TU/e cleaner defends underprivileged children

Twelve years ago, he left Sierra Leone to escape war and terror. Years later, many of his family members who stayed behind fled because of Ebola. Still, Solomon Jarette, cleaner at TU/e hopes to return to his home country as soon as possible. He’d like to stay there at some point, but for now, he returns when he can to help underprivileged children build a future.

There were about ten years between his flight from Sierra Leone and his return to the country. He spent those ten years building a new life in Europe with his wife and children. He has a Dutch passport, and – for five years now – a cleaning job at TU/e. He can be found at several university buildings, but currently you’ll see him at Matrix, Helix and the Student Sports Center mostly.

How can people in the Netherlands help people in Africa? It’s a question Jarette and some of his friends asked themselves after returning from a visit to Sierra Leone, and it resulted in the founding of ‘Don’t Forget the Children’ eighteen months ago: a non-profit organization for disadvantaged children around the world. The foundation was launched officially in December, and has already built several schools. Right now, it’s constructing a water system and setting up an Ebola awareness program.

 The foundation is now focusing on several new clinics in villages throughout Sierra Leone, one of the countries that’s been affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak most severely along with Guinea and Liberia. However, there’s no going back to Sierra Leone for now: hardly anyone is allowed in or out of the country because of the virus. Still, they can’t wait to continue their projects, in other countries that need help just as well. How about sending the money raised and/or materials over? Jarette would rather not: “We want to be present, to make sure our funds and materials are put to good use.”

Jarette: “A large number of young people want to leave Africa, but I want to help them improve their situation over there so they can stay. Even if I can only help three children, even if anyone did anything to help only three children, together we’d make a major difference.”

For more information about the foundation, go to their website. 

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