Background
Lottie Patricia Betts-Priddy
1949 - 1999
The late Lottie Betts-Priddy was a gifted educator, in both Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom. She was passionately committed to the education, training and well being of children and young people ensuring equal opportunities for all.
In 1994 Lottie returned to Sierra Leone and successfully re-established the RonSab School in Freetown. Throughout the wars she was a tireless campaigner for peace. She will be best remembered for her eloquent and impassioned presentation at the June 1999 Lomé Peace Conference at which she addressed the vital role of education and training in rebuilding Sierra Leone.
After her death in September 1999, it was felt that Lottie's vision, that education could overcome the brutalities and inhumanity of war, should be realised. Her vision, to support and contribute to the education of the children of Sierra Leone, in particular the girl child, led to the establishment of The Lottie Betts-Priddy Education Trust in September 2000.
The Lottie Betts-Priddy Education Trust was founded and run by a small group, including friends, colleagues and relatives, who share her vision and are willing to work to make it a reality.
The main aims of the Trust are to:
- Support and educate deprived children, particularly girls, who are confronting the legacy of conflict and poverty.
- Work with educational care organisations and projects to facilitate the development of a comprehensive educational network.
- Provide training and/or facilitate the higher educational needs of local young people.
- To provide a series of educational activities for Sierra Leonean children and young people, in order to cultivate a positive cultural identity and a sense of belonging.
Over the ten years that Sierra Leone was at war, thousands of children were murdered, raped, maimed, made homeless, mentally and physically abused, deprived of nurturing, love, care, and basic human rights.
The far reaching implications of this, is that Sierra Leone is faced with a whole generation of children and young people who have lost out socially, educationally, morally and emotionally.
Since the launch of The Lottie Betts-Priddy Education Trust on 24 September 2000, the Trust has held successful fund raising events, and has secured donations of monetary gifts and educational resources from churches, individuals, schools, colleges, universities and corporate organisations.
Research carried out early 2002, by the Trustees, uncovered a number of concerns that the Trust wish to address. These relate to hygiene, health and safety issues such as over-crowded classrooms and lack of toilet facilities. The provision of appropriate recreational and sporting facilities to support physical education, health and sports activities, the overwhelming need for IT equipment, reading and writing materials and the construction of classrooms and teaching areas etc.
The Day of the African Child
The Day of the African Child, June 16th, was originally designated by the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) to remember the brave protests led by black school children in Soweto, Johannesburg in 1976. It has become a day that also highlights the cause of children in crisis—through war, poverty or HIV/AIDS throughout the continent.
By coincidence, Lottie Betts-Priddy was born on the 16th of June and the Trust is proud to hold events that commemorate her birthday as well as a very important political milestone in children's rights and our ongoing concern for the wellbeing of children in Africa and particularly in Sierra Leone.
