The Alec Russell Education Trust (ARET) SCIO is a grant giving programme that aims to increase educational attainment for children and young adults living in the developing world. Primarily, although not exclusively, ARET will help to fund projects that improve access to education and increase educational attainment within Sierra Leone.The Trust was established in memory of Alec Russell who, through his philanthropic approach, supported many of the children that he encountered on his travels to improve their own futures. In his honour, ARET provides funding to ensure that his commitment to the advancement of education is continued through the generations of his family.
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ARET, COVID 19 and SIERRA LEONE

It was inevitable that Covid 19 would eventually hit Sierra Leone. Lockdown, health and safety measures, social distancing, emergency food supplies, housing and income support that were available to us in UK were either not practical or simply not available in Sierra Leone.
learn moreFamily Trip To Sierra Leone 2020
We, Chris, Rachel and myself, planned this trip in November 2019 not knowing that a global pandemic would be declared by mid-March 2020. Before we left Scotland, travelling via France, we were asked by our hosts about the virus. There was, at that time, nothing to report. The focus was not on Europe. Sierra Leone was the country most badly hit by the Ebola crisis in 2016 and had learned from the experience and knew how to respond. As we stepped from the plane the precautions and screening in place were visible. Temperatures taken, details registered, hand washing, hand washing, handwashing.
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