|
 The
Kidsave Sierra Leone Programme (KSLP) is Kidsaves latest and most
innovative project to give orphans permanent family care in Sierra
Leone, one of the poorest countries in the world. Approximately
57% of the population lives on less than $1 a day. When a bitter
civil war erupted in 1991 and lasting until 2002, the fabric of
Sierra Leoneon families was ripped apart and the tradition of Africans
taking in orphans vanished. Orphanages, promoted by well-intended
individuals, became the traditional method of support for the country’s
2.3 million orphaned children. However, the heart and soul of Sierra
Leone resides in the family. Consequently, The Kidsave Sierra Leone
Project is an effort to support Sierra Leoneans in returning to
their traditions of embracing and caring for all their children.
In 2008 Kidsave provided its Family Visit Model protocol to the
Centre for Research, Training, Programme and Development (CRTPD),
a community-based nonprofit operating in Kenema, Sierra Leone. CRTPD
staff and volunteers adapted it to local customs – insuring that
the tenets of child preparation, family training and child protection
were well maintained.
Through partnership with CRTPD, the Kidsave Sierra Leone Programme
was created with economic capacity building in mind as families
cannot afford to take in extra children. Consequently, CRPTD is
offering a microloan program to market women to help them build
their businesses as a way to build family income and improve the
likelihood that they will be able to take an extra child in long-term.
At the same time Kidsave Sierra Leone will run a hosting program
to give children currently living in the orphanages a chance to
meet families in the community. The market women and Kidsave Sierra
Leone staff will advocate for the children.
To provide essential start-up funding, Kidsave is investing in refurbished
laptop computers which CRTPD will resell to organizations in Sierra
Leone. The profit from selling just 25 computers will support 30
children in the Kidsave Sierra Leone program for six months and
provide funding for women’s microcredit groups to expand their businesses
and purchase rice, beans, palmoil, groundnut (peanut), maize and
vegetables to feed their families. It is estimated based on past
CRTPD experience that three loan cycles of $150 each will enable
women to become self-sufficient enough to afford to add an extra
child to their family.
Kidsave is committed to helping the people of Sierra Leone rebuild
family connections and provide orphaned children with the opportunity
to grow up in permanent families. We are hopeful this test will
be the beginning for many more permanent family care programs for
orphans throughout Africa.
|
