Another School Year Complete – and So Much to Celebrate
Time flies! It feels like only yesterday Richard and I were walking around the school in Buchanan, meeting the children, teachers and parents, and discussing plans for the future. Since then, Morris and his incredible team have been hard at work, and another school year has come to a successful close.
This year, 486 children attended Rilo Foundation School. Of those, 466 progressed to the next year, while 84 students graduated from kindergarten, Grade 6 and Grade 9. Even more impressively, every single one of the 72 students who sat their West Africa Examinations passed.
The school also celebrated a number of other milestones. Students reached the semi-finals of the national ISSUE League, finished second in the county spelling bee competition, and three of our teachers were awarded scholarships to teacher training college in recognition of the school's academic achievements.
The graduation ceremony itself was a special occasion. Parents and families came together to celebrate the students' achievements, and the school even welcomed an international researcher from the International Institute of Social Justice (ISS), who visited to learn more about the work being done by IDEFOCS and Rilo Foundation School.
Looking for the right place to build the new school
One of our biggest priorities remains finding land for a permanent school.
We've looked at several plots over the past few months. Unfortunately, many have turned out to be unsuitable. Some are on wet land, while others are simply too far outside Buchanan for children to walk to each day.
Morris has suggested some practical alternatives, including purchasing wet land and filling it, or introducing school buses. While these are common solutions in Liberia, we don't believe either is the right long-term choice for the school. We'd rather take a little longer and find land that is accessible, sustainable and gives the children the best possible future.
It can be frustrating to wait, but we know that buying the wrong piece of land would be far more costly in the long run.
Keeping the current school safe
While we continue the search, the existing school still needs to serve hundreds of children every day.
This year's rainy season has been particularly harsh. Storms damaged the roofs of both school buildings, causing new leaks just as the rains intensified.
After discussing the options with Morris and the landlord, we agreed to pay an additional six months' rent upfront. In return, the landlord will complete the necessary roof repairs. It wasn't money we had planned to spend, but it gives us time to continue searching for the right land while ensuring the children have dry classrooms when school reopens in September.
Alongside the roof repairs, a number of desks and chairs need replacing after another busy school year, and the campus is already being prepared for the new term.
More children are finding their way to Rilo Connect
One particularly encouraging development is the growing recognition of the school within Liberia.
This year, the Ministry of Education placed 75 students at Rilo Foundation School as part of its education programme, while Youth Crime Watch referred another 35 students, providing backpacks and school shoes to support them.
It's wonderful to see other organisations recognising the quality of education the school provides and wanting more children to benefit from it.
Thank you
Every update reminds me that running a school is a balancing act between celebrating today's successes and planning for tomorrow.
We're incredibly proud of everything Morris, the teachers and the students have achieved this year. While our dream of building a permanent campus will take a little longer than we'd hoped, we're committed to making thoughtful decisions that will benefit generations of children—not just the next school year.
Thank you, as always, for supporting Rilo Connect and for being part of this journey with us. Every child sitting in a dry classroom, every exam passed, and every graduation celebrated is only possible because of your support.
Below some pictures from our annual Gala Day parade through the streets of Buchanan.
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