The development arm of the Catholic Archdiocese of Freetown in Sierra Leone has been selected as the implementing partner of a project by the Healey International Relief Foundation (HealeyIRF), a development agency that seeks to improve health access in the West African country.
Announcing the new collaboration on November 18 at a press conference, Ishmael Alfred Charles, the Caritas Freetown Programs Manager and In-Country Manager for HealeyIRF Sierra Leone said that the foundation had been awarded a United States Agency International Development (USAID) grant through the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) program to support its work in Sierra Leone.
He said that in the new Innovate Your Future Project, Caritas Freetown would ensure that young people are equipped with innovative skills to start thinking about solving health challenges in the country.
“HealeyIRF will partner with Caritas Freetown to implement the Innovate Your Future Project. The project will focus on reaching at-risk youth in Sierra Leone and demonstrating to them how the values of teamwork, science, and innovation can help solve economic and healthcare challenges,” Mr. Ishmeal said.
He added, “Sierra Leone has a very young population with nearly 25 percent of the population between the ages of 10-19.”
The Caritas Freetown official said that the ASHA program works to strengthen local capacity and to increase mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries by funding projects at schools, libraries, and hospitals that highlight U.S. values.
He said that the award through the ASHA program would focus on “at-risk youth and improving health outcomes.”
To support the program, eight Universal Anesthesia Machines (UAM) will be purchased and placed at four faith-based hospitals throughout Sierra Leone.
Ishmael said that the UAM was selected for the project as it was specifically designed to address obstacles many hospitals face in Sierra Leone such as intermittent electricity supply and lack of medical oxygen.
He said that workshops and site visits will show the youth how the UAM is saving lives and improving health outcomes in their communities.
“Through these program efforts and other planned activities, the project objective is to have program participants feel more empowered over their future,” the In-Country Manager for HealeyIRF Sierra Leone said.
In his address at the press conference, Ben Parra Executive Director of HealeyIRF said that the ASHA grant is a significant step forward in the foundation’s work in Sierra Leone.
He said, “The UAMs will not only provide a needed resource to the health facilities we support, but our partner Caritas Freetown has long worked with at-risk youth and this will help enhance their project efforts in this critical area.”
The Executive Director of Caritas Freetown, Fr. Peter Konteh, in his statement, expressed optimism that through the HealeyIRF program and other planned activities, participants would feel more empowered.
Fr. Konteh noted that HealeyIRF has been working in Sierra Leone since 2001 and has partnered with Caritas Freetown on a variety of efforts including disaster relief, delivery of healthcare services and education in the country.
He said the Innovate Your Future Project will be a two-year effort but will have a long-lasting impact on program youth and communities through a greater understanding of each country’s shared values.
HealeyIRF has been working in Sierra Leone since 2001 and has partnered with Caritas Freetown on a variety of efforts including disaster relief, delivery of healthcare services, and education.
