first volunteer, Haley Howe, from the airport. Hopefully this weekend we will also be starting a branch of the program in Freetown, as well as talking to our current student's university professors to see how they are doing academically in their schooling, to help determine if they qualify to renew their scholarship. Exciting things happening - so much to do and so little time! But as always, I remain inspired and encouraged by these wonderful youth that I have the opportunity to stand beside and work with. I'm excited to see what this year has in store for them! -Krissi