By Modupe Gbadeyanka
In line with their mission to help and empower children with modern educational infrastructure and learning environments, GoDaddy Incorporated and Acronis Cyber Foundation have built schools in Sierra Leone and Guatemala.
The educational facilities, according to the organisation, are expected to deliver improved infrastructure and boundless educational opportunities to over 645 students in needy communities.
The Barbara Junior Secondary School in Sierra Leone was completed in September 2022 and included the development of three separate buildings designed to maximize natural light and fresh air. The school is located in the village of Barbara in Sierra Leone’s Port Loko district, an agricultural region where most families have an income of less than $2 per day.
Built with sustainable resources readily available in the immediate community, including bamboo and interlocking brick masonry, the construction began in December 2021 with NGO partner Forikolo and is expected to be attended by over 120 pupils. The school features amenities to support disabled children, a hygiene room for girls, and the distribution of free hygiene products.
“These construction projects would not have been possible without the continued efforts of the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program and the extreme generosity of GoDaddy Pro.
“We work with tens of thousands of partners worldwide, and over the past five years, we have successfully and positively impacted thousands of children together with our partners through the determinations of the Foundation.
“We are so thankful to our partners who have joined our mission to help those in underserved communities,” the chief executive of Acronis, Patrick Pulvermueller, said.
In 2019, the Acronis Cyber Foundation Program, Cloudfest, and NGO partner Esperanza e.V. built five new classrooms to extend the existing Escuela Oficial Urbana Mixta San Antonio School in Guatemala. Prior to the Program’s involvement, the school’s 525 students shared just 10 classrooms which led to significant overcrowding.
GoDaddy Pro joined the initiative in 2021 and helped fund the latest construction project, which includes remodelling and expanding three classrooms of the current facility, four additional classrooms, and proper stairs. The next goal for the school in San Antonio, Guatemala, will be the development of a modern computer classroom that will allow students to optimize educational resources.
“These projects align with GoDaddy’s mission to make opportunity more inclusive for all. The successful completion of these projects provides communities with the educational resources they need and deserve.
“We’re proud our efforts and partnership with Acronis created momentum in these communities and gave these students a chance at a formal, modern education,” said Paul Bindel, President of GoDaddy Partners.