Longtime Schools for Salone (SfS) supporter James Mannah has been a dedicated Board Member since 2010.  A native Sierra Leonean, James now resides in the San Francisco area, where he and his wife Pam Bohmann host an annual Summer Celebration benefiting SfS. James recently spoke to us about his story and about what advice he would give to others who are passionate about expanding quality education.

What role has education access had in your life?
My parents always stressed the value of education. So, ever since I was a child, the importance of education was imprinted in me. I came to the U.S. from Sierra Leone as a foreign student to do graduate and post graduate studies. That resulted in a 26-year career in Information Technology.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to take action to help expand education in Sierra Leone?
It is surprising how a small of donation can make a big impact in students’ education. For example, $50 can sponsor a student for a year; $100 can provide comprehensive training for a teacher. Those amounts may not sound like much, but they have gone a long way to help SfS build 41 schools, 3 libraries – helping each community and raising the number of girls that are graduating from high school.