THE HISTORY OF JOFI MODERN SCHOOL
Fiona and Joseph Kajue decided to set up a school together in October 2009 to help underprivileged children around the Manjai and Dippa-Kunda area. Joseph had previously been headmaster and proprietor of a little school in Latrikunda-Erenjang, but the building he rented had suffered terrible damage in a flood. He then on relocation to a shared use building in Latrikunda German but suffered another loss due to a fire.
When Fiona met Joseph originally, he was really trying hard despite terrible hardships to keep the school running and affordable for the local residents. Fiona tried to support his school for about 18 months, but the building was inappropriate and unsafe. Therefore, they both decided to start a new school together and name it Jofi, which is a combination of their two names . They were searching the area for a building for ages and constantly seeing the housing poverty and the many children, who were not in any school, just wandering, aimlessly, in the streets.
They came across a water-filled gravel pit, with steep sides, covered in rubbish. Small infants were wandering the steep slopes, gathering rubbish for their parents to recycle and sell . It touched their hearts, and they knew there was a dire need to help such children to climb out of this terrible poverty.
A building about 20 feet from the edge of the pit was available for rent, by the grace of God, and they decided to rent it. It was a long mudbrick line building, with a corrugated roof, window openings and doors and a large area outside for a playground, though there were no boundary walls or fences, but the landlady promised it was going to be built.
They opened the school with just Fiona and Joe teaching, Joe took a second job to support himself as well as teaching the elder children and Fiona taught the youngest children . There was no money for wages, but very soon the school gained popularity and Mr Kabba had also joined them as a teacher. More children were asking to start, but even though the school fees were very small, equivalent to just a few pounds a term, the parents couldn’t afford to pay it.
Fiona and Joe decided they needed sponsorship to sustain the school. They started canvassing the local hotels, offering the tourists visits to the school . They would get the children to entertain the tourists and hopefully the tourist would leave pledging to help with sponsorship.