Our story

Our Honorary Life President Penelope Sharman first visited Sierra Leone in 2004, just after the end of the civil war (1991 - 2002). She was accompanying a small group of teachers whose schools were linked with schools in Sierra Leone.

Penelope could see how much needed to be done to support the schools. Buildings and furniture had been damaged or destroyed during the war, many children and young people had missed years of education and the country was desperately poor.

After speaking to headteachers in Sierra Leone about their greatest needs, Education West Africa was born, to provide practical support for children and schools. Projects were set up to provide school uniforms and school furniture.

Since EWA began its work, Sierra Leone has suffered an outbreak of Ebola from 2014 - 2015 and severe mudslides around the capital Freetown in 2017. Schools were closed again in 2020 due to Covid-19. EWA worked to provide practical support for children and schools to deal with these emergencies. Our more recent projects have provided training for headteachers, and we have also donated a printing press so that schools can print their own exercise books. We also provide funds for school refurbishment projects where there is a severe need, while continuing to provide uniforms and furniture for schools across the country. Trustees visit Sierra Leone to check on projects and assess future needs.

For more information, see our projects pages.