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Join us for our annual 5KM Fun Run on
Sunday 16th September 2007 at Battersea Park at 2pm!
You don’t have to be a seasoned runner and we won’t object if you choose to walk! Click here to register |
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From child soldier to farm owner! SLWT is changing the lives of desperately traumatised former child soldiers.....
| “Abducted, beaten, drugged, raped and forced to commit atrocities which they often can not bring themselves to talk about”; this was the experience of thousands of children forcefully conscripted into the rebel and civil militia groups during Sierra Leone’s 11 year conflict. |  |
Click here to learn more about Aminata and other former child soldiers.
The war is over but the suffering of those former child soldiers has continued. Most of them live on the margins of society, they missed out on education, they find it impossible to secure jobs and significantly, they carry within them deep scars and unhealed wounds arising from the horrors of their experiences.
| In partnership with Kids Action (Sierra Leone), SLWT is giving former child soldiers the opportunity to radically change their lives through their enrolment at the Songo Agricultural Training Centre. Our programme provides former child soldiers with: |  |
- 12 months of training in farming and livestock rearing
- Followed by 3 months of training in business start up skills
- Trauma counselling by qualified counsellors throughout the programme
- Farm land gifted to the project by the Songo Community
- Organisation of project participants into farming co-operatives
- Post programme mentoring
Training at the Centre began in January for 30 former child soldiers. The sense of hope for the future that has been engendered amongst these former child soldiers is tangible and exciting!! We are thrilled to be able to help these young people rebuild their lives and would like to expand the project so that more former child soldiers can enrol.
Click here for more information about the Songo Agricultural Training Centre Project |
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Still partnering with the Thuan Mathinki Community to build for the future....
We have continued to work with this extremely remote community of 27 villages in the Bombali District, focusing on Education, Health and Self Sufficiency. Click here for a brief overview of the Thuan Mathinki Community Rehabilitation Project.
| -Kagbankona Primary School (built by SLWT) has produced its first set of pupils to pass the National Secondary School examinations. This is a tremendous achievement for the 17 pupils, their parents and their teachers!! However, because there are no secondary schools within a 15 mile walk, each of the 17 pupils have been sent to live with relatives in other parts of the country where they will be able to go to secondary school. Remembering that this is a community which had never had a school before , we are deeply encouraged by this demonstrable commitment of the parents to the continuing education of their children! |  |
Simeon Sesay Health Clinic – has been built and is to be staffed by a newly qualified nurse. This will have a tremendous impact on the lives of all community members but most importantly on the children. Prior to the construction of the clinic by SLWT, the nearest medical facility was a 9 to 20 mile walk away depending on what village you lived in! Needless to say, many community members suffered unnecessary complications and even died for lack of access to the most basic health care. Primary health care is now available within the community.
Water wells - 6 water wells have been dug providing clean, potable water for community members and drastically reducing the amount of time women and children spend collecting water each day. The wells have been a great success and are improving the quality of life for those closest to them. It is our intention to build another 7 wells within the coming months so that there is ONE WELL FOR EVERY TWO VILLAGES!
| Agriculture – an incursion of cows onto the community’s farm lands is posing a serious challenge to the agricultural aspect of the project. SLWT and our partner organisation, CCF, are supporting the community in its efforts to remove the cows. |  |
Click here for more information about the cow incursion and all other aspects of the Thuan Mathinki Community Rehabilitation (TMCR Project) |
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SLWT would like to thank all our supporters, in particular:
St Micheal’s Church Southfields whose generous donation helped turn the idea of an Agricultural Training centre in Songo into a reality
Fuserna Foundation for helping us dig the wells in Thuan Mathinki. Due to your kindness villagers now have access to clean water, a basic human right often taken for granted.
Participating schools in the ‘Moving Image’ Art Exhibition - boy-oh-boy was everybody moved! A huge ‘thank you’ to everyone involved.
Want to have a peek at these amazing pieces of art? Log on to www.slwt.org
Garth Crooks, your continued support given to the annual 5Km Fun Run doesn’t go unnoticed – thanks for your time and unfailing dedication.
| Kings College Junior School, Wimbledon – for your kind donation of football kits which were very much appreciated |  |
All the 5Km Fun Run participants of 2006 for coming out and making the event a success. We can’t wait to see again on the 16th September- bring a friend, partner, children etc! More details coming soon |
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SLWT Newsletter
Spring 2007 |  | |
|  | | | | | | | | Dennis’s reflections
Dennis Green first visited the Thuan Mathinki Community in October 2002 when SLWT was asked by the villagers to support them as they sought to rebuild their lives and their community. In March 2007, almost 5 years since SLWT responded to that request, Dennis visited the community again.
Click here to read Dennis’ reflections on his return visit. | | | |  | | | | SLWT Information
Sierra Leone WarTrust for Children (SLWT) was started in April 1999 by 7 Sierra Leoneans living in the UK. Its creation was a direct response to the tremendous suffering caused to countless children and young people by the 11 year civil conflict. SLWT delivers its projects in partnership with credible Sierra Leone based organisations. All SLWT trustees serve the organisation on a voluntary basis.
Click here for more information about SLWT or call Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr on
07789 483 151. | | | | | | | | Effortless commitment
It’s true, there is such a thing! Set up a standing order to SLWT, sit back and watch your donations transform the lives of hundreds! Just set it up and leave the rest to us.
Click here to download a Standing Order Form and to find out how far your money can go!! | | | | | | | | Knowledge is power
We are in desperate need of books for the recently built primary school in Kagbankona. So go on, go through those shelves, rifle through those boxes in the garage, send out emails to your friends and colleagues, appeal to your local library and help sow the seed that will form the backbone of these children’s future. Getting your books to us is as easy as pie! Just send an email to info@slwt.org or call Yvonne on 07789483151 to arrange collection/delivery. | | | |  | |
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