Christiana - our teacher from the Zoe Carss Nursery School - visited us from 23 November to 22 December. Her visit included time spent at the Evesham Nursery School Four Pools Road, Winterfold House, Madeley Nursery and Mayfield Primary Schools. She learned so much about English teaching methods and has taken home with her many new resources that she can put to use. We are very grateful to all those who joined in so enthusiatically to organise her programme. Christiana's visit - her first outside Sierra Leone - included a train ride to London, sightseeing Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard, a walk up the nearby Malvern Hills in sub zero temperatures and the arrival of Santa Claus complete with reindeer into Pershore town centre! We all enjoyed getting to know her and look forward to future links and possible visits from other staff at Waterloo Schools.

Our work continues: as many more children complete primary school there is a need for secondary schools of good quality. At present only 22% of eligible children attend secondary school and there is no technical or vocational training in Waterloo District (with a population of nearly 1 million people). A Technical and Vocational Training Department is our next project so that we can offer education leading to employment possibilities to all groups of children within a single school.

Thank you for all your help support and encouragement which has enabled the Charity to make such a difference to these children’s lives. May we appeal to those of you who have not already done so to consider making a regular donation of between £3 to £5 per month by standing order (email us for a copy) as this enables us to budget and plan ahead in this vital work?

Thank you and best wishes for the coming Christmas season from all the children at Waterloo Schools Sierra Leone.

The new Zoe Carss nursery school building is a delight to use as the large, airy but sheltered balconies at each end protect the tots from sun and rain. They really enjoyed the 40 musical instruments sent out by the members of St Nicholas Church Dormston, for which many thanks.

The Science Department has been strengthened by the completion of a large laboratory on the ground floor with two smaller laboratories over it. These will house the 100 computers in one room and a Home Economics and Family Health unit in the other. Donations of equipment from secondary schools in Worcestershire and Sefton Liverpool, have provided a good amount of science equipment and for the first time ever the school was able to run its own practical exams in the West African GCSE this year. From now on all six years of the school will have practical hands on science experience.

There are 100 computers all packed and ready to go so we must fund the building of a generator house and buy a suitable generator by next July when the Great Barr students will take them out and install them.

Laurie has just spent three enjoyable but hectic weeks in Waterloo where our three schools are doing well, thanks to the dedication of the teachers and the help of all our supporters in the UK. The high point was a visit to the Peninsula Secondary School by eight students, three teachers and Paul Leather an independent TV film director for 10 days. Everyone had a great time and all felt their eyes were opened to the reality of life in Sierra Leone. The visit is part of the developing partnership between our secondary school and the Great Barr School in Birmingham. Having seen the need Great Barr is going all out to raise funds to supply, set up and maintain a computer lab for both our teachers and children. You may think this a bit over the top but Sierra Leone is changing rapidly and our children face the challenge of being ready to cope with a future that will include as much IT and technology as here in the UK. Moreover the use of these computers will enable them and their teachers to learn from world wide sources at present unavailable to them. This will be a valuable addition to the 5,000 book library which is a great success already.

Last night Lichfield Cathedral was filled with wonderful African music. Zimbe! written by
Alexander L'Estrange was brought to life by over 200 singers from Great Barr, Lichfield and
St Chads. Photographs of Waterloo in Sierra Leone were projected onto large screens during the concert and the congregation of 500 joined in with hand clapping and some singing of the chorus. The concert was to support Great Barr's "True Colours" project whereby they are raising funds to set up computers at Peninsula Secondary School, with the necessary generators and satellite dishes.

We have had some wonderful donations - including one for £500 recently - these all make it possible to continue to help the schools to progress. Two car boot sales last weekend (18 April) raised another £500. Thank you Laura!

There are 17 students at Peninsula Secondary School receiving £25 a year from sponsors in the UK who make this possible - either as a one off £125 payment or on a monthly direct debit basis. The scholarships for 2009 will be allocated in September and we have to date four new scholarships - just one more needed and we will have the annual five that we need to run the scheme! Please let us know if you would like to sponsor a student.

On 23rd January Jacqui Smith MP opened the exhibition - "True Colours" at the Three Whitewalls Gallery in the Mail Box, Birmingham. The walls were covered with stunning photographs taken last November when Dan, Neal and Alex - teachers from Great Barr - visited the Waterloo Schools in Sierra Leone. They gave a presentation explaining their plan to drive two 4x4s down to Waterloo from Birmingham to deliver 150 donated computers - Ewan McGregor style! We wish them good success with this exciting project which will make such a difference to the students at Waterloo.

As part of the latest newsletter sent to all family, friends and supporters, Laurie made a special appeal for funds There has also been coverage in the Redditch Standard and Great Barr Observer. As a result we are half-way to funding a container to take items of school furniture and books to Waterloo in February 2009. Every day, along with the Christmas cards, there are envelopes pledging support by standing order and also containing cheques. Thanks to you all!