This fall, 15 girls in Sierra Leone will have a chance for a better life thanks to a new school that was hatched in Bermuda.

The school Hope Academy is the brainchild of Sierra Leone educator Aliea Martha Kamara, whose daughter, Ngadi, lives in Bermuda.

It has taken several years to design and build the school, which is projected to open in September or October.

“Mom is an educator who retired a few years back,” said Ngadi Kamara. “She taught in Sierra Leone and also the United Kingdom. Once she retired she always had a vision of creating an institution that would instill life-skills and national pride.”

In Sierra Leone, 60 percent of girls drop out of school between primary school and secondary school. The reason is that while primary schools are free in Sierra Leone, higher education usually is not, and many parents cannot afford to pay for their children, particularly girls, to go to school.

“My mother always had this dream to go back and do something that would uplift the people, particularly women,” said Ms Kamara.

“She came to visit me about five or six years ago. She befriended Dr Muriel Wade Smith. She mentioned to her that now she is retired she would like to pursue this dream. Dr Smith invited her to present at her church. She did that. At that presentation Lynne Winfield invited a family friend, who was visiting the Island. His name was Jason Dudek. He was already doing some work in Sierra Leone. “He told my mother that there is definitely a need and encouraged her to pursue it.

“That was the beginning of it. Before my mother left, myself, my mother, Jason, Alex Winfield and Ayo Johnson had a meeting to brainstorm. It took off after that.”

The school broke ground in York, in the Western Area of Sierra Leone, in March 2013, with the support of the Sierra Leone government. The government suggested the area because of a severe need there.

“The area is growing in tourism, but with that comes exploitation of girl children,” said Ms Kamara. “That was at the forefront of their minds. The community there has given 100 percent support to the school.”

The school will be a hub for the community, a gathering venue and will also provide adult education, among other things. Over the next couple of years the school will gradually increase the number of students, and it is hoped to eventually have about 75 middle school girls.

“The plan is for the parents not to have to pay,” said Ms Kamara. “We are going to achieve that through sponsorship of the girls. In future years we might also have fee paying students who will help to subsidise the school for the non-paying girls. Right now we are looking for sponsorships.”

A recent fundraiser that was carried out in Bermuda, and several other countries, helped to raise almost $10,000 for the project. Bermuda contributed $2,800.

“We want to thank everybody who donated to that fundraiser and attended that event,” she said. “The target was $22,000, and we are now close to the $20,000 mark which is fantastic and will allow the building to be completed. Now the focus is on teacher salaries to make sure we are fully funded for the first year. The plan is that the school will get to be self sustainable.”

A local couple, Tina and Mark Nash, plan to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, in August, to help raise money for the school.

To make a donation to Hope Academy people can e-mail info@hopeacademy.sl or support the Nash fundraiser through www.indiegogo.com/projects/mark-and-tina-s-hike-for-hope. Also see Hope Academy’s web page at www.hopeacademy.sl.