WFWP Maine Chapter Takes Initiative to Support School in Guinea-Bissau

Feb 24

WFWP Maine member Maria Cushing, originally from Cape Verde, had the opportunity to personally visit Sunac Elementary school in Guinea Bissau, in November 2021, and share some love and support from her local chapter. The WFWP Maine chapter collected $600 in donations and various supplies to donate to the school, which Maria brought with her. This was Maria’s third visit to Sunac Elementary—to read more about Maria’s previous visits click here.

The help was much needed in a country plagued by decades of political instability and a struggling economy. The nation has one of the lowest primary school completion rates in West Africa and widespread poverty is one of the main barriers to education. With the heart to serve where the need was greatest, a dedicated group of WFWP volunteers opened the Sunac Elementary School in the capital city of Bissau in 2003. Over time, with the help of generous donations collected through the Schools of Africa Project, it expanded to include a middle and high school that serve more than 800 students today. In order to accommodate increasing numbers of students, the schools offer both morning and afternoon classes.

During Maria’s visit, she saw the bright and smiling faces of the children who are benefiting from support for their education. It can be a challenge to run a school, so the director and other staff were also very grateful for the gift of school supplies. There are still other improvements needed and WFWP Maine is looking forward to continuing the relationship with Sunac Schools. In early February 2022, WFWP USA transferred a grant of an additional $1,500, collected from generous donors around the country. The grant is allocated to pay teachers and other staff and to purchase a new laptop for the school.

The Sunac Primary School teachers and the students expressed their gratitude to Maria. They would like also to thank WFWP USA, Japan, and Maine for their help and assistance.

If you are interested to find out more about the Schools of Africa Project or would like to offer your own monetary gift, click here.