Imagine standing on a sandy beach in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where the sun is shining brightly, and the heat from the sand warms your feet. Despite the beauty of the ocean, there is plastic debris washed ashore and hungry street dogs scavenging around the remnants of a ruined house. Yet, amidst this backdrop, the air is filled with laughter and joy. A group of friends are chasing a frisbee disc, playing ultimate – a sport they passionately love.

But it is not just about the sport - it's mainly about the lessons taught by the Spirit of the Game: self-control, efficient and respectful communication, fair-mindedness and responsibility for one's own actions.

Most people playing here come from disadvantaged communities and harsh economic backgrounds; we are in Sierra Leone, one of the poorest countries on Earth. Yet, ultimate frisbee offers these men, women, and children new hope - not only sportive joy and meaningful friendships, but also the belief that we are in charge of our behaviour, actions, and our own lives, and that there is a chance for a better future when we work on improving ourselves.

This vision has helped many of those who play on this sandy beach with me, and I am glad to see how this beloved sport has had this life-changing effect. But what makes me even happier is learning about how hard and smart this ultimate frisbee group works on improving communities around them, helping others, and spreading the power of positive change.

They go to schools, showcasing ultimate and teaching concepts of fair play, accountability, and the Spirit of the Game to young children. Although they only own six frisbee discs for the entire country, they have already presented to hundreds of students. They also help others by sharing life-skills presentations and are promoters of active community participation and gender equality. Plus, right now they are starting a program aimed at helping Kush-drug addicts through ultimate. (Kush is a dangerous drug rapidly spreading in West Africa, often consumed by youth to escape from the difficulties of life and in the absence of other meaningful connections and hope.) Flying disc sports and the Spirit of the Game cannot fix all the problems, but it's incredible how "little" is sometimes needed to positively impact our lives forever.

After spending a wonderful time with this friendly and active group during my stay in Sierra Leone in late 2023, and thanks to months-long fruitful cooperation during which I could witness the great results and progress this group achieved in promoting flying disc sports in Sierra Leone and improving communities around them, we agreed to reach out to our international friends and like-minded people with an appeal to join us in this effort. Because although our ambition and determination are great, while living in one of the poorest countries in the world, we can do so much more thanks to your support.

We have been catching discs continuously for nearly two decades now, and we will not drop our effort to grow our beloved sport and improve the communities around us. Thank you for helping us on our mission, building a better future together, one throw at a time!

*** IMPORTANT ***

The fundraising campaign is run by Filip Scotka. All funds will be sent directly to Patrick J. Fallah, the current President of the Sierra Leone Flying Disc Association - a group mentioned in the above text. For the avoidance of doubt, the Sierra Leone Flying Disc Association (SLFDA) is not a UK-registered charity; it is an independent, voluntary, and apolitical association of people interested in playing and promoting flying disc sports in Sierra Leone.

Learn more about SLFDA: https://webslfda.wixsite.com/slfda/about-us

ALL DONATIONS WILL BE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:

1) To grow the ultimate frisbee player base in the country and improve the skill set of existing players - specifically: buying and shipping to the country the needed sports equipment (frisbee discs, plastic cones, team pinnies), renting places for promotional events (all-welcome tournaments and training camps), and related costs.

2) To help improve communities around us by running life-skills seminars, the Escape Kush with Frisbee project, and continuing our mission of spreading the knowledge of ultimate and the Spirit of the Game in schools all around the country. The donations will be used for direct costs associated with those projects and to provide logistical support to association members who travel to teach ultimate and the Spirit of the Game in the regions outside the capital city.

For the avoidance of doubt, no funds will be used as a salary or given to benefit only one specific person. SLFDA is run by a team of association members who will ensure the efficient and just allocation of funds, with Annual Reports being published at the end of each year, detailing SLFDA's goals, results, and financial situation.

For any questions about SLFDA activities, please contact info.slfda@gmail.com.

Please also get in touch if you would like to support us in a different way (pro-bono services, flying disc sports coaching, used sports equipment donations, media partnership, etc.) - no help is too little.

THANK YOU!