disaster relief

sierra leone communinty in minnesota

SLCM’s programing in Sierra Leone includes support for disaster victims. Two recent tragic events in Sierra Leone highlight SLCM’s contributions to disaster relief.

The Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, and Guinea outbreak of early 2014 was unprecedented, infecting over 28,000 people and causing about 11,00 deaths. Sierra Leone lost 10 percent of its roughly 130 medical doctors, and several nurses and medical personnel. The gravity and fatality rates brought predictable social and economic instabilities to one of the world’s poorest nations.

SLCM provided food and cash support for families in affected areas in the capital and in major cities in the provinces. SLCM collected over US$50,000 worth of medical supplies which were loaded on a 40-ft container and shipped to Sierra Leone for distribution. Our main partners were the Sierra Leone government Ministry of Health in Freetown, and Rural Health Initiative (RHCI) in Tikonko. RHCI (https://rhcimnsl.org/)  is a maternal and child health organization that was spun off from SLCM.

On August 14, 2017, mudslides created by heavy rains and poor infrastructural management devastated Regent village and surroundings in western area of Freetown. Houses were crushed and people were buried, many without recovery, under the mudslides. Over 800 people lost their lives.

SLCM responded with donations of rice and cash donations to families in government encampment. Donations collected and distributed totaled over US$15,000 in December 2017 and January 2018. SLCM stayed followed up with the families a year later to evaluate their conditions with additional cash and material support. All distributions came from generous donations within the Sierra Leone community residing in Minnesota.

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