1.
The Wara Wara Community Schools
Project
Project to Support Primary Education in Wara Wara Bafodea, Sierra Leone
Marcos Portillo de Armenteras
Las Palmas de G.C., Spain. August 2012

2.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Community School in Kamagbengbeh
Wara Wara Bafodea, July 2012

3.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Supporting primary "community" education in the province of Wara Wara
Bafodea, one of the most deprived areas of Sierra Leone, Africa.

4.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
- Because in the Human Development Index (HDI),
2011 UN ranked 180 of 187 nations.
- Because 60 of 100 adults (aged 15 +) are illiterate.
In Spain 2 out of 100
- Because 1 in 5 children dies before age 5 from
malnutrition and other diseases.
- Because 1 in 100 women die in childbirth. In Spain 6
in 100,000
- Because it was at war from 1991 to 2002
- Because life expectancy at birth is 47.8 years, while
in Spain is 81 years.
- Because 63% of the population lives on less than $
1.25 a day.
- Because the project developer (Marcos Portillo
Armenteras) has previously developed education
initiatives in the country and knows the reality very
well and how to impact on it in a positive way.

5.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
- Because it is one of the country's poorest
provinces. It has 30,000 inhabitants spread over
some 150 villages.
- Because it is north of the country, in a
mountainous area of difficult access. There are
no paved roads and present steep slopes. No
phones or internet coverage. There are only 2
cars in the whole province and belong to the
king. Wara Wara Bafodea
- Because the primary school enrollment rate is
one of the lowest in the country and school
absenteeism exceeds the national average.
- Because 16 of the 31 (52%) schools in the
province have been developed by the villagers
(communities) as the government fails to
address the existing schooling needs.
- Because there are no hospitals. The area is
served by two nurses and a paramedic.

6.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project

7.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Community School in Kasentity
Wara Wara Bafodea, July 2012

8.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Previous Experience in Sierra Leona
Examples of development through SOCIAL PARTICIPATION in Biriwa
province, Sierra Leone. Year 2008 to 2009 .
Performed by promoter of this project
VILLAGERS OF KAKAYOH BUILDING THEIR OWN SCHOOL
Escuela de Kakayoh

9.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Continuation- Schools built through social participation. Year 2008 to 2009
Before After
School in Kakayoh School in Kakayoh
Antes
Before After
Antes
School in Kamakita School in Kamakita

10.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Proposal
To impact on 8 of the 16 community schools * existing in the province of Wara
Wara Bafodea through SOCIAL MOBILIZATION and use of local resources in order
to improve their material, academic and health conditions. To provide college
training to 50 teachers. To increase and strengthen the presence of female teachers
in the schools.
* Mean of "community“: those initiatives launched at the behest of the rural people themselves, outside the official network of
state schools.

11.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
o Project Representative in Spain:
Coopera * (G48499602). Spanish NGO devoted to the cooperation for
development and integrate by people of different political, religious and
cultural believes. Commitment to education as an engine of development.
http://www.coopera.cc
o Planner/Executor: Marcos Portillo Armenteras / The Wara Wara
Community Schools Project, based in Sierra Leone.
o Authorities in Sierra Leone :
- Counselor education Koinadugu District: Peter Bayuku Konteh.
- Counselor education Wara Wara Bafodea: Serah Kamara.
- King of Wara Wara Bafodea (Paramount Chief): Alhaji Almamy
Hamidu I.
o Villages: Kamagbengbeh, Kamadaindaina, Pampakor/Turaya, Daliportor,
Kassasie, Kasentity, Kadanka, Kakonso. All the villagers, men, women and
children.
o 55 community teachers across the province of Wara Wara Bafodea.
*The NGO COOPERA represents The Wara Wara Community Schools in an altruistic way, so that 100% of the money
donated will go to the project in Sierra Leona.

12.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
This past July, Marcos Portillo, project developer
moved to the province of Wara Wara Bafodea for
3 weeks to perform a thorough study on primary
education.
He met with local leaders, visited and
studied the 31 existing primary schools
(16 community and 15 government),
interviewed each of the teachers and
administrators. With all this information
gathered made ​a diagnosis of the reality
by identifying critical needs and setting
priorities for action.

13.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Community Schools Visited- Wara Wara Bafodea
Kasongo Kassasie Kayenda
Pampako Seredugu Turaya

14.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Kasentity Kakonso Kadanka
Kasongo Kassasie Kayenda
Kakamba Daliportor Kamanikae
Pampako Seredugu
Kasepena Turaya
Kamagbengbeh Kamadaindaina

15.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Some Community Teachers Interviewed- Wara Wara Bafodea
Kasongo Kassasie Kayenda

16.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Children in Wara Wara Bafodea
Kassasie Kayenda

17.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
1. School Buildings
2. School Supplies
3. Teachers
4. Children

18.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
1. School Buildings
 Precarious buildings with potential for collapse.
 In many cases, absence of latrines with consequent
unhealthiness involved.
 No wells in many schools encouraging children to drink
contaminated water and contract diseases.

19.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
2. School Supplies
 Scarcity or absence of blackboards, benches and tables and those
existing in very poor condition.
 Inadequate and sometimes nonexistent books, notebooks, pencils
and pens.
 Lack of uniforms and in very poor condition.

20.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
3. Teachers
 There are 55 community teachers.
 26 teachers have not completed high school.
 17 teachers have completed high school.
 12 teachers have teaching diploma.
 Only 5 female teachers across the province.
 Average salary: 6,7 euros per month 9 months a year. 12 of
them work voluntarily and receive no financial compensation for
their work.

21.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
4. Children
 High percentage of children not enrolled in school and absenteeism.
 They work from a very early age and are an important source of
family labor to support housework, crops and livestock.
 Many are malnourished and suffer from diseases that make it
difficult for them to attend.

22.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project

23.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
1. School must be Alive: There must be a high
percentage of children attending regularly and
teachers must be truly committed to the education of
students.
2. Isolation: We will work in schools that are in
remote locations.
3. Number of Students: We want to
impact the schools with more students.
4. Degree of community
involvement: The villagers must have
demonstrated interest in working for their own
existing schools.

24.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
2
Kamadaindaina
1 Number of Students:
Kamagbengbeh 70
Teachers: 2
Number of Students: 84
Nearest Primary
Teachers: 4
School 4.5 km
Nearest primary school:
Well: Operating but
8 km
not drinking water
Well: Broken
Latrine: Operating
Latrine: No
3 4
Pampakor/Turaya Daliportor
Number of students: 188 Number of
Teachers: 2 students: 74
Nearest primary school: n students
/a Teachers: 2
Well: No Nearest primary
Latrine: No school: 6 km
Well: No
Latrine: No

25.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
6
5 Kasentity
Kassasie Number of Students:
Number of Students: 53 74
Teachers: 1 Teachers: 1
Nearest primary school: Nearest primary
5 km school: 3 km
Well: No Well: Operating
Latrine: No Latrine: Operating
7 8
Kadanka
Number of students: Kakonso
115 Number of
Teachers: 4 students: 146
Nearest primary students
school: 3 km Teachers: 4
Well: Operating Nearest primary
Latrine: Operating school: 6 km
(very poor) Well: No
Latrine:
Operating

26.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
NGO Coopera, Spain
The Wara Wara
Community Schools
Project, Sierra Leone
Market Research and
Data Analysis
Monitoring and
Evaluation
SELF DEVELOPMENT
MEETINGS
Construction and School University Education Educational Workshops
Reform and Workshops for for the Community
Teachers
Constitution of the Association of
Community Schools of Wara Wara
Bafodea

27.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Estimated period of project implementation: 2 years from October 2012.
WORKING METHOD
1. Market Research and Data Analysis: diagnosis of reality. Made in July 2012
2. Self Development Meetings: The heart of the project.
The promoter of the project will work with the 8 chosen schools every two weeks (see diagram on
the next slide). He will meet with the entire population of the villages, the true protagonists of the
project, in the self developing encounters. With his guidance, the villagers will:
 Express themselves about the status of their school, the needs, their problems.
 Evaluate what local resources, free or not, are there at their disposal in order to support
the school, for example, human resources, sand, stones and other.
 Set up goals: the community agrees to undertake certain activities for their school in the
next two weeks (until the following self development meeting).
 Self monitor the fulfillment of the goals in the due date.

28.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
WORK METHOD- Continuation
Example of Weekly Work Plan (Self-Development)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Week 1 1 Kamagbengbeh 2 Kamadaindaina 3 Pampakor Turaya 4 Daliportor logistics/administration llogistics/administration
Week 2 5 Kassasie 6 Kasentity 7 Kadanka 8 Kakonso logistics/administration logistics/administration
Week 3 1 Kamagbengbeh 2 Kamadaindaina 3 Pampakor Turaya 4 Daliportor logistics/administration logistics/administration
Week 4 5 Kassasie 6 Kasentity 7 Kadanka 8 Kakonso logistics/administration logistics/administration
Week 5 1 Kamagbengbeh 2 Kamadaindaina 3 Pampakor Turaya 4 Daliportor logistics/administration logistics/administration
Week 6 5 Kassasie 6 Kasentity 7 Kadanka 8 Kakonso logistics/administration logistics/administration
As seen in the table, in every village will hold a self development meeting every two weeks.
3. The population is set to work with his own hands, using local resources, to ensure the
attainment of the objectives every two weeks. Examples: repairing a wall, fell trees to build furniture,
traditional construction of latrines, others.
4. Identification of leaders and villages devoted to the construction of their
school. The project sponsor throughout the weeks of work is identifying the “villages devoted in
developing their own school" and provides "external support", which is embodied in different forms
depending on the needs of the school, for example : cement bags, hire a chainsaw to build furniture,

29.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
WORK METHOD- Continuation
iron for school structure. The result of that identification, the project developer decide
what two schools from 8 in which you are working, will be offered to build two new schools.
The purpose of this working method is that the villagers are the
protagonists of the project; that they feel the school as theirs; that their
development is the result of their hard work.
Parallel to the self development meetings, the following initiatives will be undertaken:
• Community Teachers College Education:
In the College of Teachers in Kabala: the project intends to facilitate the training of all
community teachers in the province of Wara Wara Bafodea (total of 50), as well as new
teachers who will come to strengthen the network of schools in the province.
• Training Workshops for the Community: health, education awareness, school
maintenance, teachers support, others.

30.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
METODO DE TRABAJO- Continuación
sierra mecánica para construir muebles, hierro para la estructura de la escuela. Fruto de esta misma
identificación, el promotor del proyecto decidirá en qué dos aldeas, de las 8 en las que se está trabajando,
se ofrecerá la construcción de una nueva escuela en sustitución de la existente. Para estas dos nuevas
escuelas el proyecto aportará cemento, hierro, zinc otros.
Lo que se pretende con este método de trabajo es que los aldeanos sean los protagonistas del
proyecto, que sientan la escuela como suya, que el desarrollo de las mismas sea fruto de su esfuerzo y
trabajo.
Paralelamente a los encuentros de desarrollo se trabajará en:
1. Formación de maestros comunitarios:
• Académica en escuela de maestros: se pretende facilitar la formación de todos los
maestros comunitarios tanto de escuelas comunitarias, como de escuelas del gobierno no
cualificados (un total de 50) y formación de nuevas profesoras que vendrían a reforzar la red de
escuelas de la provincia. Existe en Sierra Leona, y en la ciudad de Kabala (a 33 kms de Wara Wara
Bafodea), formación universitaria a distancia para maestros.
• Talleres de formación continua.
2. Talleres de Formación para la comunidad: salubridad, concienciación sobre la educación,
mantenimiento de las escuelas, apoyo a los maestros, otros.

31.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Any financial contribution, big or small, once or every month, is really appreciated....
We want to build a solid and sustainable project and therefore long term commitment
would help us enormously.
To give you an idea:
• With 10 euros a month, you will help with a bag of cement each
month.
• With 20 euros a month, you will help to pay for 1 teachers
education (and transport) for a year at the School of Teachers in
Kabala.
• With 80 euros a month, you will help to reform a school in 2
years.
• With 800 euros a month, together with a group of friends, family,
fellow worker, school classmates, you will help us to build a school in
two years .
• Are you a teacher? Sponsor a group of teachers.
Help with the amount you can, monthly or single payment: As you
decide.
HELP US TO HELP THEM!
Trainning of a teacher costs 240 euros a year, and lasts three years.
To Build a school costs about 20,000 euros.

32.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
Make your donations through the following account of the NGO
COOPERA, which is available exclusively to this project: The Wara
Wara Community Schools Project, Sierra Leone.
Transfer from outside Spain:
ES78 2054 0350 1791 6203 0131
Transfer from within Spain:
2054/0350/17/9162030131 (Caja de Navarra)
Subject: The Wara Wara Community Schools Project

33.
The Wara Wara Community Schools Project
o Please forward this Power Point: Spend some time to see who
would be interested and who can support.
o To those willing to help, please, organize a party, a charity
lunch, a paddle tournament…. Any possible thing to raise money
to support the project.
o If you have any questions related to the project please,
contact, Marcos Portillo.
+34609688562 (until mid October)…
thewarawaracsproject@gmail.com

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The Wara Wara Community Schools Project