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Tropical weather and warm hearted people characterise this small country in West Africa. Sierra Leone is rich in minerals including gold, but a ten year civil war, past government corruption, exploitation by richer countries, the Ebola crisis and global rises in the cost of living have all taken their toll on the nation, which is on the list of least developed countries in the world. In the Lungi area where our work is based, there is no mains electricity and many families are only eating a meal two or three times a week.
Our work in Sierra Leone began in 2009 and is led by Rev. Michael Fofanah, our Country Director, with his wife Mrs Alice Fofanah, Headteacher of our New Hope Primary School (pictured below left).
New Hope Primary School (above right) provides a good education, with a nutritious meal each day, in a caring Christian environment for over 380 children, from very disadvantaged families. As the need became clear we began to pray we would be able to provide a secondary school for pupils to progress to after the primary school; New Hope Academy Secondary School (pictured top) is now in its fourth year and enabling pupils to complete a full curriculum up to the age of eighteen.
Our ‘Hands of Dorcas’ Tailoring Training project is based at New Hope Academy. Women learn pattern cutting, hand sewing and treadle machine sewing, enabling them to earn an income and support their families. Our Emmanuel House children’s home is on the same site. It provides a safe and loving home with caring Christian staff for twenty six children, who have been orphaned, either by the Ebola crisis or other tragedies, or rescued from other difficult home situations.
New Hope Church meets at our primary school, over two hundred adults and children are part of the church family, which reaches out with Jesus’s love to many surrounding communities. This outreach has led to regular evangelistic meetings in fourteen villages and to church plants at Lokomasama and Rogbaray villages. Evangelism is supported by practical help for communities, like the well we have been able to install at Lokomasama village (above right), providing fresh, clean water, and outreach clinics led by our nurse and midwife, who are based at New Hope Primary School and provide healthcare for families connected to the school too.
Rev. Michael sends his sincere thanks to all our supporters, “The International Aid Trust Ministry in Sierra Leone is full of gratitude for all your prayers and wonderful Christian Love!! Your prayers have always been our strength and encouragement to always give even more to the poor and needy. We continue to lift you up in our prayer for God’s continued blessings and love.”
We thank God for how he has blessed and grown our ministry in Sierra Leone, for the faith and dedication of Rev. Michael and Alice and all their team. We pray for them as they care for, minister to and support so many people living in very challenging circumstances.
Education in Sierra Leone Churches & Evangelism Hands of Dorcas Healthcare in Sierra Leone Emmanuel House
