Project Overview: On Monday 20th August 2018, the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone [H.E. Julius Maada Bio] launched the Free Quality Education Program (FQEP) aimed at making education assessible for the 1,600,000 primary (elementary) through senior secondary (senior high school) children in order to build on the national capacity of Sierra Leoneans whom have a greater than 50% illiteracy rate according to a UNESCO 2015 report.

Government of Sierra Leone (GOSL) SupportThe GOSL pledged to increase public spending on education from 11% to 21% of GDP making primary to senior secondary school education assessible and free for all children. To take the burden off parents who could not afford tuition fees, supplies, and feeding of these pupils, the GOSL pledged to make all tuition in public schools 100% free with meals for the pupils while at school. Including in its pledge is to train more qualified teachers while giving an incentive for those teaching to remain in the field. At present, the GOSL reports that 55% of pre-school, 42% of primary, 35% of junior secondary, and 49% of senior secondary school teachers are qualified to teach.

As an incentive to attract and retain teachers, the GOSL has pledged to increase their wages as well as provide means for their continual education to be more qualified. Additionally, any teacher that has been teaching for up to 10-years will be able to have full college tuition waived for up to 3 of his/her child(ren).

US Govt., and International SupportShortly after the FQEP initiative was launched, the US Ambassador to Sierra Leone [H.E. Maria Brewer] announced a commitment of $25,000,000 USD through the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education School Lunch Project, USDA, and Catholic Relief Services to expand the provision daily school meals to nearly 70,000 children as well as support school infrastructure (school rehabilitation, water wells and boreholes), and training for a period of four years with focused on the Northern Region of the country.

Given that the US Government and other international donors are partnering to assist in the northern areas of the country, Alpha Foundation Worldwide, Inc. (AFWI) is focusing on the Southern and Eastern regions of Sierra Leone along with a few higher education institutions in the Western Area (Freetown).

Project ScopeThe sole aim of this project is to improve on the human capital of the disadvantaged communities in Sierra Leone by making assessible to the institutions and attending children learning and other support materials they would otherwise not have access to.

Project Implementation and EvaluationAs demonstrated during our 2002-2012 Sierra Leone Development Project (under the "Work History" menu), AFWI will utilize all of its resources (know-how, grassroots network, and partnerships) to secure the learning materials, receive and assimilate in metro-Atlanta, store, sort, pack, load, ship/export, import, and deliver to the target recipients. End-to-end.

AFWI will document all financial and material support in accordance with US Law and provide records to all donors and supporters. This will include a project financial breakdown of all monies collected and expended, all materials received, sources of support, partnerships, and above all photographic documentary of the entire project for all of our diaries and records.

Our goal is to provide:

• 150,000 Text books for K-12 and Higher Education

• 5 Containers of School Supplies (Bags to protractors)

• Laboratory and other Experimental Equipment

• Shoes (new and used for children of all ages)

• Clothing (new and used for children of all ages)

• Hygiene products (lotion, combs, toothbrushes, etc.)