WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL SIERRA LEONE CHILDREN’S CAMP

 

The Children’s Camp was started in 2008, several years after the 10-year Sierra Leone civil war, which involved roughly 10,000-14,000 children, child soldiers. Luc Aalmans, an ambassador for the nonprofit World Computer Exchange, visited Sierra Leone to follow up on the distribution of 200 computers that were being donated to various organizations. One of the organization was LemonAid, run by Dr. Nancy Peddle, who had founded a school in Freetown. Luc met Nancy, and they discussed how best to help the people in Sierra Leone. Luc also met Peter Kainwo of Mission4Salone, a pastor who was extremely active in the city of Bo; he took orphans off the street, placing them in an orphanage and with families, and helped feed the homeless while running his own church.

 

Peter and Luc decided to run a camp for children because people, especially the younger generation, had lost faith in humanity after the war. They thought that reaching as many young people as possible, even for a short time, would have a greater impact in lifting the country’s spirit than supporting a few children all year long. They turned to Nancy, who offered additional staff and training for volunteers. The Children’s Camp was born, and it has run every year, including during the Ebola crisis in 2014 and the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

This camp takes between 1,000 - 3,000 poor, often orphaned children who spend three days together. Teachers, nurses, cooks, police personnel, and volunteers gather to give the children a joyful holiday, with games, gifts, nutritious food, health checkups, and education about birth control and hygiene. A different location is picked every year, prioritizing forgotten areas or villages struck by disaster or famine. The main organizer is Peter, who has a core team that takes charge, supplemented by local volunteers. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of so many people across multiple continents who support this annual event.