Careen Was Right

When Careen Charles enrolled at Oldeani Secondary School (OSS) three years ago, it looked more like a construction site than a school. At the time, more students were dropping out than graduating at OSS. Despite her concerns, Careen knew that if Mama India, Kaka Peter, and the TCF team could transform Gyetighi Primary School into one of the top primary institutions in the country, they could do the same at OSS.

We are starting to prove to Careen that she was right.

Careen watched as we built a stronger campus, completely reconstructing the existing classrooms and adding more resources like a school library, a health clinic, and a dining hall. Such improvements in infrastructure have made Careen proud to be a student at OSS.

But for Careen, the most exciting changes have been inside the classroom. Starting last year, Careen, whose favorite subject is Chemistry, has been able to perform experiments in a new science lab under the guidance of a qualified science technician. Today, she animatedly discusses her most recent lessons, where she used glass beakers and flasks to learn about chemical reactions and conductivity.

As part of our holistic renovation, Careen’s teachers are now trained to encourage her to ask questions and think deeply. Careen and her classmates now have access to tablet technology, quiet study spaces, and individual academic support. All of which has empowered Careen to improve her exam scores each year. And she isn’t the only student experiencing success.

According to Careen, the biggest change she has seen at school is the growing number of students. “Most students are passing now when many weren’t before,” says Careen.

And once again, Careen is right.

As more and more students are qualifying to continue their educations, we are constantly working overtime to build more desks and hire more teachers to accommodate our growing student body: a challenge we couldn’t be happier to have.