Directory

Handicap International

Address

43 Freetown Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Telephone

(022) 235162

Fax

(022) 230522

E-mail

Website

http://www.handicap-international.us/in-the-world/states-of-...

Visited

57

Faced with the urgent need for services and means and with the specific situation involving upper limb amputations, Handicap International began working in Sierra Leone in 1996.



The aim was to provide support and assistance to the victims of the atrocities perpetrated during the years of civil war. These atrocities ranged from amputation and laceration to rape and other crimes etc. Many children were also separated from the families whereas others were the victims of or witnesses to these atrocities. The impact on the population of Sierra Leone who found themselves caught up in one of the most brutal conflicts of the decade, was devastating. The crisis obviously severely hindered Handicap International's work: with the evacuation of expatriates (May 1997, December 1998 and May 2000) the suspension of activities in Bo and the interruption of activities in Makeni since May 2000 due to security issues. All these difficulties had repercussions on the implementation of our programme during this period. However since 2000 Handicap International has been able to stabilise activities and gradually shift from emergency programmes to long-term development projects. These activities are mainly focussed on providing psychological care for the victims of the war , in particular former child soldiers and street children, and on the physical rehabilitation sector through the training of orthopaedic technicians and physiotherapists. The organisation provides the materials and the equipment necessary to manufacture these prostheses.