Share HEART in Africa places great emphasis on the importance of education in the transformation of a child's life. By providing these children with this gift, we hope to inspire and empower them to become Sierra Leone's future leaders.
Ebola has orphaned many children across West Africa. These children are shunned and rejected by relatives and neighbors. This vicious Ebola virus also kept schools closed for 9 months in Sierra Leone. The educational system which has not recovered fully from the country's 11yr civil war, now has added to it the Ebola virus further decreasing the literacy rate and damaging the recent years of educational gains.
Orphans are placed in a loving family home in Sierra Leone and are supported with educational scholarships, books, supplies and uniforms needed to be a successful citizen. These children are empowered through education thereby reducing the illiteracy rate and increasing opportunity. Orphaned youth and young adults are trained with vocational skills to enable them to be successful as adults and become responsible citizens able to transform Sierra Leone from within.
The long term impact is three-fold: 1) As children are educated, this will increase their ability to rise out of poverty which plagues much of the country. 2) Education is one of the driving forces that keeps disease down. As the literacy rate increases communicable diseases, which often end in death, will decrease. 3) Education and vocational training will give way to more opportunities and allow entrepreneurship to develop. We desire to help Sierra Leone rise from its third world status.
