Running for Sierra Leone

Hey, my name is David and I'm going to be running the 2024 Dublin Marathon and raising money in aid of Better Lives Foundation! You can find some information on the incredible work they do below. Thank you in advance for your generosity, every donation will help!

Charity Details:

Better Lives Foundation is a UK registered charity works to better people’s lives in Sierra Leone. Their aim is to provide FREE quality medical care to those in need, sponsoring education for health care independence, self-sufficiency, and self-supportive structure as well as raising standards of sanitation, hygiene, and access to clean water.

Their Yonibana Sai Hospital is the only hospital in Sierra Leone that offers treatment and surgeries completely free of charge to anyone who walks through its doors. Opened in 2009, it is fully-equipped with an operating theatre, dental room and optical services, with each medical department is headed by a senior UK Medical Consultant.

The Yoni area located in Tonkolli District (Sierra Leone) has a population of over 112,000 people. There are 360 villages in the area. The outreach teams visit the villages in rotation and refer anyone who is unwell back to Yonibana Sai Hospital. The hospital serves the area as well as patients from neighbouring areas, as it is the only hospital in the country serving local communities completely free of charge.

They help serve the community in three main areas:

Health: They have treated over 102,000 patients completely free of charge so far. Providing thousands of surgeries and treatments as well as travelling to villages nearby to facilitate preventative health care and other rural healthcare services. Through their malnutrition programme, they have also provided comprehensive care to over 1,733 children, ensuring they receive the vital nutrition they need to thrive.

Education: The foundation have committed to supporting schools in Yonibana by offering educational sponsorships to students from secondary through to graduate levels. Through their sponsorship scheme, they are deeply committed to nurturing professionals such as doctors, nurses, and teachers, providing them with the support they need to thrive, and extending assistance to various essential roles like electricians, carpenters, and plumbers, recognizing the invaluable contributions they make.

Social Care: Outreach programs deliver workshops aimed at preventing health issues, promoting well-being, and providing crucial social care support. They approach sensitive topics like sex education, and are committed to eradicating harmful practices like female genital mutilation. They are also utilising the 25 acres of land surrounding the Yonibana hospital, introducing various crop varieties, enriching the agricultural diversity of the area, and also generating employment opportunities for local communities.

The Better Lives Foundation is striving to empower communities and protect the vulnerable, fostering a brighter, healthier future for remote communities in Sierra Leone.

Further information available on their website - https://betterlivesfoundation.org/