Schools for Sierra Leone

What Schools for Sierra Leone does

Schools for Sierra Leone is a US-headquartered nonprofit organization founded in 2009 and domiciled in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that operates a single educational institution — Kabala Christian School — in Kabala, Sierra Leone. The school serves over 800 students across preschool through senior secondary levels, offering three academic tracks: Science, Humanities/Arts, and Commercial Business Studies. Physical infrastructure includes a modern campus, computer center, fully-equipped science labs, a 1,500-book library, and solar power, supported by a Junior Secondary School expansion completed in 2020 that added 80 additional student capacity.

The organization's revenue model is a 100% donation pass-through: all donor contributions are directed to school construction and teacher salaries, while operating costs are covered by a separate group of committed donors. Donations are collected online via Classy.org (one-time, monthly, and sponsorship tiers) and by check mailed to the Grand Rapids office. A structured donor initiative called the 800 Group seeks 800 donors contributing $800 annually or $1 per enrolled child toward a stated $300,000 annual funding goal. Student sponsorship is offered as a recurring subscription product with special updates and invitations for participating donors.

Outcomes are a primary selling point of the model. Kabala Christian School is ranked the second-best school in Sierra Leone, with all 64 students in a graduating cohort passing the WASSCE exam against a national pass rate of 4.5%. Reported metrics include 100% literacy exam passage and 100% graduation rates among enrolled students. The organization is governed by a US-based Board of Directors (including John Loeks, Dr. Johanna Kuyvenhoven, Mark Rizik, Emily Loeks, Dan Denk, and Dan Lynn), with on-the-ground operations led by Superintendent Alusine Bundu and School Board Chairman Robert Jawara in Sierra Leone. The organization has approximately 10 employees and no proprietary technology platform, AI capabilities, or commercial product lines beyond its single school and its donor-funded sponsorship programs.

Name

Schools for Sierra Leone

Legal name

Schools for Sierra Leone

Website

https://schoolsforsierraleone.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Schools for Sierra Leone is a US-based nonprofit that operates Kabala Christian School in Kabala, Sierra Leone, serving over 800 students across K-12 levels under a 100% donation pass-through model, funded by individual donors and the structured 800 Group campaign.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

Keywords

• Nonprofit education
• Charitable fundraising
• K-12 education
• Student sponsorship
• School development

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individual supporters. 100% of donations go directly to school operations and construction.
2. Student Sponsorship: Monthly sponsorship program where donors commit to supporting individual students or entire classes with recurring donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Schools for Sierra Leone operates Kabala Christian School in Kabala, Sierra Leone, providing comprehensive K-12 education to over 800 students across preschool through senior secondary levels. The organization funds school construction, teacher salaries, and educational resources through a 100% donation model in which all contributions go directly to school operations, with operating costs covered separately by committed donors.

Product overview

Schools for Sierra Leone operates as a single-product nonprofit organization focused on the Kabala Christian School, a comprehensive K-12 educational institution in Kabala, Sierra Leone. The organization offers a 100% donation model where all contributions directly fund school construction and teacher salaries. Core offerings include the main school with three academic tracks (Science, Humanities/Arts, and Commercial Business Studies), supplemented by student sponsorship programs, a Junior Secondary School expansion, and an Alumni Association for graduate support. The organization does not operate a technology platform but provides educational services and donation-based support programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kabala Christian School: The flagship school operated by Schools for Sierra Leone in Kabala, Sierra Leone, serving over 800 students from preschool through senior secondary levels. Features include a modern campus, computer center, science labs, library, and solar power.

Products and services

• Kabala Christian School
• Student Sponsorship Program
• Alumni Association

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students pass literacy exams
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• SchoolBOX: Nonprofit building schools and supporting indigenous education programs in Central America and West Africa. Comparable donor-funded K-12 school-building mission, smaller and more regional in reach.
• Sonne World Children: Austrian-based nonprofit building schools in West Africa including Sierra Leone. Direct overlap with Schools for Sierra Leone's geographic focus, though earlier-stage and smaller scale.

Direct peers

• African Library Project: Nonprofit that creates libraries for schools and communities across sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable educational infrastructure focus and West Africa presence, though narrower in scope (libraries only).
• buildOn: Nonprofit that builds schools and delivers primary/secondary education in low-income communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Directly comparable in operating donor-funded schools in underserved regions.
• Pencils of Promise: Nonprofit that builds schools and provides K-12 education programs in developing countries including Ghana, Laos, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Comparable donor-funded school-building model serving low-income communities.
• More Than Me: Nonprofit operating schools for vulnerable children in post-conflict West Africa (Liberia). Directly comparable mission and operating model to Schools for Sierra Leone, focused on K-12 education for underserved youth in a neighboring country.
• Mali Rising Foundation: Nonprofit building and operating secondary schools in rural Mali. Comparable faith-adjacent education model serving West African communities with limited prior school infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Room to Read: Large established nonprofit operating literacy and girls' education programs across multiple developing countries, including several in West Africa. Broader geographic and programmatic footprint but comparable education-focused nonprofit mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/schoolsforsierraleone
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schools-for-sierra-leone

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schools for Sierra Leone