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May PEACE Prevail in Sierra Leone!
May PEACE Prevail on Earth!

Volunteers for Humanity
A Project of CADS Sierra Leone

Background:

Since independence, the Sierra Leone political landscape has experienced tremendous upheavals. In spite of the massive natural wealth in valuable minerals, agricultural and hydro electric potential, fishing and forest products, paradoxically, Sierra Leone has dropped at the very bottom of the world's poorest countries.

Like most other countries in Africa, corruption, mismanagement are the simple most pointers to this problem, aggravated by a war waged by the so called rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) with its consequent plunder of the country's infrastructure and its economy; and by army indiscipline who keep using force of arms to install themselves in power at will sustaining a vicious cycle of arrested development.

Against this dismal background, and with hope of an end in sight of the conflict that has so badly affected the country, Sierra Leone needs the support of international volunteers to bring in their expertise to help in the rehabilitation of the country.

Volunteers for Humanity will seek international experts to work with the center and with local business support organizations, trade associations and other non-governmental organizations, and who will commit themselves to promote free enterprise and democracy by assisting, instructing and inspiring people, businesses and organizations in Sierra Leone.

The project will encourage teams of volunteers from the developed countries to come to Sierra Leone to live and work with local people on human and economic development projects CADS and other NGOs are pursuing.

CADS will coordinate placement of volunteers, expecting volunteers energy, creativity and wide range of experiences are efficiently put to use and at the same time ensuring volunteers gain a genuine, firsthand understanding of Sierra Leone and her culture, with a serious intent to discover Sierra Leone's way of life.

After so many years of instability and infrastructural damages in Sierra Leone, Volunteers for Humanity hopes to attract benevolent citizens from developed countries to donate their time and expertise to help repair roofs, paint classrooms, construct desks and chairs, to help with general building projects, to teach school children, or those with medical background or interest to assist at local clinics, or help local farmers develop new agricultural techniques for more productivity, or physicians, nurses, dentists and physical therapists to volunteer in hospitals or provide basic computer instructions.

For many years Sierra Leone has been the center stage of rebel activities, coup d'etats, and undemocratic governance. The hardest hit in this unfortunate scenario are defenseless Sierra Leonean civilians, mostly women and children. Thousands have died and the country's infrastructure has suffered the most wanton and irreparable destruction in the peace time history of Sierra Leone.

A nation so much endowed with both human and natural resources, capable of providing enough for its staggering four and half million people has been reduced to the ignoble level of being the poorest nation on earth. Medical supplies inadequate, nutrition very poor, and access to education limited. Sierra Leone therefore needs help more than any other developing country. And the role of volunteers in the process of rehabilitating Sierra Leone cannot be under-estimated.

Why Volunteer in Sierra Leone?

Volunteers for Humanity fosters the great desire to learn more about Sierra Leone, and her culture, with a serious intent to discover her way of life. The project builds personal and institutional relationships.

It breaks down barriers, promotes dialogue and learning and enhances mutual understanding between Sierra Leone and the people of other countries.

American volunteer with CADS officers, Chad Simmons pouring libation at Songo, Sierra Leone. February, 2002. 

Generally, Sierra Leone is a warm country in all senses of the word; it takes a little getting used to. Vague judgements and criticisms serve only to hinder this. There are easygoing people and their friendly good manners, the beautiful coastline, the wildlife and the forests. In the first weeks it helps to remember this; after that you will only occasionally need reminding.

Sierra Leone is a country on the elbow of Africa , on the west of the continent. It got its rather poetic name from a Portuguese sea captain, Pedro da Cintra, who sailed southwards down the coast of West Africa and saw the long range of mountains of what is now the Freetown Peninsula, which he called Serra Lyoa. Its exact meaning is not clear, but its gist is "lion-like mountains" - whether he thought lions lived here, or whether the sound of thunder resembled his idea of their roaring, or whether he thought the mountains lion-shaped history does not relate, but the name stuck. In the sixteenth century an English sailor called it serraliona; by the seventeenth it was Sierra Leona, and by 1787, it was the Sierra Leone Company which was the first of several British administrations.

A satisfying shape, almost circular, the country is about 215 miles from north to south and from east to west, and, about 185 from northeast to southeast and northwest to southeast. It has 212 miles of coastline and shares 397 miles with its large neighbor, French-speaking Guinea, and 158 miles with Liberia to the east.

Its area is 27,925 square miles (73,326 kilometers) - to put this in perspective, it is 2.5 times the size of Belgium, and a little smaller than Scotland. It would fit into Sudan, Africa's largest state, 35 times.

The capital is Freetown, in the center of the northern seaboard of the Freetown Peninsula. Sierra Leone became a sovereign state within the Commonwealth on 27 April, 1961, thus ending its British Administration. Before this date its official title was The colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone; in 1971, the country became a republic, with the official title of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

The Head of State is the President, His Excellency Alhaji Tejan Kabbah.

Volunteer Programs and Services:

Volunteers are expected to bring with them an extraordinary in-depth of experience and expertise. And they will be engaged in:

- Humanitarian Work
- Non-governmental organization development
- Training on the role of government in market economy.
- Technical and managerial assistance for small and medium sized enterprises.
- Export and joint venture development.
- Market research and marketing services.
- Teaching English to adults and school children
- International programming with women's empowerment groups.
- Observing and assisting local doctors, explore different treatments for simple ailments
- Perform many more important tasks.
- Technology transfer services.

Sierra Leone In Brief:

Head of State: H.E. President Alhaji Tejan Kabbah
Government: Democratic Republic
National Flag: Green, White and Blue
Area: 27,925 sq. miles/73,326 sq. kilometers)
Population: c. 4.5 million
Capital: Freetown
Commercial Center: Freetown
Main Airport: Lungi International Airport
Departure Tax: Payable for all flights
Languages: Official - English
Lingua Franca: Krio
Tribal: Bassa, Bullom, Fula, Kisi, Kono, Koranko, Krim, Kroo, Limba, Loko, Maninka, Mende, Sherbro, Susu, Temne, Vai, Yalunka.
Religions: Christianity and Islam Local
Time: GMT
Climate: Tropical with temperatures averaging 26 degrees (80 degrees F). Dry season is from November to April.
Currency: Leone (Le) = 100 cents.
Currency restrictions: Import and export of currency subject to declaration.
Entry Requirements: Valid Passport and return air ticket. Visas arranged by CADS.
Health: Doctors and dentists available except in remote areas. Health precautions recommended against Malaria, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Cholera and Hepatitis.
Communication: Fax, email, telephone, telegrams and telex. Country Code: (232-22)
Driving: Valid International Driving License. Sierra Leone drives on the right.
Banks: The bank of Sierra Leone, Union Trust Bank, Sierra Leone Commercial Bank.

Climate:

There are two main seasons in Sierra Leone, wet and dry, with short transitionary period before and after each. Dry is very dry, and runs from about the end of November to the beginning of March, when the clouds start gathering, and the air becomes heavy with humidity and the promise of storms. These begin gently, at night, and rinse out the dust from the air which has gathered over the previous months. In the mornings, the atmosphere is fresh and clear, and you feel you can breathe more easily.

Wet is very wet indeed. At its worst, from July to September. Thunder and lightning, and heavy rain, make the storms dramatic. From April to July the rain can be very heavy and prolonged. May is the first month with more than 4 inches on average. Along the coast, and over the eastern plateaux edge, at least two months out of July, August and September are a washout, receiving more than 20 inches of rain, and possibly even up to 30.

Another transitory period is before the dry season, from late November to mid December, when it is hot (from about 70 degrees F, 21 degrees C, to 90 degrees F, 32 degrees C), relative humidity is high , and there is the occasional night thunderstorm. Then, until mid February, the temperature is hot during the days, and much cooler at night (in the north sometimes as low as 7 degrees C 45 degrees F), with little humidity. The cool harmattan wind comes from wintering Europe via the Sahara carrying with it red dust, which clogs up the horizon. From mid February till April or May, days and nights are hot, and the humidity rises. There is no rain, and the atmosphere is oppressive, with wind low and westerly. This weather pattern can be flexible. The wet season of 1988, for instance, was unrelentingly soggy, while in 1989, many weekends were sparkingly clear and sunny, and the days fresh and not unlike the best of a European summer.

Physical Regions:

The Freetown Peninsula is the only part of the coast which has a range of mountains which run from near Lumley down towards Kent, and then on to the Banana Islands, roughly in an arc.

The Coastal Plain in the southwest, below the Peninsula, is a flattish, occasionally swampy area, with mangrove swamps or sandy soil.

The Interior Plain is less than 150 meters (500 feet) above sea level on the whole, with occasional rock outcrops reaching well above, 1,000 feet - the Okra Hills on the main Freetown/MaSiaka Road, the Kasewe Hills, and those near Lunsar where iron ore comes from.

Running northwest to southeast are the "bolilands" (In Temne, boli means flat grasslands without trees), basin-like depressions which accumulate water and soil during the rainy season that are ploughed for wetland rice.

Interior Plateaux and Hill Region, of which most is over 300 meters (1,000 feet) is part of the Guinea Highlands. It has the greatest variety of land forms from flat savannah to rock escarpments and hills. It has the Loma Mountains and flat-topped Mount Bintumani, the highest in the country at 1,945 meters (6,380 feet) and the Kambui-Nimini Hills in the West.

Security Situation:

The Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) program is at the heart of providing total security for all volunteers from the United States and Europe visiting to help the people of Sierra Leone. CADS would like to assure you that Government of Sierra Leone, fully supported by the United Nations, is aware of its responsibility to ensure that the country is safe and physically secure for people, safe for the reinstatement of administrative and social services, and safe for business.

Representatives of United Nations agencies, international institutions, and the Sierra Leone government have all expressed commitment to continue to support humanitarian and economic needs and the sustaining of civil authority in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone is now generally enjoying an improved security situation. Sierra Leone has the largest number of deployed UN peacekeepers providing security, and the Sierra Leone police, now headed by a British National, is disciplined and focussed more than ever before.

And for you to believe that the country is safer, the United Nations is proceeding with the second phase of its arms destruction program at the Nigerian Battalion Headquarters in Freetown. Over 7,600 weapons collected during the disarmament process are being destroyed with the assistance of GTZ and MAPCO. As in phase one of the program, the weapons will be converted into agricultural implements with the participation of ex-combatant trainees from the GTZ and MAPCO training centers. The tools will then be distributed to beneficiaries of reintegration programs. The process is expected to continue through December 10.

Meanwhile, a total of 30,295 ex-combatants had turned in their weapons, exceeding UN estimates of the number of combatants to be disarmed. And UN is pleased with recent cooperation by the rebels and the pro-government Civil Defense Forces, and it is hoped that disarmament would be completed nationwide by the November 30 deadline set by the UN.

CADS, as a registered non-governmental organization, fully cooperates with the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations in pursuing the national peace and development objectives of the country. As such, the center very well works with the Government of Sierra Leone and the UN, and the Sierra Leone Police, to make sure all its volunteers are fully protected.

It is our policy that as soon as a volunteer of CADS arrives in the country, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leone Police are immediately notified by registering the volunteer as a visiting representative of CADS.

Travel Arrangements for Volunteers:

Upon arrival at the Lungi International Airport volunteers will meet representatives of CADS who will take them to into the heart of Freetown, as guests of the center.

The volunteers' first week is a settling period spent in the city of Freetown. Residential facilities include well furnished bedrooms, highly hygienic bathrooms with running water, comfortably furnished living rooms, dining rooms, store rooms and laundry facilities.

Traditional nourishing African dishes will be provided.

Light and airy cloths, sun lotion, an umbrella and some flip flaps as travel items for volunteers.

Mosquitoes are rife, so volunteers should ask their doctors to provide them with anti-malarial tablets and insect repellant cream, and immunization jabs.

Registration and Service Program Fees:

Registration Fees: A registration fee of US$750 or equivalent is required for all international volunteers, payable one month in advance before arrival. This fees entitles volunteers to registration certificates, reading materials, one audio-visual documentary on Sierra Leone dispatched by DHL to the registered volunteers before their arrival in Freetown.

Service Program Fees: Service program fees are paid in cash in US$ or equivalent. At least 60% of service program fees payable in advance, before arrival of volunteer in Freetown (for residence arrangements, among other arrangements to be made for the volunteer in good time for his arrival). The service program fees include accommodation costs, orientation, course materials, food, transportation, entertainment, etc.

High cost of living in the country aggravated by ten years of instability has left us with no reasonable alternative but to increase our service program fees in order for us to be able to provide adequate residential services.

Short Term Volunteer Fees: Minimum Three weeks - Maximum Six Weeks: US$2,780

Long term Volunteers Fees: Minimum Seven Weeks - Maximum Sixteen Weeks: US$3,980.

Airfare: Airfare is additional. Volunteers undertake their travel arrangements. Recommended routes: through Dakar, Senegal or Abidjan, Ivory Coast to Freetown International Airport at Lungi.

Method of Payment: By wire transfer to CADS Sierra Leone Account.
Details of our Account in Freetown:
In Account With: Union Trust bank Ltd. - PMB 1237, Lightfoot Boston Street, Freetown -- Sierra Leone, West Africa.
Account Type: Current
Account Number: 210 - 007704 - 01

Union Trust Bank -- Sierra Leone Ltd. Corresponding Bank in the United States Details: Sent Code: 40-05-15N
HSBC New York, USA
140 Broadway -- B Level
NEW YORK, NY 10005 - 1180
United States of America

To Contact Us About Volunteer Opportunities Write To:

The International/Resident Coordinator
CADS Global Network - USA Office
1361 S. Irving Str.
Denver, CO 80219
United States of America

Tel: 1-720-351-5520
Fax: 1- 303 937-3798
Email: CadsIntlPrograms@aol.com

Or

The National Coordinator
CADS Sierra Leone Headquarters
61 Sackville Street
PMB 1290
Freetown -- Sierra Leone
West Africa

Tel: (232 22) 225051
Fax: (232 22) 224439
Email: cadssaleone@hotmail.com

Visit Our
Frequently Asked Questions
page for further Information about our Volunteer For Humanity Program!

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