April, May and June were difficult months for Esther and for us at Esther's Echo.
We were informed by Esther Kanu, our community partner in Sierra Leone, that her school, the Women in Action Development Project, was facing a serious shortfall in funding to make the rent payments on their building. With a change in landlord, rent spiked significantly and the landlord was demanding several years up front in a lump sum payment.
Because of your generous donations, we were able to successfully raise a year of rent at the rates requested by the Landlord. But we are not in the clear yet, the Landlord is still holding out for that second year.
We have been able to negotiate the prices down significantly. Originally the Landlord was hoping for 5 years at $7,000US per year, a cost of $35,000, which was simply beyond what we could provide at the time. After speaking with the Landlord ourselves directly, and with Esther's influence in-country, we have been able to get the total cost down to $10,000 for two years. In concert with Esther, we have been able to raise $6,500, most of which came from you as supporters.
But we're not in the clear yet. We really want to get that second year together for Esther, her staff, her students, and the daycare children who attend Esther's centre allowing adults in the poorest regions of Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, to find employment or continue education. Having two years to work with also helps us find Esther a more cost effective location for Women in Action, or actually build Esther her own location; our goal for the future.
And we have been informed by the Landlord that, despite our previous efforts, he may still move to evict if we don't get the remaining funding.
For those of you who have donated already, thank you for your support. Please consider sharing our efforts with those you know who would like to see a brighter future for young women and children in West Africa by supporting the vision of our community partner, Esther Kanu
Once, again, a HUGE thank you to all those who have already contributed to our campaign. Below is a special treat that was sent from Women in Action to you all
A "Thank You" from the Women in Action Development Project