Empowering disabled people in Sierra Leone through education and training

The Dorothy Springer Trust [DST] was formed in 2006 and registered with the Charity Commission as a Charity in England and Wales (Charity Registration Number: 1120537) in 2007.  

Our Vision 

Our vision for the Dorothy Springer Trust is encapsulated as: an established charity that will enable disabled people in Sierra Leone to support themselves and their families through skilled employment, allowing them to participate more fully as equal members of society"

Our Mission

Our mission in the next five years (from 2008) is to advance the prospects of disabled people in Sierra Leone through education and vocational training, with a focus on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT). This is outlined formally in our governing documents as:

1. The advancement of the education of disabled people in Sierra Leone in particular but not exclusively through vocational and educational training

2. To develop the capacity and skills of the disabled members of the socially and economically disadvantaged community of Sierra Leone in such a way that they are better able to identify and help meet their needs and to participate more fully in society.  

Our Core Values

The core values in DST are:

• High Standards - We are committed to complying with the law and UK Charity Commission regulations, including those that apply to data protection and health and safety.
  
  
• Accountability - We are committed to channelling all money raised directly to relevant projects that seeks to improve the plight of disabled people in Sierra Leone. Therefore, DST Trustees and volunteers are not paid for their services and all travel undertaken by them is 100% self-financed.
  
  
• Transparency - We are committed to be transparent in all that we do and to undertake regular monitoring and evaluation of our projects. 

Our Strategy

The key themes for our strategy in the next five years are:

• Sponsorship in education and training - Working with local organisations in Sierra Leone to select disabled people to undergo ICT training and certification to an advanced level. (Partner organisations will provide the training).
  
  
• Operation of employment agency - Exploring the possibilities of setting up a centre that will support disabled people after they are trained, by acting as a niche agency for recruitment and the provision of ICT services to businesses and other organisations.

We are convinced that this project will enable disabled people who have the potential to achieve a high level of competence and who complete the training to find regular employment in Sierra Leone—today and, increasingly so, in the future. This is an aspiration that is all but impossible at the moment.