How It Started: In 2012, the leadership of Develop Africa and Door of Hope agreed to undertake a joint building project - located in the Wellington community (Hill Side Areas of Beccle Street, Mellon Street, Phillip Street, etc.).  The overall goal was to establish a Center that would be a hub of development activities in the community.  

Fast Forward: In Early 2014, thanks to the help of our many friends locally in Sierra Leone and world-wide, we got to the finishing stages of construction.  We have finished external painting, plumbing, etc.  We have also purchased additional furniture for the After-School Lesson Program.  In February 2014, we purchased and shipped supplies / equipment to network the room – including a Cisco switch, cabling, server cabinet, etc.  We are so deeply grateful for each and every one of you who have helped us get this far – supporting this and other programs.

June 2014 Update:
We are in the process of installing cabling / wiring for the computer lab - setting up a local area network.  Equipment installed include a Cisco switch.  Wiring should be completed by Mid-June.

Building Focus: This Institute, named the Develop Africa Empowerment and Training Institute (DAETI) has been designed as a multi-purpose facility as follows:

Skills Training:  This includes activities such as Tailoring, Gara-Tie Dye, Catering, Soap Making and Adult Literacy.  This is targeted at helping school drop outs and the unemployed become self-reliant / self-sufficient.  Over the past years, we have held training sessions in Gara Tie Dye and Soap Making.  We currently hold on-going Tailoring training classes.

Tailoring School:  This school has 15 sewing machines and there are currently 18 trainees and 2 tutors.  The tailoring school occupies two rooms (approximately 11 by 11 feet each) in the lower section of the building. The tailoring school is already contributing to the livelihood of some of the trainees as the trainees are sewing items for people within the community.  

We project that the tailoring school will benefit 120 women in 5 years.  In the future, we hope to purchase embroidering machines to enable the adding of embroidered designs.  This will help the trainees further improve / market the items that they sew.  The impact of this opportunity was aptly summarized in the words of one of the trainees, Aminata Kargbo, when she confidently said: "I will soon start my own business.”
 

Gara-Tie Dyeing School: This school works in concert with the tailoring school – producing different gara designs.  People in the neighborhood patronize the school and purchase the designs produced.  

We estimate that over the next 5 years, 120 trainees will benefit from this department.  
 

Computer Training / Computer Lab:  The computer lab will provide the children, youths and adults in the community with training in computer proficiency.  Computer proficiency is a must in today’s computer-aided / driven society.  Our plans are to set up a modern, fully equipped facility.  The room that will house the computer lab is the largest in the building and when fully furnished could accommodate up 42 computers.  
 

We estimate that this computer training will benefit over 1000 children, youths and adults in five years. The computer training will also be incorporated into the current After-School Lesson Program.
 

After-School Lesson Program:  This program currently serves approximately 320 children.   This program is a source of inspiration to less fortunate children that have dropped out of school or have not been placed into school at all.  It helps them learn how to read and write. The program also focuses on enhancing the learning and skills of the children that are going to school – helping them be better pupils in their various schools.  Over 20 of the children that were attending the lessons that took the National Primary School Examination took the first position in their respective schools in the past 2 academic years.

The After-School Lesson Program currently has 10 teachers that are helping to teach and shape the future of the children. Some of the teachers have completed university but are currently unemployed, teaching the children on a voluntary basis.  The program uses books sent by Develop Africa from donors worldwide.  

Sorie Kargbo, one of the children who started schooling very late, once stated after a lesson: "If I had got this opportunity 8 years ago, I would have been in Senior Secondary 4 by now”.

We project that over the next 5 years the program will provide basic and complementary learning for over 1200 children.

Adult Literacy: The need for adult literacy is very urgent as women are saying that they want to help their children to study at home.  The ladies are not in a position to do so as they can’t read and write themselves.  The training will also help them express themselves better when running their own businesses.  We anticipate that this program will benefit 500 women within the next five years. The classes will be held in the computer lab in the mornings.  Mariatu, a community member, when making a request for literacy classes stated in Krio (local language – translated):  "At times foreigners from overseas come to our community and want to talk with me.  I am not able to do so, as I have never learned English?”

Additional Areas: Two additional training areas under consideration are Catering and Business Management 

The building is already a great platform for community impact, training and empowerment.