Sierra Leone: Ebola closes schools, imperils students’ future

By Sahr Ngauja, World Vision Sierra Leone

Zainab Nancy Mbayo is a leader and an achiever.

This 12-year-old girl, a World Vision sponsored child in Sierra Leone, is the president of her community’s kids club and wants to be a lawyer. She lives with her mother, Finda, and grandmother, Nancy, who are traders in Kono district, near the Guinea border.

Zainab was all set to take her exam to transition to senior secondary school in June, but education authorities closed schools and cancelled exams because of Ebola. Schools didn’t reopen when it was time to start a new school year in September.

Ebola’s affect on educating girls

“Ebola has affected us badly,” says Zainab.

The Ministry of Education, with help from World Vision, started broadcasting primary and secondary lessons during October, but there’s no substitute for qualifying exams.

“If this situation continues, we fear for our companions,” Zainab says. “Because some do not like going to school anymore, their parents may give them to early marriage. Or some may get pregnant, and some will become dropouts.”

According to UNICEF, 18 percent of girls in Sierra Leone marry by the age of 15; 44 percent marry by the time they are 18. Girls who reach higher levels of education marry at a lower rate than those who do not.

Praying for an end to Ebola

In addition to interrupting their education, the Ebola outbreak isolates children from their friends, Zainab says.

“My parents don’t allow me to go too close to my friends; neither do theirs allow them to come close to me for fear of being infected with the virus,” she says.

This has even affected the kids club programming, which has also stopped due to Ebola concerns.

• Sponsor a girl in need: Sponsorship makes a long-term investment in the life of a girl, her family, and her community, providing greater access to life-giving basics like nutritious food, clean water, medical care, and education -- the foundation for a future of independence and hope.
• Join World Vision at one of our Girl Rising events: Our Girl Rising events help raise awareness of the importance of investing in the lives of girls around the world. Girl Rising is the critically acclaimed movie that is spearheading a global campaign fighting for the right of all girls to an education. It features the stories of 4 girls from 4 countries and is narrated by a number of award winning stars including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Cate Blanchett.
Look out for an event in your county soon. For more information on scheduled events please call 01 498 0800.Join World Vision at one of our Girl Rising events: Our Girl Rising events help raise awareness of the importance of investing in the lives of girls around the world. 
• Share our VISION: Be a part of our Girl Rising campaign and share this message with the world. Use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+ and Pinterest to spread the word. Let’s educate the world by educating girls.

Raise your voice and let others know how important it is to educate and invest in the lives of girls.