News Flash! Take a look at what we’ve accomplished in recent months, and what’s on the horizon for Tamaraneh. In this issue: a Tamaraneh documentary on CBC; building a junior high and a new well; our annual fundraiser event; and more!

Thanks!

Thank you to the Wild Rose Foundation International Fund for providing us with a second grant to finish building the junior high school in Romano Village. Wild Rose has generously provided $25,000.00 towards this purpose.

Documentary will feature Tamaraneh Society

A local film maker, Rosie Dransfeld who received much acclaim for her recent documentary “The Dog Walker” recently informed us that she received funding to send a film crew to Sierra Leone in February 2008 with our Coordinator Memunatu Kamara. The film will be aired on CBC when it is ready. We are very excited about this opportunity, which will bring national attention to our development work in Romano Village.

Work begins on new water well

10 years ago, rebels contaminated the Romano Village water well by filling it with murdered villagers. Consequently villagers have to use river water, which is far away and unsanitary. Water-quality related illness has been a concern for some time so we recently approached Change for Children to help us with digging a new well. Change For Children has dug over 70 wells in developing countries around the world and is interested in supporting this project. A local donor who wishes to remain anonymous found out about our water well project via one of our board members, Theresa Genge, has contributed $10,000.00 towards a new water well. Our President, Dr. John Fofanah, prepared the quote with local well diggers and we begin digging the second week of January!

Other News

  • We are now able to ship goods such as school supplies, books, shoes and clothing to our project in Romano Village via ARDRA. More information on this to come…
  • McNally High School raised $1,700.00 from our Run to Romano fundraiser towards teacher’s salaries and school supplies. Way to go McNally High and congratulations to Kelly Maroney and his dedicated band of students for all their hard work!
  • Congratulations to our President, Dr. John Fofanah who successfully defended his Doctoral Thesis in Engineering in November, 2007!

Annual Fundraiser Event: “There is enough!”

Experience West Africa without leaving Alberta! Our annual dinner fundraiser will be held at the Northgate Lions’ Senior’s Centre on February 9th at 6:00 p.m. It promises to be a very creative event where participants actually re-create the entire Alberta Canada School through unfolding activities as the evening progresses. Each completed goal for the school will result in another structure and image. At the end of the evening, we will be in the middle of a fully functioning school in Sierra Leone, Tonkolili District, Yoni Chiefdom, complete with teachers, students, custodians and head masters and of course a full regalia of dancers, singers, musicians and actors. Every participant in this event will leave with a “piece of the action” so that what we have collectively built in Romano Village on a virtual level, will also go home with us in our hearts, minds, spirits and hands.

Feburary 9th, 6:00pm
Northgate Lions’ Senior’s Centre, Edmonton, Alberta
Tickets available from members, call 993-1062 or by email

Price: $30.00 per person or $25.00 each for a table of 8.

Don’t wait, get your tickets now!  Click Here for complete event details.