Holiday Wishes 2008

[click on photo to see a larger version]

The Kposowa Foundation would like to wish everyone
a Happy Holidays!!

We'll see you in 2009!

Julie Veronica Anne Basu (Part II)

Last week we introduced you to Julie Veronica Anne Basu, a student at Bumpe High School. She is 19 years old, loves studying government, and dreams of becoming a lawyer. Watch the video to learn what a typical day is like for her. Continue reading to learn more about Julie's inspiration- Christina Thorpe.

You may not be familiar with Christina Thorpe, but in Sierra Leone- a country with a female youth literacy rate of 37% (in comparison to a 60% literacy rate for male youth)- she is a hero for many girls like Julie.

Ms. Thorpe has spent her life educating many in Sierra Leone. She began as headmistress at a Catholic secondary school (and also was a nun), later became Minister of Education and the only woman in a government cabinet of 19, and went on to found Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), which raises awareness about the impact of education for women and works with NGOs to promote access, retention and performance of girls in schools.

In Sierra Leone, women with even a few years of basic education have smaller, healthier families; are more likely to be able to work their way out of poverty and are more likely to send their own children- girls and boys- to school.

BBC article on Christina Thorpe (click here)

Meet Our Bumpe High School Student

We are excited to introduce Julie Veronica Anne Basu. She is 19 years old and attends Bumpe High School. Watch the video to learn about her dreams for the future.

Some of you may be wondering why some of the students we have featured on the blog are older than 18, as in the U.S. nearly all students have graduated by that age. As most schools were closed during the 11 year war, it is common for high schools in Sierra Leone to have students as old as 20.


Holiday Gift Idea: Make a donation to The Kposowa Foundation on behalf of a loved one this year. Click the PayPal icon below to donate today.

Q&A: How do you say "Kposowa"?

Thank you to everyone who visited our blog and to those who gave us feedback!

We hope this blog will provide all of you with the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about The Kposowa Foundation and let us know what you think about the foundation and topics presented here on the blog. We also hope to feature some Q&As on here in the near future.


One of the questions we frequently receive is: How do you pronounce "Kposowa" and what does it mean?

PA-SOW-AH. The trick to correctly pronouncing "Kposowa" is remembering that the "K" is silent.

The name Kposowa was chosen for the foundation because it is Sarah's family name in Sierra Leone. The Kposowa Foundation was founded with the intention of rebuilding Bumpe High School. Sarah's grandfather, Paramount Chief Francis Kposowa, was a co-founder of Bumpe High School and today Sarah's father, Joseph Konia Kposowa is the principal.



Holiday Gift Idea: Make it count! Make a donation to The Kposowa Foundation on behalf of a loved one this year. Click the PayPal icon below to donate today.

Welcome to The Kposowa Foundation Blog

Sarah Culberson co-founded The Kposowa Foundation after her trip to Sierra Leone to meet her birth father.

The Kposowa Foundation is dedicated to building viable communities in Sierra Leone by providing education, clean water, and sustainable economic opportunities. Currently, the foundation is focusing on completing construction of Bumpe High Schol in Bumpe, Sierra Leone, West Africa.

The Kposowa Club

[photo of The Kposowa Club @ Long Beach Polytechnic High School]

This past summer the Foundation had two high school interns, Sasanka Jinadasa and Samantha Liberman, regularly helping out at the office. The girls helped with everything from stuffing envelopes for our July appeal to inputting data entry to making lunch runs for everyone in the office. In addition to helping our office run like a well oiled machine, the girls were inspired to start The Kposowa Club at their high school to help raise awareness about The Kposowa Foundation and its work in Sierra Leone.

Sasanka, founder and president of The Kposowa Club, provided us with the picture above and updated us about a recent fundraiser in which the club was able to raise funds for its upcoming activities. The foundation is excited to have such a dedicated group of young people on board.