MBE for director of education charity in Sierra Leone

Miriam Mason-Sesay with some pupils

Miriam Mason-Sesay has been awarded an MBE for her work as country director of EducAid, a charity which runs schools for some of the poorest children in Sierra Leone. Miriam has lived in the country since 2000, initially visiting in 1998 to work with the Guinea-based refugees fleeing the horrific civil war. Many of the pupils  live permanently in EducAid facilities because they have lost their families. EducAid provides daily food, education and medication through their academic life at a cost of approximately £180 per student per year.

Originally from Banbury in Oxfordshire where her parents still live, Miriam was educated at Blessed George Napier secondary school and then attended Goldsmiths College, London to read French. Subsequently she trained as a teacher at Homerton College, Cambridge.

After university she taught at several schools in the UK, including the Salesian college in Battersea, London and St Edmunds College, Ware, Hertfordshire – primarily focusing on modern languages.

Since moving to Sierra Leone, EducAid, under Miriam’s close direction, has established a network of schools which are successfully challenging the national culture of under-performance. Intake is restricted to the very poorest children. EducAid schools have achieved the best exam results in the country year after year.

EducAid Chairman, Dr James Boardman, said that he was delighted for Miriam. He said: “She deserves the recognition for her unique and selfless contribution. She has both delivered EducAid’s programme and personally raised the bulk of the necessary funds to do so. The personal cost to Miriam has been significant: it is terrific to see public acknowledgement of her work”.

EducAid students were affected by the war in so many ways: a significant number live permanently in EducAid facilities – because they have lost their families. EducAid provides daily food, education and medication through their academic life at a cost of approximately £180 per student per year.

EducAid is predominantly funded from private resources in England: individual donors, schools and churches provide EducAid’s ongoing funding base. In addition EducAid has, when requested, provided services through funding from a range of international bilateral donors – including the UK’s Department for International Development.

For more information see: www.educaid.org.uk