Create a University in Koinadugu, Sierra Leone

Hello everyone and happy 2018! 

Thanks to your support as well as a generous grant provided by Sensi -- a supporter of technology and innovation in Sierra Leone -- we have begun construction on an Innovation, Computer, and Technology Center in Koinadugu District. 

The center will be a place where students and community members can not only improve their computer skills, but it will also act as a gathering place and incubator for creativity and innovation. Many of you may be familiar with the idea of co-working or shared working spaces often utilized by tech start-ups and non-profit groups. We are excited to create this type of cooperative, innovative space for Koinadugu District! 

The lab and computer spaces will also give us an opportunity to continue and expand our computer training workshops which we've organized for teachers, students, and for participants in our annual Science and Leadership Festival. In addition, the ICT center will act as a stepping stone for the creation of the University of Koinadugu as the space will provide necessary equipment as well as instructional spaces for future classes and workshops. 

Attached you will find photos of the construction. The foundation is set and the first bricks are being laid!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for photos and more updates on our programs. You can also find more information about our projects at www.project1808.org. 

Thank you for your continuous and generous support! 

The Project 1808 Team -- Alhaji N'jai, Linda Vakunta, Diana Chioma Famakinwa, and Casey Kalman

Hello everyone, 

September is right around the corner! That means it's back-to-school season and the Project 1808 staff is hard at work making sure that our students have everything they need to succeed this school year. 

Because the back-to-school season is hectic, we have spent the last few months focusing on raising money for tuition, books, and supplies for our students. While that has meant our university project has been put on hold for a few weeks, that has not stopped us from making plans. We look forward to continuing to share our progress with you on this project and hope that you will continue to support this effort. 

In addition to our back-to-school efforts, we have also begun to focus some of our energy on supporting the victims of natural disaster in Freetown -- Sierra Leone's capitol -- where mudslides devastated communities earlier this month. With many families at our Sosotown school (outside freetown), we are working harder than ever to make sure we have the resources necessary to make sure every student has the support needed to go back to school and succeed this fall. 

Last week, Project 1808 founder Alhaji N'jai and Executive Director Linda Vakunta met with community organizations in Freetown to donate to the relief efforts (see photo below). Recovery will likely be a long-term effort and communities are very much in need of food, supplies, and other forms of support. 

If you are interested in learning more about this and other efforts, please visit www.project1808.org. 

Thank you for your continued support.  

The Project 1808 Team