Graduation Party

Tuesday 12^th February 2013

Sr. Mary Sweeney who is the Manager of St. Joseph’s Hearing Impaired School entered the convent 50 years ago yesterday and she has spent 40 of those years working in Makeni in Sierra Leone. The amount of work and what she has achieved is tremendous. It’s only now that I can really appreciate the tremendous amount of work that these religious people who have devoted their lives to working in Sierra Leone have done. They really do have a vocation. Sr. Mary has been supporting, every day of her life for the past 40 years, people like those I met last weekend at the Amputee Village and at the Lepers’ House. As well as doing that she is teaching and running a school. When she first came out here she was Head teacher at the local Primary school and then she founded the Hearing Impaired School. Apart from this she has been involved in so many projects which has brought relief and supported the suffering of so many.

The children at the Hearing Impaired School are very well cared for. They come from all over Sierra Leone. If this school wasn’t in existence these children would not be educated and many of them would be left to fend for themselves. Many of the pupils are boarders but there are also a number of them who are day pupils. All the children have chores to do before and after school so they are treated like any other child in Sierra Leone. They get up at 6.30am and do their chores before showering and having their breakfast. Their chores consist of sweeping and cleaning their compound. Fetching water and preparing breakfast. Then they change into their school uniform. After school they change out of their uniform and into their play clothes. They are at school from 8am until 3pm. School officially finishes at 1.30pm/2pm depending on their age. The younger children have a nap after school. From 2-3pm the teachers are paid to work an extra hour doing Art/P.E activities etc with the children. 

Yesterday there was a special celebration at the school to celebrate four of the teachers graduating from Makeni University with a Diploma in Special Education. They were the first students to graduate with this Diploma at Makeni University. Until now if any teacher wanted to do this Diploma they had to go overseas to complete it. Sr. Mary has been the driving force behind setting up a Department in Special Educational Needs at the University and it now has recognition and approval from the Government. It’s the first of its kind in Sierra Leone.

Food and drinks for the party was funded by friends overseas. Some of you specifically asked that the money you donated be used to give the children a treat. All the children and staff had a plate of Jollof Rice, chicken and fish. Jollof Rice is traditionally what is served at a celebration. Each child was also served with bottles of soft drinks which is a big treat for them and they also got a small packet of biscuits each. Then there was dancing afterwards. All the children have great rhythm and love dancing despite their impairments. So a good time was had by all, children and staff.

In the evening  & at the weekend there is a whole programme of events & activities organised for the children who are boarding. As well as encouraging the pupils to go down the academic route there is also a very good vocational programme for the pupils so that they can develop good skills to help them get work when they leave the school.

There is a very good Home Economics Dept.  and they develop hostess, cooking, budgeting and marketing skills. This department runs the Host Accommodation  where guests can have bed & breakfast and an evening meal if they wish. Last year the Host Accommodation brought in one third of the running costs of the school. Their whole curriculum is organised around this. i.e. Their literacy & numeracy programme. It’s the first time that I have seen a totally integrated programme.

Tailoring: All the pupils learn to sew and use a sewing machine. They then go onto make garments as well as other artefacts. E.g. Tablecloths & napkins to match, scarfs, baby clothes, handbags, laptop bags etc. Bracelets and so on. These are sold to visitors who visit the school. They also make all the school uniforms and they take in contract work.

Carpentary: This department supplies all the furniture for the school. Last month a new building was completed  for the Infant Department. All the tables, chairs, cupboards etc. were made by this department. They also do contract work and make beds, dressing tables etc.

The Farm. The school has its own farm and the pupils practice their agriculture skills there. As well as growing pineapples, bananas, groundnuts, cassava, potato leaf etc. they have a very successful poultry department. They supply the school and host Accommodation with fresh eggs and chicken. They have recently won a contract to supply fresh eggs daily to a local supermarket.