It was Wednesday, October 20th, the moment everyone was really looking forward to.

It was the day that all residents of Dubreka, teachers, students and, of course, the volunteers themselves were waiting for. It is this special day not only for the entire city and its surrounding areas, but also for the entire country and its education system. The Grand Opening of Dubreka’s library and computer room for kids in need! 

Right from the start, it was a very exciting day for everyone. The volunteers gathered in the kitchen early in the morning to get ready for this special day. Drame once again congratulated everyone on the final project and thanked each of the volunteers for the hard work they put every single day to create this educational background for children in need.

After eating breakfast, everyone went to the school where local people, teachers, students, and children from the neighborhood began to slowly gather in front of the school. Music was being played loudly to welcome all guests including such special ones as the board of the British embassy to Guinea, ​​the board of teachers, city management and the URBOND community. 

The welcome ceremony began at 10:00 am as soon as all invited guests had arrived. I started with words of appreciation to those who helped build the place, especially Drame, Mac and all URBOND volunteers. Also, many wonderful words were said to the organizers of the event, the British Embassy for their support in the project and all teachers were thanked for their contribution. Applause was applauded speech by speech while hugs and bows were shared amongst all. It was a wonderful moment in which everyone felt united, loved, appreciated and so grateful for being there.

Finally, a member of the British Embassy cut the ribbon to officially open the school. This historic moment was captured on television and on the mobile phones of many people who came to the site! This is how history was born in Dubreka, a moment that will be remembered by many for a long time! 

When the door to the school was opened, all those gathered could go inside and admire the effects of many weeks of work made by wonderful people who had one thing in common – a desire to help kids in need in Dubreka without expecting anything back. 

When the guests entered the library and computer room, they could see a large wardrobe standing in the right corner of the room filled with books and stories, all of these available for students to watch and read during their school hours. More to the left, there were plenty of desks and chairs scattered across the entire place. On each desk were 2 or 3 laptops that had been brought from England. These laptops had various programs installed – Word, Paint, and games, all for students to learn and play.

The splendor in the eyes of the parents and the children’s smiles were priceless! Everyone could feel incredible gratitude towards all those who contributed to the creation of this magical place filled with knowledge. At some point, an IT volunteer – Mikey – quickly showed everyone how computers were operated and what sort of things children can learn from using them.

During the ceremony, some guests played a few games on laptops, some were watching the PowerPoint presentation featuring plenty of photos gathered when building schools and the rest of those who arrived was dancing outside to celebrate this special event! 

At the very end of the event, everyone was able to watch a fascinating performance by local dancers who were jumping to the rhythm of the music being played on the drums. A very dynamic and passionate performance – something incredible to watch! 

At the very end of the event, the volunteers said goodbye to everyone, thanked them for their arrival and left the school with a smile on their faces. It was one of the most beautiful experiences they had in Guinea.