THE DOROTHY SPRINGER TRUST 

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News and Media

The Sierra Leone First Lady Launches the DST Sponsorship Programme: 20-March-2010 
Dr Abs Dumbuya, Founder and Chief Executive of the Dorothy Springer Trust is in Sierra Leone on a 12-months sabbatical (with the kind permission of TRL, his employer) to set up an application process for sponsoring disabled people and organise the training process for the successful candidates. He will also begin to investigate future job opportunities for the trainees and build a local team to take forward the activities of the charity in country.

After concerted efforts of fundraising, publicity inviting candidates to apply for scholarship and a rigorous interview and selection process, the Dorothy Springer Trust has awarded educational scholarships to three disabled people to undergo advanced Information Communication & Technology (ICT) training and certification.

The DST is a UK registered charity whose aim is to advance the prospects of disabled people in Sierra Leone, in particular through education and vocational training, with a focus on ICT. The DST is 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 will but impossible at the moment.

The Sierra Leone First Lady, Madam Sia Koroma launched the DST sponsorship programme on Tuesday 9th February 2010 at the British Council, Freetown. Scholarships were awarded to three successful disbled applicants, Sheka Conteh, Adonis Koroma and Sylvester Mansaray. The sponsorship programme is a comprehensive package consisting of full tuition fees, professional examination fees (Microsoft Professional and Cisco certifications), travelling, accommodation and living costs. In officially launching the programme, the First Lady described the programme as laudable and stated that the programme will not only provide training for the beneficiaries but also provide them with job opportunities after the successful completion of their course. Madam Koroma mentioned that ICT has been regarded as a basic skill that has become a vital part of the lives of people and stated that once they are gainfully employed they will regain their self-esteem and there will be an improvement in the quality of their lives so that they can contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.

There was also strong support from the current government, including statements from the Minister of Social Welfare, Representative from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the keynote address from the Minister of State, representing the Vice President. Invited IT industry speakers from Tiwai Memory Masters and Zain, provided informative presentation on current Sierra Leone ICT policy and job opportunities in the telecommunication industry. The chairman, who is technical advisor to the Vice President on ICT, delivered a smooth running programme and held everything together excellently!

All the feedback has shown that the day was a great success! There was good turnout from a cross section of Sierra Leoneans including representatives from disabled organisations, education, banks, IT industry, faith organisations, etc. There was a lot of media interest, with BBC World Service ‘Focus on Africa’, UN Radio Tea-break, SLBS TV and other radio stations and print media all reporting the event. This has also led to international media, especially in the UK, following the story of the launch.

The event has demonstrated that DST has certainly taken a step forward towards achieving its vision of being recognised as an established charity, beginning to challenge society and help change the lives of many disabled people in Sierra Leone. 

DST and INCLUDE NGO in Sierra Leone signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): 12-February-2010
DST and INCLUDE (INitiative for Changing Lives for Ultimate Disability Empowerment) based in Sierra Leone recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together to develop and run a programme to provide education, training and facilitate the process of getting disabled people employed in Sierra Leone. This project will contribute to the development of Sierra Leone information and knowledge economy through business activities with partners. INCLUDE is a local NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) registered  with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (NNGO/085) and the Ministry Of Social Welfare Gender and Children's Affairs (NNGO/012) of Sierra Leone. It promotes and supports programmes aimed at raising the status and welfare of people with disabilities and disadvantaged people throughout the country DST was formed with the aim of advancing the prospects of disabled people in Sierra Leone through education and vocational training, with a focus on Information Communication and Technology. DST is now looking to develop more strategic partnerships with organisations that share similar interests and values. 

Publications and Press Articles.

DST Newsletter can be downloaded in PDF [July 2008, Sept 2009]. 

Annual Reports [2006-07, 2007-08]

Awoko Newspaper (Sierra Leone) - DST Article

United Nations Radio (Sierra Leone) News Bulletin - DST Interview Article

The Spectator Newspaper (Sierra Leone) - DST Article

Bracknell and Wokingham Standard (UK) - DST Article

For Archived News - click here.  

How to Help Us


Donate
As we continue to make a difference to the lives of many disabled people in Sierra Leone, we are looking to raise £20,000 in the next twelve months. Part of our sponsorship of IT trainees will involve paying their fees, travelling costs and maintenance, including board and lodging or local accommodation. As our beneficiaries become qualified, additional resources will be required to set up the DST Agency, which will offer IT recruitment and services.

You can donate in several ways: Through our charity giving page, download our donation form and send a cheque made payable to "The Dorothy Springer Trust" to this address. You can also help us raise funds by downloading our sponsorship form. Thank you for supporting us

Donate Online Now

Planned giving
Planned giving allows you to combine your personal financial objectives with your charitable giving goals. You can do this by offering to sponsor individual candidates, provide learning material and equipment, planned legacy sponsorship, etc. If you want to support us this way, please contact us directly.

Volunteers
Do you have expert knowledge, skills in computers/ICT or simply want to find out more about the people we are supporting? We need your help with training disabled students and their teachers. This might involve self-funded overseas travel to Sierra Leone. You could make a BIG difference in the lives of so many disadvantaged people by giving your time and leaving a lasting legacy. Please click here to join our team.

How your money is spent

2007/2008
In 2007/08, we raised an incredible £4000 (including gift aid) through a combination of weight loss campaign and personal giving. £3050 of this money was used for the shipment, clearance and distributions of over 100 computers to disabled organisations to SL. Read More... Also see Charity Commission Financial Summary.

2008/2009
So far our fund-raising activities have ranged from the traditional method of sending letters to selected individuals and organisations to more modern, innovative mass appeals through the JustGiving and Facebook websites. Our supporters have also raised money through various sponsored events, such as the Bracknell and Wokingham half-marathons. Individuals have been very generous in their donations, enabling us to raise an amazing £6,500 as of August 2009. Read More... Also see Charity Commission Financial Summary.

Stay Connected

Newsletter
Download our latest newsletter from here. Also see our News page from here.

YouTube
DST Chairman, Abs Dumbuya tells his personal story on YouTube. You can also see the video here. You need the sound on to appreciate this video.

Social Networking
Catch up on all the latest DST activities via DST Facebook, Blog and Twitter




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