Recruiting teachers to remote areas - A complex challenge

November 2021

Our villages are very remote. The journey from Freetown to our schools involves a three hour drive on the highway and then a drive of up to forty minutes along rutted roads with bridges made of logs thrown across rivers. On a number of occasions the men of the village have had to pull vehicles out of the rivers when the bridge proved inadequate.

The first time Caroline saw one of these bridges, she insisted on getting out of the car and walking across.

As our schools have become more successful, they have attracted many children back into education and so we need more teachers. The problem that we have encountered is the difficulty of recruiting to such remote villages. Needless to say – there is no school bus, so these teachers require accommodation.

This December (2021), we are holding a number of meetings with the community to collectively find the best solution; minimising costs whilst ensuring that the solution agreed does not lead to any bad feeling for local teachers. Whether this means building accommodation, renting locally or upgrading available housing, we are confident that our solution will represent the best option. 

Our target is one house for at least two teachers at each of our six villages at a total estimated cost of £10,000. This accommodation will be a fabulous contribution to securing ongoing long-term success.