Soon to be graduate - Jariatu Gbangba

 She went to nursing school and will soon be graduating from there.

Her story from her application for post-secondary education assistance

The obstacles I encounter will be the experiences for a better future.

I am the first and last daughter of my father and mother and the only daughter without father at the age of eight.  When I actually known my father but disappear from me due to his sudden death in our village.  My mother a single parent of a single child with no prospect of better future in life.  Yet my loneliness and family poverty tough the heart of Sonnia house to change my story.  A caring home that rescued me to the light of education.

My identity, my interest and determination to change my life was central in all my thought day and night.  But how to reach this goal was so challenging that I have to forgo all other childhood joy to be of focus in school, home and in prayer.  So, interest in schoolwork motivates my inspiration to become mindful and interested in the sciences as a way to show my talent in helping people.  This force me to have interest in nursing as a job to care for people in difficulty. 

How can I reach this goal? When post-secondary education is costly and hard to pay for.  I still continue to pray that Sonnia house will be and continue to support me in a way that will make my journey easy to reach the goal ahead in the name and will of God.

I am sure the light to better future lingers on the level of commitment I make to reach it so my application to Sonnia House would be incomplete without my relentless effort and prayer as to the success in always at my slight and I will surely reach it.

Thanks, the Caring girl a nurse in waiting.

Giving Tuesday

Join us this #GivingTuesday to help support the children at Sonnia House! Your donations

will have a direct impact on the children. The funds raised will help provide two hot nutritious

meals a day along with an afternoon snack, a safe place to stay at night with adult

supervision, all of which help the kids go to school and prepare them for a bright future.

This year we have a goal to raise $5,000 by December 10th. And on #GivingTuesday your

donations will be matched by Facebook, but sign on early because the money will go fast!

Whether you donate $5 or $50, this will help Sonnia House meet the needs of the children.

Sonnia House exists to empower the orphans and other vulnerable children of Mattru Jong

in Sierra Leone, West Africa and help them regain lost hope through social support and

education.

Please join us in providing food and housing for the children of Matru Jong so they do not

have to forage in these trash heaps anymore.

Learn more here where your donation will be going: https://bit.ly/3OBoiOR

Graduation Successes

All of the students sent to college last year received their post-secondary scholarships to continue their education.  Your donation made that possible.  The post-secondary scholarship is available only after the student successfully completes their first year.  Your donations covered that first year enabling these students to have the opportunity to obtain a college degree.  So far, all the students that were sent to college have received the scholarship.

All seven high school graduates for 2022 passed their high school exam and are now heading to their post-secondary education.

Congrats Benson

This week marks a milestone for Sonnia House: we have our first high school graduate! Congrats Benson, we are so proud of you. This is a video clip from the celebration party we threw for him. 

Benson's Story

(Benson Lusenie is a 17-year old young man who came to Sonnia House (Smithsonnia Children’s Home) after his father died and his mother was unable to help continue his schooling due to illness. Read his testimony of how Sonnia House took him in and enabled him to continue his education.)

I came to Smithsonnia Children’s Home (SCH) with the help of a neighbour. As I was hesitant, she encouraged me and offered to accompany me to SCH. When I told them my story, I was accepted.

SCH started paying my school fees and provided my uniforms, shoes, school bags, exercise books and text books. This support has continued up to the present time when I’m now in Senior Secondary School Level 4 which is the final stage of my secondary school education and will sit to the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination in June 2018 for admission into a Tertiary Institution.

It is like I still have a father even though I am an orphan. Truly, SCH is an amazing place. When I grow up, I want to contribute to an environment like that. With the continued support from SCH, I plan to study medicine.

I want to thank Smithsonnia Children’s Home for taking care of me and all my responsibilities. I want to offer sincere thanks and appreciation to Madam Massah F. Smith as the Founder of this noble organisation. Special thanks goes to Franconia Community Church (food provision) and Arlington Community Church (donation of our truck and a generous special offering) both in Virginia USA..

Your sponsorship has transformed my life. It has allowed to be an educated person and become a service provider to my colleagues, OVCs, and my community at large.

It has been and will continue to be such a blessing to us. Thanks for your kindness shown to us.

May the Almighty GOD Bless you and your entire families abundantly. !!!Amen!!!

Best Regards

Benson Luseni

School Uniform Drive

We need your help!

The Sonnia Home children will be unable to attend school without new school uniforms which have to be hand-sewn in the local community. Due to the flooding in Free Town, Sierra Leone the cost of goods is rapidly increasing so we need to purchase the fabric as soon as possible.

Your gift of $40 covers one uniform, but each child needs two uniforms (one to was one to wear) so your gift of $80 would cover one child's uniform needs for the entire school year. We need to purchase two uniforms for 123 children so help us spread the word.

The uniforms are handmade by members of the local community