Mindfulness for Stress Teachers - Sierra Leone

Hi, my name is Julia, a Breathworks UK Mindfulness for Stress & Health teacher, teacher trainer and supervisor, who is passionate about supporting Sierra Leonean mindfulness teachers to grow their skills and share mindfulness techniques in relevant ways with people in their own communities and local organisations. I am fundraising to support some of the newly graduated Sierra Leonean mindfulness for stress teachers to offer their first "practice" course which counts as the final step in their accreditation process.

They completed an outreach version of the Breathworks Mindfulness for Stress Teacher Training with me in Freetown in January 2024.

The following teachers are ready to roll out their first courses

Samuel - Sierra Leonean Police Force, Freetown

Francess & Sulcut - Prison Officers at the Female Prison, Freetown

Teezo & ibrahim - Football Team, Makeni

Experience with Alimamy in Makeni, who has already started offering his practice course to school teachers, shows that it costs about £350-£400 for a local mindfulness teacher to offer an 8-session programme plus a preliminary introductory taster session to a group of 12 participants.

Your contributions would enable these teachers to cover their course running costs such as the provision of participant course materials, the purchase of training props and materials, routine stationery items, refreshments, transport costs and in some cases, the rental of a venue.

The teachers themselves barely survive on the income that they receive from other activities. The minimum monthly wage is 800 NLe (£32) whilst a sack of rice to feed a family of four for a month is 850 NLe (£35). The prices of basic commodities such as food and fuel continue to increase whilst salaries stay stagnant.

This funding will have a professional development impact for the teachers themselves, enabling them to become accredited. It will also enable them to share mindfulness as resource for wellbeing and stress management in a variety of communities where multiple hardships are the norm.