By Ibraheem Daramy
Successive administrations have promised so much, leaving the people expecting nothing less than a utopian state. But once given the mandate, all they could come up with are loads of excuses as to why they find themselves stuck in quicksand. But what always make their arguments clearly clay legged is the fact that they have never failed to bail themselves out of poverty, not for once, less than a year in office. You can see them just about everywhere, but those without whose sovereignty they would still be leading a life of unpredictability. Please don’t tell me I am unprogressive, to borrow from the current Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, David Moinina Sengeh, on his recent description of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party. I am not, but it must not be at the expense of the very poor whose lives you vowed to improve. Of course, I know about the cliche, that behind every million, there is a crime.
Today I visited Pate Bana Marank, in the Bombali Sebora Chiefdom, Bombali District, a community less than ten (10) minutes’ drive from Makeni. I almost lost my footing on arrival, I had to inadvertently ask someone close to help me maintain my balance. Imagine this is a place I am no stranger to. But on this particular visit on today’s date, I had to take a cruel bite of my lips, because my vocal cords were going to voice out what I was going to say – I wasn’t sure what those words were going to be.
On my right-hand side was this edifice saluting me as I entered the village. Lush lawns with water hoses to keep them green, spotless walls, well-trimmed vegetation, etc. etc. I would not have gotten so carried away if I’d not ignored an earlier sign, the electricity line that ran through, from the 4th infantry brigade, Teko barracks, Makeni – over fifty (50) high quality aluminum poles and insulated overheard line accounted for that. I saw a conspicuously placed signpost that read LAMIN AND KADIE BAH ACADEMY This was when I realized I was not in a trance, I was just confronted with a rare reality. I can boldly state here that there is no institution, private or otherwise, that can match the type of intentional engineering design I saw there. This place is a learner’s paradise.
Speaking to the Chief Administrative Officer in her air-conditioned office (it’s not often such offices qualifies for this description), Eunice Bassey, a Nigerian, she told me they have a roll of three hundred and sixty (360) from JSS1 to SSS3. Unsurprisingly, their core area is the sciences, because, according to her, that is where the world is headed. No one in his right senses will disagree with you ma’am. Apart from the school’s recent connection to the grid, it already had solar panels that ensured uninterrupted electricity supply, backed by a thermal plant with a capacity to serve the entire community. The sanitation facility on offer is one, without pretense, that would leave you asking if you are not being misled. With their numbers, there is zero chance the children will have to queue to attend to nature – there is just about enough. They have a plumbing system you would expect to be only on high end properties.
Here is the kicker, the children are not only attending free of cost, but they are also provided with all the enablers. No wonder the authorities are contemplating adding some classrooms as a direct response to the demand. Who would not want his/her child/ward to attend the school I just described? They took me on a conducted tour of the school’s vast land and pointed to me the proposed site for the primary school. They have eighteen (18) teaching staff on the school’s payroll, all of them spoke very highly of the founders and the standard of leaning.
There is a well-equipped computer lab with round the clock broadband internet. I was surprised there was a boy who commutes from the center of Makeni everyday school day to attend. The founders are also constructing a canteen on campus, where lunch is expected to be served. The following are some of the communities the school is serving at the moment.
- Pate Bana Marank
- Gbomsella
- Romankneh
- Mabai
- Mamankie
- Robain
- One house
- Gbanka Potho
- Teko
- Limba corner
- Bain Road
- Rosenti
- Robuya
