Construction of the FSL Secondary School
We want to give all children in the Campbell Town community and the surrounding area access to the next educational level. For this purpose, the FSL Secondary school was constructed near the UMC Primary School, which enables graduates to obtain formal qualifications without having to travel far distances.
The FSL Secondary School is a modern, functional school building constructed with local materials. As of March 2022 the school building contains six classrooms for up to 40 students each, a library, a well-equipped computer room and an administration wing with a staff room. In addition, modern sanitary facilities for students and teachers as well as a kitchen and eating facilities for up to 250 people have been built. There is also a spacious sports- and playground on site. The facility has its own water and electricity supply. The school has eight teachers, two administrators and six other employees in the organization. In addition to school operations, it is planned to use the premises for adult education offerings in the medium term.
March 2022: Official inauguration ceremony
On Wednesday, March 30, 2022, the official opening of the FSL Secondary School in Waterloo took place. For the celebration, a delegation of the association traveled to Sierra Leone with the board members and other nine guests. The event was accompanied by speeches of the German Ambassador in Sierra Leone, Mr. Horst Gruner, the Deputy Minister of Education, Mrs. Emily Gogra, and the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Dr. Eldred Taylor. Together with representatives from local politics and culture as well as another 500 guests, students and teachers, the opening was duly celebrated with theater performances, music, dance and food.
The opening of the school was covered by various media throughout the country, including AYV Television:
We are happy about the positive feedback we received during the first months of the school's operation and now on the occasion of the opening.
September 2021: School opened
At the beginning of the new school year, the first students of the FSL Secondary School Campbell Town were welcomed with an opening ceremony. Simultaneous to the completion of the building, the grant application to the Schmitz Foundation to cover the costs of the solar system, equipment for the school kitchen and construction of the sports field was also approved. We are therefore very pleased to announce the successful commissioning and further expansion of the school as planned!
August 2021: The school construction is progressing
The building is nearly completed, we are happy to provide the detailed report on the school construction work for general viewing:
FSL Secondary School Progress Report August
April 2021: First concreting works completed
The concreting work for the base plates has been completed, and the execution planning for the remaining sub-trades is proceeding according to plan: the solicitation of bids for the kitchen, solar system and sports field is currently being prepared.
March 2021: The foundation is laid
The contract for the construction work has now been awarded and the first sod has been turned. The groundbreaking ceremony has taken place in a small but enthusiastic ceremony with representatives of the community, teachers, students, parents and school authorities, the construction company and representatives of our association. In addition, the perimeter fence has already been built for a length of 180 meters out of a total of 280 meters, and the work on the 60-meter deep well for the school's water supply has been completed. Furthermore, the excavation work has been completed. The concreting work for the base plates will take place in March 2021.
February 2020: Property expansion completed
During his trip to Sierra Leone in February 2020, board member Dietmar Scheiter again visited the land in Campbell Town where the new Secondary School will be built. After negotiations with adjacent property owners, it was now possible to secure a plot size that can accommodate all planned school areas - school building with library and computer pool, administration wing, kitchen, dining areas, toilets, own water and electricity supply, sports field and schoolyard.
At the same time, discussions were held on the legal structure to be chosen in which to operate the new school, and the first steps were taken toward the official approval process for the school with the authorities. The current director of the UMC Primary School, Mrs. Turay, is to be the head of the Secondary School.
A German engineering office has also been entrusted with the project planning and has in the meantime submitted revised plans for the school building. The engineering office will provide the plans free of charge. Financing for the construction has already been secured. The solicitation of the necessary funds for the sports field and the water and electricity supply has already begun.
A container with school furniture has already arrived in Sierra Leone in the fall of 2019. A big thank you goes to the Gymnasium Oberhaching, which made the complete school equipment possible with the donation of 137 two-table and 271 chairs! Until the school starts, we have "lent" chairs and tables to the new school equipment of DON BOSCO - so the furnishings serve a good purpose.
