Change Lives in Sierra Leone!

Kusheh usay Makeni, Sierra Leone!

 It is a pleasure to write an update on behalf of the Sierra Cares Foundation in Makeni, Sierra Leone.  It has been well over a year since Covid hit and some of the strategy and resources have shifted to meeting basic needs, but we are slowly moving forward with incremental and crucial projects. 

Two of the main priorities have been to provide resources and food for the children in our Education and Safe Shelter Programs:  Our Safe Shelter program is for vulnerable populations that include a facility for education on literacy, wellness, mental health, maternal health, and financial literacy.  We envision owning land and building a center that can house the education endeavors and serve as a community center, but resources provided through GlobalGiving will allow for us to shelter 8-12 women for the June 2021-2022 cycle and provide for mental health as they navigate horrific trauma and reintegrate into their communities. 

Our Education Program is continuing to cover educational and school fees for vulnerable children and provide essential food (rice and oil) to families and provide solar lanterns for our students, who until now have been walking miles to use the light from a hospital to do homework in the dark. 

The provision of the lanterns will allow children to stay near their homes and complete tasks without walking for miles on dangerous roads with no lighting or being at risk for abuse.  We are planning to provide 36 lanterns that can be used by all of the children who attend Makeni school to complete their schoolwork in a safe environment, which is a game-changer for many of these children to stay current in their education. The lanterns are currently ordered and will be shipped to Makeni in July, to be ready for the school year to begin in August.  Sierra Cares Foundation is thankful for the support of our donors and will continue to build a strong program to support the community of Makeni.