Welcoming Ganda Bassie as Deputy Director of the Child Reintegration Centre

Helping Children Worldwide is delighted to join as committed allies of UMC SLAC and the Child Reintegration Centre (CRC) to welcome Mr. Ganda Bassie as their CRC Deputy Director, marking a deeply meaningful and full-circle moment in the life of the organization.
Ganda’s story is not only one of professional growth, but one that is deeply connected to the early history of the CRC. As one of the first children welcomed into the Centre in 2000, he spent part of his childhood in residential care during a time when systems for supporting children within families and communities were still developing. His journey reflects both the realities of that period and the progress that has since been made toward promoting and strengthening family-based care.

​During his time at CRC, Ganda demonstrated early leadership and a strong sense of responsibility, serving as Children’s Voice President and advocating for the well-being and representation of his peers. These early experiences helped shape his lifelong commitment to service and to improving the lives of children.

Today, he returns not as a child in care but as a leader committed to ensuring that children are supported within families and communities whenever possible. His work reflects a clear belief that children thrive best in safe, stable, and nurturing family environments, and that systems must be designed to support and strengthen those families.

Ganda holds both a Diploma and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Development Studies. Following his university education, he founded the Child Welfare and Development Project, an initiative dedicated to supporting vulnerable children with access to education. He has also volunteered alongside mission teams at the CRC and served with the United Methodist Missions and Development Office (UMDO) as a Community Facilitator on a three-year pilot project focused on strengthening gender-based violence prevention and response in Moyamba District, working closely with the communities of Mokorewa and Foya Lappia.

His leadership extends beyond individual programs. Ganda currently serves as President of the Child Reintegration Centre Alumni Association and leads the Sierra Leone Network of Care Leavers (SLNCL). Through this work, he champions the rights and voices of care-experienced individuals, including children who have grown up in residential care or without adequate parental care. His efforts focus on strengthening family-based solutions, preventing unnecessary family separation, improving policies and services, and ensuring that children are supported to grow up in safe, loving families within their communities. He is also committed to ensuring that individuals with lived experience play a meaningful role in shaping the systems and reforms that affect their lives.

In 2025, Ganda’s leadership was recognized on a global stage when he was selected for the highly competitive Community Solutions Program, emerging as one of just 65 participants chosen from more than 12,600 applicants worldwide. As part of the program, he traveled to the United States, where he completed a three-month practicum with the Youth Advocate Program in Houston, Texas, demonstrating exceptional performance and deepening his experience in community-based approaches to child welfare.

What stands out most about Ganda is not simply his accomplishments, but the perspective he brings. He understands the CRC not only as an institution, but as part of a broader journey of transformation—from a time when residential care was more common, to a future firmly focused on strengthening families and communities.

His leadership reflects this shift. While his own life was shaped in part by time spent in care, his vision is rooted in ensuring that children today grow up in families, not institutions. As Scripture reminds us, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8). Ganda lives out this calling through his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children and families.

As Deputy Director, Ganda will play a critical role in advancing CRC’s mission to protect children, strengthen families, and promote sustainable, family-based care solutions. His appointment represents not only continuity but progress, demonstrating what is possible when families are strengthened, communities are supported, and children are able to grow up in safe and loving homes. 
​
We are encouraged by the passion, lived experience, and servant leadership he brings to this role. His journey is a powerful reminder that the goal is not institutional care, but transformed lives and strengthened families.
Please join us in welcoming Ganda Bassie and praying for wisdom, strength, and continued impact as he steps into this important leadership role.