A CROSS-CULTURAL celebration saw children and staff from schools in Warwick district and Sierra Leone come together.
All Saints Junior School in Warwick played host to 550 children celebrating the ‘International Day of the African Child’ to celebrate links with school children in the East African country.
The contact with schools in Bo district was first made nearly 40 years ago through Leamington charity One World Link (OWL) which promotes friendship between the two areas.
Primary schools in Leamington and Warwick, each with a partner linked school in Bo, participate in activities including teacher exchanges, children sharing projects, pen friendships, clubs and teacher training delivered in Bo.
The day included workshops to learn more about Africa, a parade with banners proclaiming their school links, and activities from singing and drumming to textile printing and African storytelling.
A performance of the newly learned songs and dances and a live video link with events in Bo topped off the day.
OWL spokeswoman Liz Garrett said: “It is unique and incredibly special to have so many Leamington and Warwick primary schools linked with schools in Sierra Leone.
“Strong bonds and friendships have grown between school communities and it was a joy to see children and teachers from the UK and Africa learn from each other and work together mutually.
“The Day of the African Child is an extraordinary day packed full of activities, and we were very excited that teachers from Bo could be with us this year. The children in both continents benefit tremendously from such an enriched learning experience.”
The project also campaigns for Bo children’s right to education, which has seen pupils in this country write letters to the government.
And a new zero waste project encourages schools in both countries to save waste from landfill. Some 3,500 eco bricks have been created from plastic bottles filled with unrecyclable waste which will be used as building material.
Visit www.oneworldlink.org for more details.
