Dove Children’s Home- Freetown, Sierra Leone
We provide programs for the 23 children at Dove Children’s Home in
Freetown, Sierra Leone. These are children who have been orphaned
as a result of the 11-year civil war that terrorized the civilian
population of this West African nation. Many were forced to
participate in the conflict as child soldiers, and are suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder. In this context,
participating artists primarily focus on emotional rehabilitation.
Our programs include instruction in traditional dance, gospel
singing, keyboard, painting, and dancehall production.
Daru Village - Kailahun District, Sierra Leone
We provide programs for the 42 children in the village of Daru in
Sierra Leone’s Kailahun District. Kailahun district is the
Easternmost province in Sierra Leone, bordering Lieria, and it is
also the region that was hit the hardest by he 11-year civil war.
The children were orphaned during the conflict, and many were
forced at gunpoint to shoot their own parents while being
kidnapped by the Revolutionary United Front. Many of the younger
children were born to “bushwives” (sexual slaves taken by the
rebels) and have never met their parents. Most suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorder. In this context, participating
artists primarily focus on emotional rehabilitation.
We are pleased to announce the addition of two new programs in Sierra Leone!
We will host a two-week arts camp for the forty orphaned children in the village
of Daru
in Kailahun district. This is a region that borders Liberia and was
hit the
hardest by the civil war. Simultaneously, we will be hosting a program
at the
Dove Children's Home in Freetown. The children will be taught
singing,
traditional dance, painting, and batik by Freetown and Kenema based
artists.
The camp will begin October 15th and end October 30th, and will be followed by
weekly lessons. Click
here to donate to this program!
Our programs in Sierra Leone are made possible by a
partnership with John Caulker, the United Nations appointed
Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and Director
of the Forum of Conscience. We also work closely with the Sierra
Leone Broadcasting Service for Radio and Production.
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