5 October 2022 was a big day for us!
Everything was perfectly set for the grand opening of our fourth Desert Flower School in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The project was made possible by a generous donation from the Africa Aweee Foundation. We are breaking new ground with this project, because in the worldwide fight against the cruel crime of female genital mutilation (FGM), we also see ourselves as bridge builders. Thanks to the new partnership with Africa Aweee, we are even stronger.
The opening ceremony in Hastings, 24 kilometres east of the capital Freetown, turned into a big party. Sierra Leone's Minister of Education, the Archbishop of Freetown, dozens of media representatives, numerous officials from the community and, of course, hundreds of completely excited children who could hardly stay in their chairs, did not miss the spectacle.
The new Africa Aweee School accommodates 255 girls and 155 boys. Education is our strongest weapon in the fight against FGM and forced marriage!
Lisa Boyer-Telmer, co-founder of Africa Aweee, explained during her opening speech: "Together with my friend Nada, we started Africa Aweee. As girls, we read the book Desert Flower by Waris Dirie and were very impressed. Empowering girls and women is a very big concern for both of us. The partnership with the Desert Flower Foundation really means a lot to us."
The school in Hastings was just the beginning, further joint projects are already being discussed. Together we are much stronger!
