She is 12 years old and lives in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Unlike most 12 year olds she does not go to school. She does not speak and finds communication with others very difficult. She has autism and so cannot cope in an ordinary school. Most of her day is spent wondering the streets at risk and in danger. She needs a place where she can be taught by people trained in teaching children with communication difficulties.

Many children face huge difficulties in coping with life in Sierra Leone, but autistic children have more difficulties than most. In Sierra Leone special needs children are thought of as those who are blind, deaf or having physical disabilities, so there is little or no understanding of the needs of autistic children. Often the children cannot talk so are trapped in their own world. They find the world complex and bewildering. They are unable to communicate with others to explain why they are scared and become frustrated. Because they are frightened and stressed their behaviour is often challenging. The parents and carers do not know what to do or where to go to get support for their children and anyway there is little official support for them to access. Most of the people who live in the areas outside of Freetown, the capital, have little access to education or support for their autistic children. Some think their children can be cured by magic, so spend their money taking them to people who say they can help them. Children are often kept at home or made to work in poor conditions or are in danger of abuse from others. The worst cases end up on the streets with none to look after them.

We want to build a school for children like Hawa so they can be taught life skills and be safe from harm. We are a new charity founded in the UK to provide suitable education for children with communication difficulties in Sierra Leone. We already have the land to build a school in Freetown for children like Hawa, but need the funds to build and maintain it. Our school will work with the local community, parents and professionals to enable children like Hawa to thrive and be safe. Please help us to realize our vision and give children like Hawa a chance to thrive. Please give what you can, any amount will help to change lives. Thank you so much.

We have UK charity status.

https://www.csnfoundation.com/