Alazi Dream Project supports teenage single mothers in returning to school, promotes comprehensive sexuality education, and helps build and run elementary schools in Sierra Leone. With a donation from Invesco Japan, it fully launched two programs supporting children and young mothers in Kenema in November 2026.
The first program is at an elementary school in Wilah village, far from the urban center of Kenema. The village originally had no elementary school, leaving about 100 children unable to attend, so Alazi opened Wilah Elementary School in 2024. However, government school meal support does not reach the village, and children struggled to concentrate on an empty stomach or stopped coming because there were no meals. Without electricity or running water, it has also been hard to attract qualified teachers, so the school has relied on volunteer teachers. The organization has now begun providing daily meals to 113 children, started paying allowances to two volunteer teachers, supplied learning materials and equipment, and is preparing support for two teachers to obtain official teaching licenses.
The second program supports girls who became mothers in their teens to return to school. In Sierra Leone, unexpected adolescent pregnancy and sexual violence, and the dropping out of school that follows, are common, and for girls raising children in isolation while working, returning to school on their own is extremely difficult. Alazi has signed new support agreements with 22 girls and will deliver money for uniforms, school supplies, and childcare each month via electronic money, creating an environment where they can resume their studies without facing prejudice.
Key points
- Daily meals for 113 children have begun at the elementary school opened in 2024 in a village that had no school
- Allowances for volunteer teachers and support for teaching licenses aim to sustain the quality of education over time
- Twenty-two girls who became mothers in their teens receive tuition and childcare money via electronic money to help them return to school
Why This News Deserves Attention
This initiative puts in place, one by one, the things children need to keep attending school: meals, teachers, and supplies. It conveys a commitment to staying alongside the community even after the school has been built, until it takes root.
In supporting young mothers, the organization uses electronic money with privacy in mind. It offers a useful example of support tailored to each person who wants to learn again.
Staff comments
Minato AobaResearch
“What stayed with me is how, even after building the school, they keep supporting it step by step, from meals to teacher allowances and licenses. It reminds me that having a school and children being able to keep attending are separate challenges.”
Sophie HiroseWriting and translation
“I share Aoba's point about whether children can keep attending the school that was built. I was also moved by the electronic-money support for the girls. They have even thought about how to deliver it so the girls can study again free from prejudice.”
Mako JozenjiProofreading and verification
“Hearing you both, I felt that support is less about leaving something visible and more about nurturing systems that last in daily life. A cooking pot for school meals or a single notebook truly supports the girls' next steps and the children's everyday lives.”
Editor-in-Chief’s comment
Ren DateEditor-in-Chief
“You can't concentrate on studying when you're hungry. It sounds obvious, yet it reminded me that some communities have no system to support even that. Daily school meals, and an environment where girls can open their textbooks once more: both are important steps toward the children's futures. Why not take a look at Alazi's work?”