Daru Village

Sierra Leone

We provide programs for the 300 orphaned and abandoned children in the village of Daru in Sierra Leone’s Kailahun District. Kailahun district is the Easternmost province in Sierra Leone, bordering Liberia, and it is also the region that was hit the hardest by the 11-year civil war. The children we serve were orphaned during the conflict, and many were forced into combat as child soldiers. Since 2001, most of the children have been living with foster families who treat them as little more than indentured servants, refusing to pay school fees and forcing adopted children to engage in grueling daily chores. For many of the children in this region, our programs are the only available opportunity for free vocational training. In this context, our programs provide emotional rehabilitation through the arts in addition to career opportunities and routes to financial autonomy.

Our programs include instruction in batik fabric dyeing, embroidery, screen printing, painting, dance, singing and drumming. We provide year-round, twice-weekly group lessons and annual two-week immersive arts camps. Students have the opportunity for free private instruction and apprenticeship training with our skilled artists.