As a young boy, Amara Foday enrolled in the Child Rescue Centre's Child Support Program, but dropped out of school at the end of Junior Secondary when he failed to pass the difficult BECE national exam for promotion to Senior Secondary. 

It's not an unusual occurrence for kids who come from backgrounds of extreme poverty in Sierra Leone, as they may be too disadvantaged to succeed academically by the time they start school,  hampered by a host of problems associated with poverty like early malnutrition, chronic illness, itinerancy, or family dysfunction.

In spite of these obstacles, Amara persevered in his desire to learn a marketable skill. He had stayed connected to the CRC and applied to the CRC for a Promise Scholarship to attend vo tech school. The CRC was pleased to offer Amara a scholarship to pursue vocational training at Sierra Leone Opportunities Industrialization Centre.  Amara used his scholarship to become a welding technician, a highly sought after skill in Sierra Leone as construction keeps pace with the population increase. 

Amara has now completed his welding program and will officially graduate in December. He is currently working with a team in Freetown to demolish the houses destroyed by mudslides last year.  

As he discusses his future, Amara has already started thinking about how to give back to his nation of Sierra Leone.  "My career plans are to own a private welding and metal workshop to employ and train youths on metal work, and with that I can contribute in nation building, " Amara told CRC Counselor Victor Kanu.  "The CRC has impacted my life in many ways, but more especially to make me to become somebody in the society by achieving my goal to be a welder and becoming independent," he added.

"My advice to a student hoping to earn a Promise Scholarship is to stay focused and work very hard in order to achieve the good result to develop ourselves and the country," Amara counsels aspiring scholars. "The CRC Promise scholarship means a lot to me, as it has helped me transformed my life, contributing to my family and the country as a whole." 

17 month old Mohamed, admitted to Mercy Hospital with severe anemia caused by malaria, would die if he didn't receive a blood transfusion, but his O negative blood type is extremely rare and none of his family members could donate.  ​Nurse Karen Hall, who was serving with the July UMVIM team, shares his blood type and gladly volunteered to donate. The family was so grateful to Karen, who truly saved their son's life.  Read Karen's story: 

"I was all set to go on our team's second medical outreach.  I had some time on my hands, so I was visiting with (Medical Programs Field Director Specialist) Kim Sprout at the MTC.  Gary, our team  doctor walked in pointed at me and said, "what's your blood type?"  I told him O negative and he looked like he had seen a ghost.  He explained that there was a baby with severe malaria and needed a transfusion.  It was virtually impossible to find O negative, and if they found it, it would not make it to Mercy in time to save the baby.  Apparently only 7% of the world's population has 0 negative blood type. Gary was not expecting any of the team to be a match.  Gary asked me if I was willing to donate, and of course I was.  Anyone on our team would have been.

Gary said he would let Mercy know and let me know what they said.  He must have run, because in no time he was back at the MTC.  I went to the lab and George (the Mercy lab manager) did a type and screen on my blood and the next thing I knew the donation had begun.  Before I knew it, the donation was complete.  I went over to Mercy to let the CHO Deborah know I was finished.  I started getting sick and she sent me upstairs to rest.

Over the next few hours, I found myself praying with all my heart that the baby would live, that the transfusion would be successful.  Before I left the hospital I peeked in on the baby.  The mom looked worried out of her mind.  I know that look.  The baby was receiving the transfusion at that time and was not looking so good.  I prayed with all my heart that this would be a story of life.  As we know HIs ways are not our ways and our hearts desires are not always the answer.  The spirit continues to whisper the same familiar thing..."trust me."  

That evening Gary had received a good report from Mercy and was very hopeful the transfusion was a success. Later that night there was a complete lunar eclipse, a blood moon.  It was only visible in the Southern Hemisphere.  I felt like I was in a living Bible story.  

So often it is hard to see our purpose.  To "know that we know that we know" that we are called to something or somewhere.  This one time, God gave my heart a beautiful gift too.  He gave me something that only I could do at that time.  He used something that He gave me when He knit me together in my mother's womb.  I think we all have times in our lives where we struggle with our purpose.  I have been in that season for a while now.  Not on that day or that night...and because of that beautiful gift, not today.   I know my purpose, to follow HIS voice.  

Sweet little Mohamed who was 17 months old went home the following Monday.  His family was full of thanks.  It was humbling to be thanked for something that had blessed our entire team.  Mohamed's family is Muslim, and I love it that on that day we were all one.  In it together.  Saving each other." 

On Saturday, July 14th, the Child Rescue Centre hosted a big multi-purpose event for many of the students enrolled in the CRC programs.  All the kids who attended were measured for school uniforms, and also had the opportunity to write to their sponsors. And of course, there was lots of time for sports, games, and socializing!

Uniforms are mandatory in Sierra Leone schools, and the expense is just one more obstacle in the way of poor families who want their children to get an education instead of going to work.  The Child Rescue Centre provides each enrolled student with the proper school uniform, shoes, belt, backpack, books and school supplies, without which they would not be allowed to attend school.  

There are nearly 100 schools approved for attendance by students enrolled in the CRC, and every school has a different color uniform. It's a marvelous sight every morning to see the sidewalks and pathways of Bo fill with children garbed in every hue of blue, green, red, gold, burgundy, pink, white and brown as they head off to school.  The tailors are going to be very busy over the next two months!