12/31/07 — Gwen Smith is on her way to transforming a country’s education system one step at a time. What began as a vision is becoming a reality for the Meadville resident, who with the help of volunteers and several donations, is instilling inspiration in students and teachers in West Africa.

Through EduNations and World Hope International, two worldwide organizations providing relief, education and development to the poor, Smith spent about seven months from May to November in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, in West Africa, to improve the country’s education system — and now she returns Jan. 2 to continue that work.

Smith returns to the United States on a yearly basis during her five-year project, known as Transformation Education. In a country plagued by poverty and poor education facilities, Smith has trained teachers by offering classroom management techniques, character development and various learning styles. But it’s only the beginning, according to Smith.

“I really enjoy seeing the transformation and change of teachers and students where they apply the methods and see they’re valuable,” said Smith. “A lot of them are very enthusiastic about it. We’re just getting started.”

Her efforts, along with other volunteer teams, have already been a success in a country where very little money and resources are available to support school classrooms. According to Smith, a Christian elementary school opened mid-September near Freetown, serving nearly 50 students, while plans are underway for a secondary school in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. But there’s more to come.

“We’d like to open a learning center where people can access and learn how to use computers,” Smith said. “That’s a long-range goal.”

As Smith returns to Freetown, she’s taking three boxes full of books. Through donations from community members and area school districts, additional books, along with computers and even a tractor, will be shipped to the country.

Smith, a longtime Mead-ville resident and 1992 graduate of Meadville Area Senior High School, embraces the opportunity to help others and encourages community members to join in the effort. A 1996 alumni of Penn State University, Smith did student teaching in England in college and earned a degree in elementary education. She has also taught in North Carolina and Virginia schools.

“I think it’s important for people to know what’s going on in other countries,” Smith said. “I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done.”

Smith’s involvement with Mercy Ships, a global charity providing hospital ships to developing countries, sparked her desire for the project in Sierra Leone. Smith had served as a receptionist for Mercy Ships in 2002 and worked extensively with Mercy Ships’ Child Development Project and Creative Arts education program, which she said started as a restoration effort for children to overcome trauma from Sierra Leone’s 10-year civil war, which ended in 2001.

While the people of Sierra Leone are primarily Muslim, Smith is integrating a Christian world view within the classrooms to encourage them to value and love one another to tackle the nation’s struggle with poverty, hunger, AIDS and child trafficking.

“I do like how they (Sierra Leone natives) have a sense of wanting to improve, especially in the education system,” Smith said. “It’s a survival thing for them.”



YOU CAN HELP

Anyone interested in getting involved with the project or making a donation may contact First Christian Church in Meadville at (814) 336-3540 or World Hope International at (888) 466-4673.



LEARN MORE

To learn more about Transformation Education, visit http://transformationeducation.blogspot.com.



DID YOU KNOW?

EduNations, a worldwide organization, reports that of the approximately 5 million people living in Sierra Leone, only 30 percent are literate. Only 40 percent of the teachers have teaching training, according to the country’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.