WHO IS THIS SHIPMENT HELPING?
Although it is now 16 years since the end of Sierra Leone’s brutal 11 year civil war, the lasting impact of the conflict is still being felt. There has been substantial economic growth, but over half of the population still lives below the international poverty line of US$1.25 per day and 70% of young people are unemployed or underemployed. A lack of educational opportunities, particularly in rural areas, means that finding employment is a serious challenge – especially for women, of whom only 9.5% have reached a secondary or higher level education.
Our partners in Sierra Leone have been working tirelessly for over 20 years to help communities in the region overcome the challenges they face in a united way. One of the many ways they do this is through educational programmes to teach vocational and entrepreneurial skills to young women, helping them to find work and set up small businesses which give them the means to be self-reliant. As well as education, our partners also assist in the running and upkeep of health centres and farming programmes. The importance of this support has been magnified in the wake of the recent Ebola crisis which shook the region.
In this shipment we are sending computers which will allow our partners to open up new classes and modernise their education projects. We are also providing furniture and clothing which will benefit the communities, schools, and clinics who are still recovering from the devastating impacts that war and disease brought to them.
MAKONKARIE VILLAGE
The women of Makonkarie Village are proud of how they’re investing in their families’ futures. Our partners on this shipment started a farming education course for women, seeing that they were looking for advice and collaboration to improve their farming. The goal was to establish a community based farming programme which would strengthen the community’s ties and improve the yield of their agricultural work. The project was a great success, so much so that one of the women from Makonkarie Villager said:
“The level of cooperation and unity among the women’s group we formed is great. We now have time to visit each other to plan our overall development in a way that includes our children and community”.
Goods from this shipment will help our partners to continue expanding their programmes to more Sierra Leonean villages, so that lasting improvements can benefit as many people as possible.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE…
One the major goals for our partners is to establish computer courses at their vocational centres. Computer literacy will open up a wealth of new opportunities for development and stands to benefit many young people in the region.
Included in this shipment will be 50 computers, enough to provide a strong foundation for this exciting project.
(Above) A vocational centre set up by our partners in a rural region 90 miles from Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital
Sierra Leone was one of the hardest hit nations during the Ebola crisis of recent years, taxing an already stretched healthcare system.
Medical goods from this shipment will be helping hard-working medical staff to better care for their patients, in challenging conditions.
Our partners also work through the clinics and educational facilities that they support to empower disabled people and other disadvantaged groups.
This shipment will include a new set of wheelchairs to assist in these efforts.
WANT TO BE PART OF THESE LIFE CHANGING STORIES?
Sponsor a container: We need HK$ 50,000 to send any of our waiting shipments on their way. Email us for a list of projects needing funds: partnerships@crossroads.org.hk
Give goods: We can help your company or group find projects that need your quality superseded goods. Email partnerships@crossroads.org.hk
Volunteer: We need regular volunteers in a huge variety of roles across the work, from manual labor to administration and specific skilled roles. Email volunteer@crossroads.org.hk
