The Sierra Leone WarTrust for Children

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SLWT
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Sierra Leone and the Legacy of War

• Began in south in 1991 and quickly spread
  throughout the country
• Civilians and civil infrastructure deliberately
  targeted
• Schools, hospitals and homes destroyed
• Over 1 million people internally and externally
  displaced
• Over 50,000 people killed and many more maimed
• On 6th January 1999, Freetown invaded and 3000
  killed in 2 week period

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Formation of SLWT

Seven UK based Sierra Leoneans came together and
decided to make a difference and help secure a
better future for the thousands of war affected
children and youth
When elephants fight it is the grass that
suffers African Proverb
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Mission Vision

MISSION STATEMENT
VISION
To become an authority on the welfare of
war-affected children of Sierra Leone, and
securing a better future for them.
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Our Projects and Activities

• Income Generating Project with displaced women
  and children
• Campaign against conflict diamonds
• Lobbying for international community involvement
  to stop war
• Media interviews in respect of Sierra Leone and
  child related matters
• Raising awareness through debates, art
  exhibitions, seminars and conferences
• Thuan Mathinki Community Rehabilitation Project
• Improving the capacity of community based
  organisations by improving access to basic
  education and vocational training

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Current Project - Thuan Mathinki Community
Rehabilitation (TMCR) Project

• 27 villages with population of 4500
• Remote location in rebel stronghold
• Devastated by war but with no prior investment
• Holistic approach encompassing
• Education
• Farming
• Psychosocial activities
• Health
• Five year project (2002 to 2007)

The Community is situated between Makeni and
Kabala
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Current Project Achievements So Far

• Education
• Children in 2 classroom structure prior to the
  TMCR project

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Current Project Achievements So Far

• The Future
• Education
• Construction of additional 4 classrooms and
  office space
• Increased enrolment, especially girls. There are
  now over 200 children in the school
• Engagement of parents in education, Feeding
  programme for school children
• Buy-in and limited support from local arm of
  Education Ministry
• Oil palm plantation for future school income

The newly constructed school
Some of the pupils
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Current Project Achievements So Far

• Farming
• Seedlings and tools loaned to farmers
• Participation increased from 30 farm families to
  230 farm families (approx 1840 men, women
  children)
• Improved food security for community and
  nutritional condition for children
• Technical support and input available to farmers
• Collective action to resolve farming related
  challenges
• Convinced local Agriculture Ministry to match
  SLWT seed input for next planting season

Crops grown by the farmers
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Current Project Achievements So Far

• Psychosocial activities
• Means of addressing trauma and resolving conflict
  at community level
• Consists principally of cultural and sporting
  events on an inter and intra village level
• Football tournament now annual event
• Children celebrate international dates relating
  to the needs and rights of children

A football fan
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Current Project Achievements So Far

• Health
• Provision of Traditional Birth Attendant centre
  and related training for women in collaboration
  with Sierra Leone Red Cross
• HIV/AIDS awareness training and on-going campaign
  launched in Dec 2004
• 15 Ventilation Improved Pits latrines installed
• SLWT has secured enough funds to construct 4 more
  water wells, thus increasing access to clean
  water
• There are no medical facilities within 10 to 20
  mile walk so SLWT planning to build Community
  Health Clinic

Disused water well
The Chief pointing out the site of the new
health clinic
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Current Project Achievements So Far

• Community empowerment
• Community members actively involved in project
  design, development and implementation
• Project oversight structure includes committees
  comprising male and female community members
• Project ownership reinforced through community
  involvement in meeting with external stakeholders
  
• Appropriate management and leadership
  workshops for male and female community leaders
  planned for 2006

Community members meeting with stakeholders
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Future Projects

• A Moving Image 19th -25th June 2006 - a schools
  based art project (raising awareness on
  displacement) and Art Exhibition
• Agricultural training programme for ex-combatants
  in Songo, Sierra Leone planned for late 2006

Songo This former child soldier will learn to
farm and rear livestock
Songo Part of the land donated to the project
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Future Events

• Jazz the Spoken Word
• 25th June 2006
• Register now for the SLWT 5km Fun Run in
  Battersea Park 1st October 2006
• For a Fun Run registration form and more
  information on all our events and projects,
  please speak to a member of the SLWT team.

SLWT Fun Run 2005
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What You Can Do

• Regular Monthly Donations
• Campaign on our behalf on issues pertaining to
  education, health in relation to the war-affected
  children and youth of Sierra Leone
• Payroll Giving
• You can match, and donate the amount you spend on
  a take-away this weekend, or a trip down to the
  pub, to SLWT!
• Volunteer

• You can take part in sponsored activities on our
  behalf, e.g. the London Marathon
• You can nominate us as a charity for upcoming
  fundraising events
• Making a gift of stocks, shares and other
  investments
• Employer Matched Giving (Please find out if we
  can maximize the funds raised for the October Fun
  Run by using this scheme)

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We Thank You For Your Support Proceeds from
tonight will go towards purchasing a new bike for
the Project Coordinator. Due to inadequate roads
infrastructure, bikes are an invaluable
necessityfor the efficient management of our
projects