ChildNet Awards Photo Gallery

In April, 2003, i*EARN Sierra Leone was honored at the annual ChildNet Awards in London, U.K. for its website project, Peace and Reconciliation. The website received second place in the "New to the Net" category. The mission of the website project was honored for its empowerment of war-affected youth in allowing them to connect to the outside world.

Young people who have faced years of unprecedented violence now become active promoters of peace in their local communities while, at the same time, thinking globally through learning the magic of the web and Internet to share with peers that peace can change the world.


Agog at their first time abroad and thrilled to visit the world-class city of London, i*EARN youths tour the facilities where the awards ceremony is held.

The opportunity to connect face-to-face with people from different countries and cultures was a pivotal moment in these young people's lives.

 



Kudos from Prime Minister Tony Blair!

"The Internet is for everyone - providing social and economic advantage and limitless opportunity to those who use the web. The winners of the Cable & Wireless Childnet Awards 2003 truly bring the Internet to life - inspiring young people to express opinions, share skills and communicate with others around the world.

I am therefore delighted to welcome them to the UK - now one of the world's most 'connected' economies. With a network of over 6000 UK online centres, thousands more can now enjoy the benefits of the Internet - and we have made a commitment to ensure that all those who want to access the Intenet can do so by 2005.

Yet we all have a responsibility to ensure that the Internet is a great and safe place, which can be used by people from all generations. The Awards demonstrate what can be achieved via the Internet and I would like to pass on my sincere congratulations to the winners and to all of those who entered the Awards."

Tony Blair, April 2003



"In the recent past, little could have been known about how the Internet has helped transform the lives of war-affected children and youth in my country. Thanks to the Childnet Awards, we now enjoy kudos for using the Internet positively to throw light on a very serious issue that has affected the lives of children the world over." - Andrew Greene, Coordinator, i*EARN Sierra Leone



Lend a helping hand to i*EARN Sierra Leone

 

"There is no escaping this avalanche of new ideas that the Internet has for us.We must be part of the educational revolution."
    - Andrew Greene, Coordinator, i*EARN Sierra Leone

This awards ceremony did more than honor i*EARN SL's efforts to make peace accessible to youths...it literally put Sierra Leone on the map as far as creating awareness in the international tel-net community.

 

People of all ages, nationalities, and backgrounds came together to share in the phenomenon of education through tele-communication.

i*EARN SL staff took this valuable opportunity to network amongst other international education professionals and to air the message of Sierra Leone youth.

Once separated by miles and ignorance, participants interacted and shared experiences that would forever change them.

"The Cable and Wireless ChildNet Awards Ceremony left us with amazement and confidence that our child soldiers project and peace reconciliation project will continue to make a difference." - Andrew Greene


i*EARN SL youth Mohammed Kuteh extends his skills at the Cable and Wireless ChildNet Awards Ceremony.

Help i*EARN SL close the "digital divide!"

In the midst of this accomplishment, we face renewed challenges of building a community access centre in Sierra Leone. This dream centre will allow the children and youth to gain access to the Internet and showcase their work on peace issues to peers across the globe. In order for this dream to be realized, we need your support that will help our war affected children cope in today’s info-technology world.