MIRACLE IN MAFOREKA“THE SCHOOL THE WE BUILT”

BACKGROUND ON MAFOREKA ❏ During a 10 year civil war in

Maforeka, 95% of rural schools were destroyed along with the majority of the country.

❏ Retired teacher John Garinger discovered the remarkable story of Schools For Salone

❏ The Leadership class decided to make a difference by building a school in Maforeka

FUNDRAISING❏ Essex High and her four elementary

feeder schools, Maidstone, Essex Public, Gosfield, and Colchester. Would help raise money to build this school

❏ They developed a campaign and worked for weeks planning the major fundraiser, the walkathon

THE WALKATHON❏ Each student in the Essex Family of

Schools received pledge sheets and went to work on raising money

❏ The four schools had raised close to $32,000!!!

❏ The alumni then rose to the challenge and finished the fundraising to bring the total to over $40,000

CONSTRUCTION❏ The school construction started in May, the amazing project was completed in 51/2 months,

without the benefit of electricity or modern construction tools.

FINISHED PROJECT❏ The project was finished in record time and our

Maforekan school opened in the fall of 2010 ❏ The school can hold over 200 students. Each

student is sponsored at $250 per school year and the money goes to the families as incentive to keep their children out of the fields.

2012 UPDATE❏ The school in Maforeka holds 234 young

students – 111 boys and 123 girls❏ It is an elementary school and ranges from

grade 1 to grade 6❏ There are 3 female and 2 male teachers❏ The Essex family of schools sends money

each year to provide books and materials

VIDEO

CURRENT UPDATE❏ As of 2014 the most widespread epidemic of Ebola virus disease in history is currently ongoing in

several West African countries❏ Signs and symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus

as a fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches.❏ Then, vomiting, diarrhea and rash usually follow, along with decreased function of the liver and

kidneys, at this time some people begin to bleed both internally and externally❏ The disease has a high risk of death, killing between 25 percent and 90 percent of those infected

with the virus, averaging out at 50 percent❏ The virus spreads by direct contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected human or other

animal

CONT.❏ Luckily there has been no confirmed cases

of Ebola in our town❏ Our teachers have been trained and taught

our students on how to deal with this and keep them safe

❏ We’ve sent chlorine whips and other cleaning products to keep their houses clean of Ebola

❏ Their country has been quarantined so our village cant get food from the market because everything is shut down

❏ It is important to keep fundraising to raise money for food supplies to keep them alive rather than to send school supplies

CONT. Our village is now surrounded by the infection and our

town is currently under quarantine, which means nothing gets in or out.

So we are worried that our family's will starve because it's difficult to deliver food during a quarantine.

This is why we are challenging ourselves to continue to raise money to purchase food and deliver it to our Maforeka school community. Help us help them!