‘Hoe kijkt coördinator Umaru Fofanah terug op het project?’

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Reporting period
January - December 2024

Report prepared by

Umaru Fofanah

Date of submission
10-01-2025

Questions 1-3 to be answered no later than one month after the departure of the group, and where relevant to be revised no later than four months after the departure of the group

1. Describe the context in which the project was implemented, including any relevant information about the community, district, or country which affected activities carried out.
For example:
General issues, concerns, or developments in the education sector, or changes in the school year.
Insufficient number of teaching staff or health care staff, or delayed payment of salaries.
Diseases, conflicts, political instability, or socio-economic factors affecting operations in the community or country.
Food security issues.

Sierra Leone is situated on the southwest coast of West Africa and is bordered by Guinea and Liberia to the southeast and north, respectively. Its population of eight million is predominantly subsistence farmers. The country has a youthful population of 80 per cent aged 35 and below, and more than half of its youth population is eligible for education. Only one-third of children in Sierra Leone are expected to make it through infancy, complete their education, and transition into adulthood with the ability to realise their economic and professional potential fully. This low probability is attributed to the weak learning environment in many schools, which indicates that children do not receive the optimal educational benefit from being in class. In general, implementing the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) programme has introduced additional difficulties regarding the organisation of education, particularly in terms of increasing enrolment and the ability to accommodate students. This is evident in the considerable rise in the average school size, class size, and pupil-teacher ratio observed at all levels between 2018 and 2019. At the primary education level, the number of students rose from 1.2 million in 2011 to 1.8 million in 2019. This resulted in an average annual growth rate of 5% during this period. Notably, between 2018 and 2019, enrolment surged at an accelerated pace, witnessing a remarkable increase of over half a million students within a year, marking a growth rate of 29%.
Despite the economic gains in the years after the ten-year civil war, the country is still facing the challenges of the war, recurrent pandemics, and polarising politics, which have stalled its path to achieving its development aspirations. Food security remains a big issue in the country, with 82 per cent of its population being food insecure and 18 per cent of households being severely food insecure.
Port Loko district is one of the 14 districts in Sierra Leone located in the Northern Province and is the fourth most populous district. It is among the poorest and most deprived districts after Bonthe, Moyamba, Koinadugu, and Tonkolili. Agriculture constitutes the district's main livelihood source, with more than 80% of the inhabitants engaged in small-scale farming, producing food crops such as cassava, rice and sweet potato.
Like every other village in Sierra Leone, New Maforki also faces significant challenges related to food insecurity, extreme poverty, inadequate infrastructural facilities, sexual and gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, early marriage, high dropout and climate change.

2. Describe the original plan/idea for the project. Has the project been executed as planned? If changes were made, which changes and why?

The project objective is to construct a four-classroom block school building for DEC Primary School New Maforki. The project was designed to enable youngsters from the Netherlands to volunteer in development projects in Sierra Leone and foster community ownership through their direct involvement in the planning and implementation phases.
In the project's implementation stage, the community mobilises local materials such as sticks, ball stones, and debris. They also provided unskilled labour that worked directly with the contractor’s team and the group of volunteers to construct the school building.
Then, World Servants Netherlands (WSN) provided financial resources and thirty volunteers who worked alongside the community to construct the school building for three weeks. Cotton Tree Foundation, a partner organisation of WSN, facilitated the project implementation, including the participants' stay, and coordinated all other project-related activities.

3. Give a general description of the implementation of the project. What was done, how was it done, who did what, when was it done, why was it done.

The project's implementation comprises three distinct phases: preliminary activities before the group arrives, activities undertaken when the group arrives, and those after the group returns.
The first phase of the project implementation started with community engagement meetings where the project deliverables were discussed, and key members from the community were selected to serve on three local committees: Children, Cultural and Construction. The selection process was contingent on their role and influence in the community. Each committee was composed of teachers (interpreters), local authorities and members of key social groups in the community. Follow-up sessions and meetings were held to orientate them on their roles and responsibilities.
Also, in May 2024, Cotton Tree Foundation purchased and delivered all industrial materials for the construction work (except for cement) to the project location, necessitating the commencement of the actual construction work.
The project then identified/contracted a contractor (Amadu Koroma), who was introduced to the community in one of the meetings. Based on the contract agreement, he was obliged to hire skilled labour from the community. To fulfil this criterion in the contract, he hired five skilled labourers from the community and two from another community.
The actual construction work commenced with a small ceremony (sod turning). The existing WSN blueprint was used to lay out the building, although a small addition was made to ensure the building size equals or aligns with the previous building constructed in 2022. After the laying out, the community dug the foundation trench to a recommended depth and worked closely with the contractor and his team to construct the foundation. The unskilled labourers from the community were hired to make bricks for the foundation and super-wall structure. The rationale was to provide financial support to prepare meals for community volunteers.
The skilled labour (contractor’s team) raised the foundation bricks. The community then backfilled the foundation with debris and ball stones. Later in July, community volunteers and skilled labourers constructed the foundation oversite slab before the group's arrival in August 2024.
The second phase of the project implementation kicked off with an official project launching ceremony organised on the group's arrival day at the project location in August 2024. Some key stakeholders, including the Paramount Chief’s wife, the Quality Assurance Officer of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education (MBSSE), the constituency councillor, and the Local unit Commander of the Sierra Leone Police, were in attendance. They all expressed their delight and profound gratitude for the project and their total commitment to supporting it in diverse ways.
This project phase consisted of five distinct activities: children and cultural programmes, life skills, Football4water, and construction work, which were planned to commence upon the group’s arrival at the project location. Later, the team leaders and local coordinators held preliminary meetings to discuss and plan the project activities.
The super-wall structure and part of the roofing work were completed for the construction work before the team departed for the Netherlands. To achieve this level of work, the contractor worked closely with the team of volunteers and community members. He assigned the following tasks during the project to keep the participants engaged and active on-site and guided their execution: steel bending, making baluster bricks, transporting bricks, sand, and materials, bricklaying, mixing concrete mortar, concreting columns and beams, and creating and fixing thrust.
The community members also transported bricks and other construction materials, fetched water and bush sticks, mixed concrete mortar, and built columns and beams.
The contractor and his team performed most of the technical work, including assigning tasks and providing instructions to the participants and community volunteers.
The Project Coordinators ensured that all logistics were in place, including facilitating the participants' stay (welfare and well-being) by ensuring that the accommodation was electrified and equipped with beds and foam mattresses, hiring experienced cooks to prepare the participants’ meals, hiring a bus for transportation, booking hotels, and coordinating children’s and cultural programmes, life skills, and construction work.
The third and final phase of the project involves completing the building, which was done by the community and the contractor’s team. Since this phase of the work requires more technical skills, the community labourers only fetched water, mixed concrete mortar, and transported materials. The contractor team completed the roofing, ceiling, plastering, screeding, fixing glass windows and doors, and painting. All these activities were completed within a month after the team left.
Other critical activities, such as the children's and cultural programmes and life skills, were implemented by the participants, community members (school staff and local authorities), and local coordinators. The school staff were actively involved and led the execution of these activities because of their understanding of the context and ability to mobilise and communicate with the children and youngsters in their local language.

Questions 4-6 to be answered no later than one month after the departure of the group, and where relevant to be revised no later than four months after the departure of the group

4. Buildings worked on.
a. What was constructed exactly (classrooms, water tanks, latrines, …)?

The project constructed a school building with four classroom blocks for DEC Primary School, New Maforki, for primary school pupils aged 6-12.

b. How was the building constructed? What construction methods were used? What kind of materials?

The community, WSN volunteers, and the contractor’s team constructed the building. It was a concrete brick building built with the following materials: cement, sand, granite (igneous) stones, aluminium zinc, ball stones, iron rods, nails, corner ridge, building line, wood perversive, timber, sticks, steel doors and windows, oil paint, paintbrush and roller, emulsion paint, thinners, shovels, wheelbarrow, head pan, pickaxe, and wooden door.
The foundation was dug to a depth of 30 inches. The thickness/depth of the foundation concrete was 18 inches.  The concrete mixture per bag of 50-kilogram cement comprised 6-head pans of sand and 12-head pans of granite stone. The mortar mixture was seven head pans of sand per 50-kilogram cement. The mix for bricks was 16-head pans of sand per 50-kilogram cement. The standard spacing distance between columns was 10 feet. Also, a 12-centimetre distance between star rods/binders and a concrete covering of 15 centimetres were adopted for constructing columns and beams. The spacing dimension of the ceiling was 2ft x 4ft.

c. Who was the contractor? Where is he/she from?

Amadu Koroma, a contractor from Lungi, Port Loko district, was hired to construct the building. He has a wealth of experience working on the World Servants projects. He started participating in the WSN project in 2017 and has constructed nine schools.

d. Were labourers hired from the community? If yes, for what kind of tasks (skilled, unskilled)? If not, why not?

The contractor had a team of 7 skilled labourers. Five of them were hired from the community, and the remaining 2 carpenters were hired from another village, Mabesseneh. They were hired because there was no carpenter in the town where the school was constructed.

e. Is there a building code? If yes, was it applied/what parts were applied?

No building code was used to construct the building. However, a standard code that is generally acceptable in the local context was adopted. This standard is not documented but is known by locals.

f. How were government authorities involved in planning, implementation, and quality control?
The government is the sole custodian of education in Sierra Leone, and all development initiatives should be designed to complement its efforts to realise its ambitions for children and youngsters in Sierra Leone. The government authorities were involved in diverse ways throughout the project cycle. At the identification, the District Education office proposed vulnerable communities needing school infrastructure and communicated the government’s standard for school building. Also, other issues regarding improving education and government priorities are discussed during the setup visit. At the implementation stage, they are invited to attend a project launching ceremony where project deliverables are shared with them for project monitoring. Occasionally, they visit the project site to monitor the construction work. At the completion stage, an independent evaluation is conducted by Quality Assurance Officers from the district education to ascertain whether the quality control measures were adopted and project deliverables were met.

g. How was the quality of construction ensured? What should be done to improve the quality of construction, if anything?

Diverse approaches were adopted to ensure the building met the required standards and quality. First, adequate and quality materials were procured and used to construct the building. Second, an effective monitoring mechanism was in place to enforce the use of quality materials and the adoption of agreed-upon standards. The community and other relevant stakeholders were directly involved in every stage of the construction work.
Constructing additional beams and changing the size of the star rods/binders used would be appropriate in the future.

h. How does this construction compare to other buildings of the same kind?

There was no significant difference between this building and the previous buildings regarding size and construction methods. The only difference so far is the project's commencement date, which was delayed to commence at the start of the rainy season.  This was done to ensure that the rain soaked the foundation so that the debris would compact before constructing the oversight slab. This approach was instituted to help prevent future cracks in the foundation.

i. What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

Like every project characterised by positive and negative experiences, this project is no exception. Some things went well, which positively affected the projects, and others did not go well, which could be improved in the future. The following were the things that went well:
Collaboration: The project experienced excellent and effective collaboration among the community, volunteers and partner organisations. At all project stages, the community and the partner organisation had the opportunity to meet and discuss issues pertinent to the construction work. This helped in mobilising community contributions in terms of local materials and unskilled labour. Also, the community and the team of volunteers collaborated well at the building site during the project.
High community participation/involvement: The community was highly involved in constructing the building. The women fetched water, and the men worked directly with the participants on the site.
Hiring an experienced contractor who has worked on the WSN project significantly impacted the project.
The availability of funds to purchase materials and other logistics contributed to the smooth implementation of the project.
Provision of project funds: The timely transfer of project funds helped to save the project from the effects of inflation and the constant hike in building material prices.
Things that did not go well:
Inadequate toilet facilities for the group and project coordinators posed some challenges. In the future, it would be imperative to consider this, especially in communities that do not have toilet facilities.

5. Construction activities.
a. What construction activities were done before the group arrived? What was done with the group?

The project design allows partner organisations and the community to undertake preliminary activities before the arrival of the group. As a result, the following activities were undertaken before the arrival of the group: digging and concreting the foundation trench, raising foundation bricks, concreting the foundation slab (oversight concrete) and brick making. The participants' arrival also necessitated the commencement of the super-wall structure, and the following activities were done during their time in Sierra Leone: raised super-wall structure, concreted beams and columns, built thrust, made balusters and roofed part of the building.

b. What tasks remained to be done after the group left? Which of these tasks are still remaining at the time of submission of this report?

The following tasks were completed after the group left: roofing, ceiling, plastering, screeding, fixing doors and windows, constructing ramp and steps, and painting. All these tasks were completed within four weeks after the participants left

6. Planning and operations.
a. When did construction start? When was construction completed?

The construction work started in May and was completed in September 2024.

b. When was the building first used? What is it used for? Who uses it?

The building will be used in October 2024.

c. Who is responsible for management, maintenance, and operational costs?

The School Management Committee will manage and maintain the building. Government subsidies and subventions will cover the operational costs.

Questions 7-10 to be answered no later than one month after the departure of the group

7. Children’s programme.
a. When and where was the children’s programme organised?

The programme was organised in the morning at the DEC Primary School, New Maforki's field.

b. What was done and who did what?

Around nine sessions of the children's programme, including the children’s party, were organised. Different activities such as colouring, painting, craft work, games, singing and dancing were done with the children.

c. Which groups of children were invited and participated? What was the experience like for the children who participated? Were any children excluded? How many children participated?

The children who were invited to take part in the children's programme were mainly within the age bracket of 5-12. This enhanced the children's interaction, creativity, learning, and understanding of Biblical values. All children above 13 years old were not allowed to participate in the programme except those in primary school.

d. How was the experience for the teachers? How many teachers participated?

The two teachers who participated in the programme gained critical skills that will help improve their relationships and approach to handling children.

e. Is there anything that either teachers or students learned during the children’s programme that they still use/continue to do?

During the children's programme, the children and teachers learned new songs from the group, which they still sing in school.

f. Do you have any suggestions for future children’s programmes (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

In general, the children's programme was well organised. However, a few things related to the planning and local context must be improved. This includes the involvement of more teachers to coordinate the programme and to inform the children before schools close for summer vacation so that they will know in advance what to expect from the programme.

8. Cultural and touristic activities.
a. What activities were done to stimulate interaction and to get to know the culture?

The following is the list of cultural activities that were organised during the project, which helped to stimulate interaction and understanding of the culture: home visit, sleepover, boat trip at Mabla, visit to Muraldo Technical and Vocational Center in Lunsar, basket weaving, visit to the Health centre and the Government Hospital in Port Loko, jungle hike, visit to a local market at Feredugu, storytelling, cooking local dish, presentation on the history of Sierra Leone and partner organisation, farm visit, visit to a souvenir market in Freetown, visit Bureh beach and local dancing session.

b. How do you value the cultural aspects of this project? Was there mutual respect?

The cultural activities provided a vital platform for cultural exchange, positive interaction, and education, which significantly changed the participants' and the community's mindsets.

c. Do you have any suggestions for cultural activities in future projects (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

It was clear that the cultural activities were inspired by the aspirations and interests of the group, which was visible in the long list of activities presented by the group to the local coordinators. In the future, it would be good to share the list of cultural activities prepared by the WSN/group and provide room for partner suggestions before the arrival of the group. Additionally, developing more activities about the Dutch culture would be imperative to enable the locals to understand it better.
The different engagements among group leaders, local coordinators, and the community helped plan and organise the cultural activities. The availability of the needed logistics facilitated the execution of the activities.

9. Life Skills programme (if applicable).
a. When and where was the life skills programme organised? How many sessions were held? How many people attended each session? Was it the same group of people for each session?


b. What topics were discussed?


c. Who was invited and who participated? How were they invited? What motivated them to participate?


d. How did the youth experience the programme? Is there anything they learned or changed based on these exchanges?


e. How do you value the life skills programme?


f. Do you have any suggestions for future life skills programmes (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?


10. Football4Water (if applicable).
a. When and where was the football4water programme organised? How many training sessions and matches were held? How many people attended each session? Was it the same group of people for each session?

The football4water programme was organised in the afternoon at two different football fields in New Maforki village. Around 30 youngsters attended each session of the programme.

b. Who was invited and participated (including other schools/villages)? How were they invited? What motivated them to participate?

Youngsters between 12 and 16 were invited to participate in the programme. They were from New Maforki and its surrounding communities. Their motivation to participate in Football4water was inspired by their interest in soccer and hygiene education.

c. How did those attending the events experience the programme? Is there anything they learned or changed based on these exchanges? Was there an interest in the hygiene promotion part, or were people mostly interested in soccer?

Football4water enhanced interaction between the youngsters and the group. It was also a platform for hygiene education. Through the different approaches utilised to engage youngsters who were more interested in hygiene promotion, they learned basic hygiene practices, which are integral to adopting a healthy lifestyle.

d. Was there a local nurse or hygiene agent involved? How do you value the football4water programme and the input of Dutch participants as well as the input of the local nurse/hygiene agent, where relevant/applicable?

No local nurse was involved in executing the programme. The programme is critical for promoting hygiene among youngsters to live a healthy lifestyle. It also stimulates interaction and enhances knowledge and understanding of basic hygiene practices. The Dutch participants had good knowledge of the issues that were discussed, and their approach was friendly and inspired participation.

e. Do you have any suggestions for future football4water programmes (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

The approach and time scheduled for the programme were appropriate to inspire participation among youngsters. In the future, CTF will be directly involved instead of delegating all responsibilities to the teachers, which will enhance the effective facilitation of the programme.

Questions 11-17 to be answered no later than one month after the departure of the group, and where relevant to be revised no later than four months after the departure of the group

11. Leadership team World Servants.
a. How was the contact with the leadership team before they arrived? Do you need more/less interaction? Is anything missing?

The leadership team's contact with the local coordinators was good, and that helped in planning the project activities, especially those related to children and cultural programmes. Platforms like WhatsApp groups created before the commencement of the project stimulated interactions among the leadership team. It would be good to enhance this interaction in the future.

b. How was the collaboration with the leadership team during their stay with you? Do you have any observations about their collaboration towards you as a partner, and towards the community?

The leadership team collaborated well with locals, including project coordinators. They always engaged the partner coordinators in making decisions and planning activities.

c. Do you have any suggestions for better collaboration with future leadership teams (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better? Please also feel free to let us know if you think any of the leaders are not fit to be a leader.

To foster excellent and effective collaboration in the future, the leadership team must have trust and confidence in the decisions of the local coordinators, improve engagement and be more flexible and adaptable to the local context. Sometimes, when the leadership team has a fixed notion or approach to things, it will inhibit the outcome of the project activities.

12. Collaboration with World Servants.
How did you experience the partnership with World Servants in the preparation and execution of this project? What were your expectations? Were these expectations met? How or how not?

The partnership with WSN was built on mutual trust, support and respect at all project stages. Partner's suggestions and decisions were valued and respected. There was timely and effective communication. Technical support was provided where necessary to help guide and build partners’ capacity. Funds were provided on time, which allowed partners to carry out their activities smoothly.

13. Local leaders / key persons.
a. Who were the key persons involved locally? How were they involved? 

The inclusive and participatory approach adopted in the project allowed key persons from the community to participate fully and contribute to the project's success. The local leaders who participated in the project include but are not limited to the following: headteacher, community headman, youth leader, women’s leader, School Management Committee members and religious leaders. They were involved in decision-making, project monitoring and mobilisation of local materials.

b. How was the collaboration with them?

The collaboration with the local leaders was excellent. They were appropriate structures to work with because they understood the local context and influenced others’ involvement.

c. Do you have any suggestions for better collaboration with local leaders/key persons in the future (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

To promote effective collaboration, involving local leaders in all project stages would be imperative. Their contribution to decision-making should be considered and integrated into the project approach. To stimulate the provision of local materials, the local coordinators should regularly engage them to avoid any by-effect on the project. The project implementation approach should enhance a sense of ownership among local leaders so they can be fully involved.

14. Community.
a. How was the community involved? How did they participate in construction? In cultural exchange? In other areas?

By instituting an inclusive and participatory approach, the community was stimulated to be involved in project activities. At the project's inception, they attended meetings to discuss issues related to its execution. Their opinions were considered, and key members were selected to serve in the three main activities of the project—construction, cultural, and children’s programme. During the project implementation, the women were mainly responsible for fetching water and preparing meals for community volunteers. The men were engaged in the main construction work, such as steel bending, concreting, mixing mortar, and bricklaying. In cultural exchange, they assigned people who were interpreters and guides for cultural excursions.

b. How was it for the community to host a group? What are the advantages and disadvantages for the community of hosting a group?

Hosting a large group of foreigners from another continent instilled a sense of hope in achieving the community's aspirations for their children’s education. This boosted their prestige and laid a solid foundation for learning and mindset change. Soft and hard skills were learned during the project, which is integral to taking up community initiative and supporting development projects. The group’s approach or way of working had a significant mindset shift in the community. They were surprised to see women doing construction work and leading a group of both sexes. However, the group's presence created a sense of dependence in the community.

c. How was the collaboration between the community, the partner, and the group? Was there mutual respect?

The collaboration between the community, the partner, and the group was built on mutual trust and respect. Effective communication and engagement were visible during the project. Everyone was allowed to share their opinions and was given due consideration.

d. Do you have any suggestions for better collaboration with a community in the future (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

The community should be involved in all project stages to promote effective collaboration. Their contribution to decision-making should be considered and integrated into the project planning and implementation. To stimulate community contribution, timely and regular engagement would be essential and could help prevent any by-effects on the project. The project implementation approach should foster a sense of ownership among the locals so they can be fully involved.

15. Beneficiaries.
a. Who are the beneficiaries? How were they involved? How was the collaboration with them?

The project's beneficiaries are the pupils and teachers at the DEC Primary School New Maforki, youngsters/youth, and parents/community members of Magbafth. They were involved in the project's planning (meetings) and implementation (construction, children and cultural programme). The collaboration with the beneficiaries significantly contributed to the project's smooth implementation.

b. Do you have any suggestions for better collaboration with beneficiaries in the future (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

In the future, increasing their involvement, improving communication, and building their capacity to hold duty-bearers accountable would be ideal. However, effective communication and engagement were visible throughout the project, and the relationship with the beneficiaries was built on mutual respect.

16. (Local) government.
a. Which government authorities were involved? How were they involved? How was the collaboration with them?

The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education officials, Sierra Leone Police, the Health Officers and District Council officials were involved in all project phases. They were consulted during project identification, their recommendations were considered, and they provided oversight through project monitoring. Their involvement was strategic, inspired community involvement, and provided security for the group.

b. Do you have any suggestions for better collaboration with government authorities in the future (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

The approach employed to engage authorities should be maintained, and the project should be aligned with government priorities. In addition, provisions such as transportation refunds and honorariums for government officials attending the project ceremonies should be captured in the budget.

17. Unlimited project (if applicable).
a. Is there a difference between hosting a regular group and an unlimited group? If yes, in what sense?


b. How did you experience hosting a group that included persons with disabilities? What were the expectations beforehand and how did these compare to the actual experiences?


c. What does it mean for you and for the community to host a group that includes persons with disabilities?


Questions 18-21 to be answered no later than one month after the departure of the group

18. Accommodation.
a. How was accommodation arranged (space for sleeping, meals, meetings, latrines, showers)?

The participants were accommodated in the DEC Primary School New Maforki’s classrooms. There were separate rooms for boys and girls, and the girls and boys occupied 2 and 1 classrooms, respectively. They slept on 6ft x 3ft bunker beds with foam mattresses. Separate rooms were also used for storage and dining. Electricity was provided for 3 hours daily (7-10 pm). Three meals, including tea breaks, were served. The existing school latrines were used, and a makeshift structure was constructed for showers.

b. Do you have any suggestions to improve accommodation arrangements in the future (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

The accommodation was fitted with bedding and was spacious for the participants. However, it would be good to have a portable solar for generating electricity to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

19. Food.
a. How was food arranged? Were the cooks from the community or from outside the community? Did they cook local food or ‘foreign’ food?

This year, a different approach was adopted to preparing meals. CTF bought all the food items and recruited two cooks outside the community and three volunteers. The meals prepared were a mix of local and foreign dishes. For breakfast, bread with fried eggs or sausage was served, empty bread and hot water for lunch, and a hot meal for dinner.

b. Did any of the participants assist with cooking? If so, was this considered positive or negative? Did the cooks feel respected/appreciated?

The participants assisted with the cooking as part of their cultural activities. It was an exciting experience for them. This was positively accepted, and the participants respected and appreciated the support of the cooks.

c. Did anybody get sick with food poisoning? If yes, did few people get sick or many?

No report was made that a participant got sick with food poisoning.

d. Do you have any suggestions to improve food arrangements in the future (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

The approach was good, and we do not see any significant issues to report. We will adopt the same strategy again.

20. Transportation.
a. How was transportation arranged? What types of transportation were used where?

A bus was hired to transport the whole group. A standby vehicle was available throughout the project. The project vehicle was used to transport small groups of participants for cultural excursions.

b. Were there any technical or other issues? If yes, what issues? How were these addressed?

The bus once broke down in Freetown. The service provider sent another bus to replace the broken one.

c. Was the location accessible by vehicle?

The project location was accessible by vehicle.

d. Do you have any suggestions to improve transportation in the future (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

CTF suggests getting a loan and grants to buy a bus, which would help reduce costs and improve transportation.

21. Safety.
a. What precautions were taken to prevent safety issues? Were these effective?

The cooking team was orientated on the significance of respecting nutrition and hygiene, which was highly given attention when meals were prepared. The team also communicated other safety issues around the site to the local volunteers and the contractor’s team. The group regularly cleaned the latrines. The precautions taken were adequate.

b. Were there any safety issues or incidents? If yes, which ones and how were they addressed?

There were no safety incidents reported.

c. Do you have any suggestions to improve safety measures in the future (what to do or what not to do)? What went well, what did not go well, what could be done better?

In the future, assessing the community and ensuring that any identified issues are communicated to WSN before the group arrives would be good. Precautions would be taken to prevent participants and other staff.

Questions 22-26 to be answered no later than four months after the departure of the group

22. Which partner staff was involved and how was each of them involved?


23. How is monitoring done? What tools are used? Who is involved in follow-up?


24. Were there any unforeseen impacts, either negative or positive?


25. Were there any challenges? If so, how did you handle these?
For example, challenges can relate to conflicts, impact of weather conditions, inflation, transportation, socio-political situation, ...


26. Lessons learned.
Describe the lessons your organisation learned from organising the project within this community. In other words: what would you do the same next time and what would you do differently?


27. Do you have any feedback or suggestions for World Servants to improve future projects?


Questions 27-28 to be answered no later than four months after the departure of the group

28. Did you use any funding from other donors/sources or own funding for the construction process? If yes, from whom? Who contributed what?
Please also include this information in the financial report.

No external and own funding was used for the construction process.

29. Is there any other information you would like to share?


Share personal stories of beneficiaries, community members, partner staff, local authorities, etc. (See guidelines.) These can be students, teachers, health care staff, patients, parents, construction workers, cooks, representatives of local government, colleagues from your organisation, etc.


Please provide the logframe as a separate attachment, with disaggregated data (male/female, ages, grades, …).