Sierra Leone has one of the lowest GDP per capita on earth. Its economy was devastated by the 2014/15 Ebola virus and downturn in world commodity prices. Dependent on budget support from the international community, less than 2% of the population have paid employment and over 60% earn less than £2 per day. Hundreds of thousands live in the most appalling slum conditions and many are annually made homeless by rainy season floods and landfalls. This situation has worsened during the COVID pandemic.
Home Leone is a charitable organisation around 5 years old. It has developed a plan to enable individuals and families to exit some of the most dreadful slums on earth. 20 acres of land, now named Destiny Village, was purchased and the plan is to eventually build 344 low cost homes, establish businesses, a health centre, a school, vocational training and entertainment facilities.
Currently on site there are 64 completed homes, of which Shanta Foundation has contributed the funds for 16 houses, with a plan for a further 300 homes. Along with the construction of components of the businesses of a chicken farm, bakery, water bagging plant and a water tower for provision of clean water, brick factory and garage. A 6-classroom block for the primary school is being well utlised. Following recruitment and teacher training, the school opened to about 100 pupils September 2019, and has continued to recruit teachers and pupils with around 300 students currently attending the school currently. There is a medical triage and healthcare pathway for the village. There has been provision of water infrastructure for the whole village, with a filtration system and solar pump.
The Project provides support for those urgently needing relief and live with significant financial hardship in the poorest slum areas of Freetown. They lack the most basic essentials of clean water, education, employment, healthcare and decent homes.
The vision is to enable 2,000 people to have a transformed life in this village. Each home that is built offers a family a new life with a direct cost of £4,700 each.
May 2024, The Shanta Foundation has sponsored a Primary Health Care Unit in Home Leone. The clinic will make a significant difference to the community in a nation where healthcare provisions are some of the worst on earth. There are 4 areas of focus at the Health Centre, mother and baby, dentistry, general practice, and pharmacy. In addition, there will be health education within the facility.
We expect the facility to ultimately serve a population of 5,000 people and should be complete towards the latter end of the year. It will improve health outcomes for these people providing basic provision in deprived community. The operational costs will be achieved through patients contributions for services and pharmacy, government funding of drugs for defined groups of people and initially some external support through international fund raising.
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