Koromasilaia is a remote community to the northwest of Falaba District. The population is estimated at 1,500. Most families here are subsistence farmers who earn less than $2 a day.

For years, children in Koromasilaia village had three choices if they wanted to attend senior secondary school: walk 14 miles each day, move away, or pay for transport to and from Kabala.

To get to secondary school in Kabala, each student pays 30 leones ($1.50) a day. Each okada ride takes no less than four students. That’s four students on one bike, riding in off-road conditions during the dry and rainy seasons to get to school.

Even when they can afford to pay for the bike rides, danger lurks. Bike riders use those trips to seduce girls and start illicit affairs.

“The children who completed the Basic Education Certificate Examination would have to leave their community to further education in bigger towns. Many of them, especially girls, become dropouts or vulnerable to early pregnancy and exploitation,” said Clinton Caulker, Project Coordinator, Schools for Salone.

As of October 23, 2025, the official opening of the Koromasilaia Senior Secondary School, built by Schools for Salone, means the children of this last-mile community now have a secondary school.

Schools for Salone has removed the barrier to access quality education, thanks to support from a strong community of donors in the United States.

From A Makeshift Hut to A Real Classroom

In Sierra Leone, high school is divided into two parts: Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS). JSS is middle school and ends at the ninth grade when students take the Basic Education Certification Exams (BECE). SSS is from tenth to twelfth grade, culminating in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

When community leaders established the Koromasilaia Secondary School in September 2010, it only had the junior school. It wasn’t a safe learning environment.

“We had a small hut with a thatched roof. If it rained, the children would get wet,” said Muhammad Kabba, Principal of Koromasilaia Senior Secondary School.

“The structure fell down twice.”

In 2020, Schools for Salone stepped in to help. With support from a donor, the hut was replaced by a three-classroom building, one for each year in JSS. For the first time, pupils could sit in real classrooms with desks, walls, and a roof over their heads.

This transformation inspired the community. Many more children completed JSS. Then a new problem arose: Koromasilaia needed to fix its senior school. They had built a mud-block in 2012 but it was in such bad shape students preferred to sit outside.

Schools for Salone shared the need with its supporters. Long-time supporter Ken Lans, a doctor in Seattle, Washington, promised to help Koromasilaia build a senior school. Making good on his promise, Schools for Salone broke ground on the school in April, and in October of this year, Lans flew to Sierra Leone to be there for the grand opening of the building extension of the Koromasilaia Senior Secondary School.

With this new structure, every child in this village now has the opportunity to complete primary, junior, and senior secondary school without ever having to leave their family and community.

“Knowing that children here can now finish secondary school makes me very happy. It’s rewarding to see how education can change lives,” said Lans.

The construction of the new school was a community effort. Residents helped gather sand and stones, while women fetched water and supported the workers daily. Within just two months, the school was completed.

Schools for Salone didn’t stop there.

Each pupil who lives far away got a bicycle through a partnership with the Village Bicycle project.

“Before, our students had to walk long distances. They arrived late and tired, and their performance was poor,” he said.

Students received books, scholarships, and the schools also got teaching materials for subjects that align with the government’s approved curriculum. SfS also paid for  teachers to gain their certifications.

Support from Schools for Salone has not just improved where students learn; the real impact is on learning outcomes.

“Now we have a 98 to 100 percent pass rate in public exams. This year alone, more than 20 students got the nine pass credits needed for the WASSCE, a record achievement for the community,” said Principal Kabba. With nine credits you gain admittance to university. 

New School Big New Dreams

The new school has uplifted the community.

“Now that girls can stay here, continue learning, and their parents can watch over them,” said Dusuba Conteh, a local teacher and representative of the Women’s Group.

She says the number of cases of teen pregnancies has reduced.

“Koromasilai’s girls are dreaming bigger than ever.”

Parents have peace of mind.

“Before, we had to pay for rent and transport for our children in Kabala. That money can now be used for food or other family needs,” said Faselay Kabba, a member of the school’s board.

Seventeen-year-old Mariama M. Marah, an SS2 Science student, can’t stop singing Schools for Salone’s praises.

“My friends and I are very happy. Even when we sit together, we always say, ‘Schools for Salone has done a great job!’ Because of this school, we no longer have to travel far to learn.”

She wants to be a medical doctor one day, but for now, she’s just relieved that she can stay in her community, study comfortably, and learn.