The Annie Walsh Old Girl's Association, more commonly known as AWOGA was founded in October 1985 and was the first to be established in the US. AWOGA was established to facilitate a formal way for alumna located in the NY/NJ area to support the growing needs of the school in a tangible way, and in time, to collaborate with other chapters around the world to meet the needs of the school. Current chapters include:
AWOGA Branches USA:
AWOGA Carolinas, AWOGA Southeastern (Atlanta), AWOGA Texas, and AWOGA Washington Metropolitan Area, AWOGA California.
AWOGA Branches Worldwide:
AWOGA Sierra Leone, AWOGA Canada, AWOGA United Kingdom, AWOGA Gambia, and AWOGA Nigeria.
The Annie Walsh Memorial School (AWMS), founded in 1849 by the Church Mission Society (CMS) of the Anglican Church of England, is the oldest girl’s school in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has equipped many generations of Sierra Leonean young women, as well as many from other parts of Africa, with the education, skills and determination, to build and to succeed in their chosen paths. The school, which started as an elementary school with only three students has grown considerably and has an established reputation for providing a first class secondary school education. Many graduates of the school in Sierra Leone and in the diaspora, have gone on to build successful careers.
In more recent years, the AWMS student population has experienced a considerable swell as a result of the increasing local population and education reform. For a time there was a double shift system but in 2018 the school was able to revert back to a single shift. This has allowed for more manageable class sizes, improved teacher instruction, and a better academic experience for the girls. Total current student population stands at around 1,200 in total for both the Junior and Senior schools, with facilities and resources at full capacity. Despite these constraints, AWMS girls have continued to excel and win many academic awards.
Some past AWOGA NY/NJ accomplishments: