Blogs

Care Packages From Sponsors Bring Practical Support to Students in Sierra Leone
Technology & Education Sep 29, 2026
  When a sponsor sends a care package, the journey does not end when the package arrives in Sierra Leone. For the Develop Africa Sierra Leone team, that is when an important process of documentation and delivery begins. Recently, our team received a… Read More
Kotarah and Frederick Share Lessons from a Financial Literacy Mentoring Session
Technology & Education Sep 28, 2026
When you support a young person’s education, you’re helping them prepare for more than their next class or exam. You’re helping create opportunities for them to learn practical skills they can carry into adulthood. That’s why mentoring is an… Read More
Measured Success by How Many People No Longer Need Us
Women Empowerment & Gender Equality Sep 25, 2026
  A few years ago, a mother came to our office in Freetown to tell us something we don't often hear in this line of work. Her child had been receiving tuition and school supplies support through Develop Africa. As a single mother, she had… Read More
What Dolly Parton Taught Us About Investing in Children — A Reflection from Johnson City
Technology & Education Aug 27, 2026
This week, East Tennessee lost one of its own. Dolly Parton passed away on August 25, 2026, at 80, after a brief battle with cancer — surrounded by loved ones in Nashville, less than two hours from our office here in Johnson City. For those of us… Read More
From One Child to Thousands: Lessons from Building Develop Africa
News May 05, 2026
Why This Conversation Matters For nearly two decades, I’ve worked on one core problem: how to expand access to education and opportunity for children who would otherwise go without it. That work started small. No big strategy. No long-term blueprint… Read More
Two Powerful Ways Your Church Can Transform Lives Through Child Sponsorship
Children in Africa Feb 26, 2026
Churches are uniquely positioned to make a lasting, generational impact. When a congregation unites around a clear mission, something powerful happens. Compassion becomes action. Prayer becomes provision. Faith becomes visible. At Develop Africa, we… Read More
Africa’s Education in the Light of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Technology & Education Jan 24, 2026
Education is a solid foundation for a country's development across various industries. Tragically, for African states, education has not been the pillar for transformation. Because of this, the regions have consistently remained at the tail end of… Read More
What We Learned After Tracking 10 Students’ Progress in Sierra Leone
Technology & Education Jan 03, 2026
Introduction According to a report by Irish Aid and UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (UNICEF Report, 2019), more than half of 15-year-olds (57%) in Sierra Leone are illiterate, and half of primary school graduates are unable… Read More
COVID Lessons: Education Centers Should be Armed to fight Against All Infectious Ailments
Disease & Disaster Dec 19, 2025
Health education is not a new issue in Africa. Most curricula cover the essential everyday health, tantamount to common problems. But the biggest lesson over the past few years is how public awareness of illnesses and diseases crosses over to real… Read More
Tools for Tomorrow: Advancing Educational Equity Through Access to School Supplies
Children in Africa Dec 15, 2025
Millions of students across underserved communities attend school each day without access to basic learning materials such as pencils, notebooks, and backpacks. While education is widely recognized as the foundation of opportunity and economic… Read More

Make a Difference Today: Donate to the Year of the Pencil Campaign

On November 20th, this movement placed over 100,000 pencils into the hands 

of children across Sierra Leone in 20 schools.

Each pencil tells a story — of hope, opportunity, and possibility. 

Education is more than lessons — it’s liberation.

Every $25 helps children write their dreams. 

👉 Help provide pencils by donating today!