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

Frequently Asked Questions

Volunteers For Humanity
-- A Project of CADS Sierra Leone

Is the country of Sierra Leone safe for an international volunteer at the present time?

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.

American volunteer, Chad Simmons speaking about community development issues to the rural partners of CADS Sierra Leone. February, 2002.

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.

What safeguards does CADS provide for an American or European who wants to go to Sierra Leone to do humanitarian work?

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.

Does a volunteer needs an invitation from the Sierra Leone government?

The volunteer will be in Sierra Leone as a guest of CADS Sierra Leone. Therefore the center carries the responsibility to invite all volunteers coming to Sierra Leone as guests of CADS. The government, of course, will be informed about the volunteers presence in the country. As stated, the volunteer(s) will be registered with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leone Police as a visiting representative of CADS.

Will a Volunteer be going with a group of other young people?

Volunteer(s) are accepted as they apply. The center also accepts lone volunteers who will come into the country to work with other volunteers already in Sierra Leone, and in some cases the center will get volunteers to work in projects of the Government of Sierra Leone and projects of the United Nations.

Will there be protection for a volunteer and others who plan on going through CADS in Sierra Leone?

Certainly, there is total protection for a volunteer and others who plan on going through CADS Sierra Leone.

Will there be U.S. or European agencies there to protect volunteers who want to lend a helping hand to the people of Sierra Leone?

The US Embassy and European Embassies like the British High Commission, the German Embassy in Freetown has resident staff that obviously help Americans and European on the ground in Sierra Leone if at all they actually need help. Primarily, there is the United Nations that helps all of us in Sierra Leone by the peacekeeping efforts it is vigorously sustaining.

General Notes:

Generally, CADS is a non-governmental organization with 10 years experience in NGO work, and its key staff had traveled the world at large participating in development conferences, workshops and seminars. Most of them graduates from Fourah Bay College , the University of Sierra Leone, and the center's President and CEO, Mr. Kenday "Ken" Kamara, is also a Salzburg (Austria) Fellow (On Sustainable Rural Community Development - Sponsored by the Kellog Foundation of the United States), and an accredited member of the International Professionals Who's Who Historical Society.

We also invite you to visit our CADS Global Network website to read more about our programs in Sierra Leone.

You see, very sad, but true, Sierra Leone is a country that has generally been "garbaged" by some Sierra Leoneans supported by some western arms producing corporations. Atrocities perpetrated by rebels, still raw. But that notwithstanding, CADS Sierra Leone still values the total attention and involvement of international volunteers because we believe, we and our volunteers share deep beliefs and treasure the fundamental value of sustainable stability, peace and development of nations.

Our goal is to enlist those Sierra Leoneans and friends of Sierra Leone we believe will help make a difference between winning and losing the struggle over the consequences of the rebel war Vs. sustainable stability, peace and development of nations".

You see, our volunteers are part of what we call, the "saving grace" of our society. Caring thinking people who truly understand:

* the need to urgently and systematically rebuild war ravaged Sierra Leone through the grand plan of CADS;

* and pursue the strong desire to re-establish a firm economic and social foundation through the design and implementation of desired and realistic action-oriented development programs;

* also the need to urgently and systematically provide the right advocacy for the international community to show the same commitment they are showing to the Kuwaitis, the Kossovars, among others, to 4 million of Sierra Leoneans at risk from war, disease and famine in Sierra Leone; a commitment that would also support and value the dignity of Sierra Leonean refugees and asylees, and the internally displaced of Sierra Leone, promote their self worth and independence, and continuously strive to encourage them to add their voices to conflict resolution for stability in Sierra Leone, through CADS.

Right now, we are all in Sierra Leone becoming a helpless witness to a state of human folly:

* Where Sierra Leone is caught in an extreme downward economic spiral and where so called international development agencies still have not agreed on any conclusive action for Sierra Leone's economic recovery;

* Where more than half of Sierra Leone's 4 million people go hungry in an $11 trillion world economy which has enough productive capacity to produce sufficient food for all;

* Where machinery and skills lie idle in the advanced nations while they are badly needed by the developing world, and the world has yet not discovered as genius to match this idle capacity and these unmet needs;

* Where about 100,000 children die every year from severe malnutrition waiting for only $400,000 a year, to rescue majority of them from this fate; while Sierra Leone must pay millions of dollars to external debtors despite our stagnating economy, our declining incomes and our starving people;

* While the UN specialized agencies and many local NGOs like CADS Sierra Leone go begging for money to sustain critical programs in education, health, food nutrition and technical assistance, while only two days of world armament expenditure would suffice to fund all their budgets;

* Where half a million of the best scientists in the world are employed on research for weapons of even greater destruction, while so little science and technology is applied to exploit the development potential of the poor lands;

* Where governments, both in the North and South, keep buying more weapons only to end up with less security.

This state of affairs is not a very flattering tribute to human sanity. And the outcome is going to rest on how much sustainable development - loving Sierra Leoneans and friends of Sierra Leone like our volunteers are willing to contribute towards overcoming these problems.

That's why CADS must seek hundreds of caring, committed friends of Sierra Leone to our volunteer drive this year and next year. This is the level of support that will be required to effectively prevail on the problems troubling Sierra Leone as we advance our struggle against poverty of a nation worn out by over ten years of war. We believe we have a great opportunity not only to defend, but also to positively advance the values our volunteers and us share. With our volunteers help the sustainable stability, peace and development each of us cherishes can be realized and strengthened. But only if we all do our part.

Again the safety of all our volunteers is reassured. CADS staff will at all times be with our volunteers and our volunteers only work in areas that are undoubtedly safe, at this time, in the capital city of Freetown and its Peninsula environs.

The Role of Our Volunteers:

Our volunteers will mostly be working with action teams, citizen-based organizations interested in asserting responsibility for their own destiny, providing leadership to enable communities to achieve self empowerment, sustainable community development and an enriched quality of life. CADS as a salient example, is an action-team-citizen-based organization with an agenda conceived as an excellent blue print for the development action that Sierra Leone needs to take. Our membership is diverse and open to any one or community association or group who want to get involved in our work. And we do make a special effort to include people who have been left out of the development process in the past, especially the poor with lower income.

In some cases the volunteer helps with the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations Development Program in Sierra Leone through their many developmental projects in the country.

We hope that our FAQ page has provided helpful information about volunteering with CADS Sierra Leone, about our programs and work within Sierra Leone and our ongoing campaigns to tackle disadvantage. And we would like you to know that CADS is committed to your safety while volunteering in Sierra Leone to help our people.

"Reflect that in reality you have a greater need to serve the poor than they have of your service." St. Angela Merici.

CADS Sierra Leone
Anticipates Charity by Preventing Poverty.

CADS Wish List of Needed Equipment and Supplies:

People often ask what they can donate to help CADS, the people of Sierra Leone. As with most nonprofits, we need money to help sustain our programs. In addition to money, the following is a list of items we can use.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT- generator, hammers, drills, drill bits, screwdrivers, circular saws, chain saws, table saws, jig saws, pliers, wrenches, shovels, hoes, breaker bars, tape measures, levels, trowels, paint brushes and rollers, axes, tool boxes, safety glasses, etc.

CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES - door knobs, hinges, light switches, wall sockets, locks, latches, hooks, paint, etc.

OFFICE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES - computers, printers, typewriters, copy machines, paper, pencils, pens, computer disks, disk drives, fax machines, modems, calendars, notebooks, telephones, desks, clocks, chairs, paper clips, staplers, staples, folders, binders, hole punchers, staple removers, etc.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES -

1. Teaching Materials - chalk, maps, globes, dictionaries, erasers, etc.
2. Art Supplies - paint, paint brushes, paper, crayons, pastels, clay, etc.
3. Sporting Equipment - balls of all shapes and sizes, bats, rackets, basketball, soccer, and volleyball nets, basketball rims, hats, gloves, etc.
4. Books and Toys

MEDIA EQUIPMENT - television sets, video players, video cameras, video tape, cameras, 35 mm film (both slide and print), slide projectors, etc.

FIRST AID SUPPLIES - bandages, Band-Aids, aspirin, first aid kits, bee sting kits, rubber gloves, tweezers, scissors, etc.

VEHICLES - That old car or van will help our rural projects.

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

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Volunteers For Humanity
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