Introduction
Kalangba Agricultural
Secondary School
In 1998, while on assignment in the war torn country of Sierra Leone, Teun Voeten got in serious trouble. He found himself caught behind front lines while warring factions were running wild, looting, robbing and killing at random. It was thanks to a few very brave individuals that Voeten made it out alive. One of them was Alfred Kanu, principal of the local school in the village of Kalangba. The Kanu family gave Voeten shelter for twoscary weeks, while rebels were said to be hunting for him. As a white refugee in a black country, Voeten was amazed by the courage and generosity of the the Kanu family and the villagers of Kalangba who kept his hiding place secret.
In return, Voeten decided to organize a fund raising campaign for the Kalangba Agricultural
Secondary School. Together with Belgian High school students Sabine Hirsch and Camille Noël,
they initiated in autumn 1998 the campaign that so far has raised 6500 USD.
All this money
was brought safely into Sierra Leone and was used to pay for equipment, utensils, salaries,
food, clothing, health care and other basic necessities for the students and teachers of
the Kalangba Agricultural Secondary School.