SwissLimbs | Our projects

Out of a total population of eight million people, 450’000 inhabitants of Sierra Leone (which represents almost the 18 % of the entire population) live with a disability. According to a 2009 study of disability in Sierra Leone, only one-third of disabled people surveyed had a job, while 16.4% of disabled people did not have access to health care compared to non-disabled people (7.1%).

To overcome this issue, SwissLimbs has developed this 3-pronged project with SLASA - Single Leg Amputee Sport Association, to guarantee a future for amputees who do not have a job or are excluded from social life due to their disability and the stigma linked to it and due to the lack of appropriate healthcare infrastructures.

The project in Sierra Leone focuses on 3 fronts:

▪ Physical rehabilitation: construction of a rehabilitation unit, including an emergency healthcare clinic, a physiotherapy unit and an orthopedic workshop, fully equipped with machines and materials for the manufacturing of prosthetic legs, orthoses and mobility devices. This project includes also the training of local orthopedic technicians and the purchase of a vehicle for assessment visits and for general administration.

▪ Sustainable agriculture: training 25 amputees in sustainable agriculture, who will then teach sustainable agriculture techniques to school children and local farmers, creating a virtuous cycle in the community. Five amputees will also be employed on the farm.

▪ Sports for Social Inclusion: creation of a custom soccer field for amputees, which will provide psychosocial inclusion and social reintegration for amputees, including through outreach and youth leadership conferences.

OUR PROJECTS