By Sandy Christie
WOW! A lot of good things can happen in just seven years!!
Seven years ago I journeyed to Sierra Leone with the first HAUMC team to visit Baiwalla. We were there to help build a new school and to learn what we might be able to do to help the community.
We made lots of concrete bricks to dry in the sun. We pounded big rocks into small rocks for aggregate.We watched the hired men lay rebar before pouring the second floor slab. We met lots and lots of kids full of energy!We saw how the families grew small gardens to feed themselves and to sell for a meager income.
During our visit it became clear that one of the primary needs of the community was assistance to send children to school. With an education they would have a chance to make a better life for themselves and their families. Pastor Judith gave us a list of children most in need of help. We took photos and wrote down their stories. Many were AIDS or Ebola orphans living with relatives. All had a spark of possibility.
We returned to Hennepin and told our stories and the children’s stories. And you responded!! That first year we sent 62 students to school and every year since HAUMC has sponsored more and more students.
The school building was completed, additions have been made, teachers hired, computers purchased, and a library set up. Ormsby School is now a shining example for the rest of Sierra Leone. They started both a store to raise money and to train future retailers. They planted a farm to supplement the rice and bean lunches and to raise funds for running the school. Several other UMC congregations in Minnesota have joined the effort. Together with them, coordinated by OC Ministries of the Minnesota Annual Conference, the school continues to grow in its impact.
And…this spring the first class of 17 graduated!!
HAUMC has much to be proud of. Please join me in renewing or increasing your commitment to this successful ministry. If you haven’t supported Ormsby School and it’s students and teachers in past, please consider joining us this year. Imagine what we can accomplish in the next seven years!!
How to Give:
Pay tuition and fees for a year – $350
Pay for lunch for a year – $150
Online: Go to the OC Ministries website: www.ocministriesmn.org and click on the red
“Donate “ button. Scroll down to Sierra Leone: Richard Ormsby School. Make your donation in
any amount. Every dollar will support a child’s schooling at the Ormsby School.
Check: Make a check out to OC Ministries. On the memo line write Ormsby School. Send to
Minnesota Annual Conference, 122 W. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis Mn. 55404
Thanks so much for your continued or new support to enable a Baiwalla child to attend school.