 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.”
Meadville
Tribune - Area woman to return to Africa to improve education
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