My Story

My name is Caroline Merriman-Johnson. I was born and raised in Mbandaka, a small town in the Republic Democratic of Congo. My father worked at the local bank while my mother sold food items in the market to supplement income. Despite their efforts, my parents struggled to provide for me and my eight siblings.

Just like many families facing similar situations, securing an education for their children was not a priority especially for the girl child which resulted in drop out, early marriages, and early pregnancies. However, while in middle school I was inspired by our English teacher, an international PeaceCorp and other international volunteers who worked in the community.

Spending time with my international friends inspired me to acquire a strong education and not fall victim to the challenges as other girls in our community.

After my father retired, life became harder. I became sick during the last year of high school and missed important instructions due to poor attendance. I returned to school after recovery but I was behind academically. I studied hard to catch up and participated in the final exam but I did not pass.

The following school year, I decided to move to Kinshasa with a cousin who offered me accommodation.

Life in Kinshasa was challenging. I wanted to go back to school but I did not have money to pay for school fees and to support myself.

Despite the struggles, I did not give up hope, I was determined to go back to school to retake and pass the state exam and graduate high school. Much like what my mother, I started buying and selling food items to sustain myself. I was able to enroll myself for afternoon shift at an area high school and paid for my school fees. Every day I woke up very early in the morning to go to the market to buy goods which I sold on the streets until 12PM and attended school in the afternoon. I used some of the money from the business to help my family back in Mbandaka as my dad could no longer provide for my siblings.

I studied very hard despite the struggles, passed the state exam and secured a high school diploma.

A few years later, through the connection with my international friends from middle school that I kept in touch with, an opportunity was created for me to travel to America on the student visa.

Life in America had its own challenges. I attended college for a couple of semesters but dropped out so that I could help my family back home. As the years passed by, I got married and started a family.

But I did not feel fulfilled, I wanted to give back to the community. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of children in the area of early education by helping children living in poverty like I did as a child to have access to early learning as most preschools in third world nations are private with school fees that struggling parents could not afford.

As a part of my plan, I wanted to earn a degree in education. I enrolled at the local community college and later transferred to the University of North Texas. Going back to school as an adult was challenging as I struggled with language barrier, working fulltime and being a mom.

With the support of my husband Ernest, I earned a bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special education in 2021. To fulfill my dream of giving back to the community, my husband and I, who share a similar interest of giving back to the community, have acquired a land in Freetown, Sierra Leone to build preschool classrooms with scholarship tuition based and sponsorship programs to offer underprivileged children have access to early learning which will shape and give them a foundation to their education.

My husband Ernest and I hope to partner with people who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children to build similar schools all over the world to help children have access to early education all over the world.

Our Mission

Giving all children access to quality early education is our mission here at Akula Early Learning Academy. Research has proved that early learning experiences impact child development and future academic success. Here at Akula Early Learning Academy, we believe that no child should be deprived of early learning just because their parents cannot afford the school fee.

Through sponsorship programs for those who have qualified ( contingent upon the availability of funds) and affordable tuition, Akula Early Learning Academy provides children with a strong educational foundation in literacy, math, science, and technology in a safe, loving, and fun environment.

Caroline Trail Off Number 2

( Between Number 2 And Tokeh Village)

Freetown, Sierra Leone Africa