In the bustling heart of Freetown, Sierra Leone, the need for quality education intersects with scarce opportunity. Amidst this, Christ Standard Secondary School has become an answer to prayer.
Reverend Emmanuel Momoh Conteh, a pastor by calling, opened the school in 2010 with a few simple classrooms and 29 enthusiastic students. “Edify has helped our school to know a better way of discipling and raising kids to know Christ,” he explains. “Yes, I am a pastor, and yes, it is a Christian school, but I didn’t know the deep aspect of what it takes to disciple and grow these children. With Edify, we’ve been able to do that.”
The partnership began in 2019 when Christ Standard began attending Edify trainings. Before that, Rev. Emmanuel could only dream of expanding. Yet, with newfound knowledge of business, finance, and sustainability, he was able to secure loan capital from one of Edify’s local lending partners, enabling the construction of additional classrooms. Aside from this, various leadership trainings taught budgeting, fee-collection policies, and biblical integration, adding a new layer of insight to the way he ran his school. Today, the campus includes over 35 classrooms and serves 830 students.
“The loan allowed us to increase our classrooms and make the school intentionally inviting. The structures and buildings that God has brought to us have changed our school forever… today, my story is transformed.” Rev. Emmanuel reflects with deep gratitude.
Weekly discipleship activities now anchor campus life. Bible studies, prayer times, and service projects help students grow in faith while developing leadership skills. Teachers, equipped through Edify’s Christian-transformation training, integrate Scripture into science, literature, and civics lessons, showing how faith has the power to illuminate every subject.
The school’s impact stretches beyond academics. Graduates often return to serve as teachers, mentor students, and lead community service projects. “Our graduates have gone on to pursue further education, with some studying medicine and others becoming teachers. Many now serve in the school as a way to give back.” He adds, “Some are serving as community leaders, too. When I look back, I see that we have truly impacted the community positively, our graduates bringing integrity and servant leadership into the world.”
For Rev. Emmanuel, this journey is deeply personal. “I see my role as an educator as a calling from God,” he reflects. Through faith and hard work, he has guided thousands of students, crafting a story of hard work and a partnership that has borne lasting fruit.
