Swansea Freetown Disability Link (SFDL) Swansea Freetown Disability Link was formed in the year 2011 with the aim to facilitate and exchange view on disability issues affecting disabled people in Swansea and Freetown.

The aims and Objectives One of the aims of the organisation is to build link between the two communities Swansea and Freetown and increase public awareness of the needs and aspirations of disabled people in Swansea and in Freetown and advocate for their rights to fully participate in issues that affects their daily lives which include entitlement to training, employment and health care as their fundamental human rights.

Why SFDL? The initiative to set up Swansea Freetown Disabled Link came after visiting Freetown, Sierra Leone in 2010 and observed that not much is been done by either the central government or other institutions to provide the help needed for the disabled people.

Challenges for the disabled in Freetown ● Crime & Social Exclusion – Disabled people are 2.7 times likely than those without an impairment to experience rape, physical abuse or bullying; ● Education – 50% of female and 34% of male with disabilities have never attended school.

Challenges for the disabled in Freetown ● Health – 25% of respondents with severe or very severe disabilities declared they were in poor or very poor health. 16.4% of disabled people have no access to healthcare compared to 7.1% of non-disabled people. ● Employment – only 33% of disabled people of working age are in employment. Those in employment reported chronic fatigue, because their employers do not make any reasonable adjustment to their work and work environment for reason related to their impairments.

Some members of the organisation

Donation well received

Polio Challenge Office in Freetown

The young disabled are also benefiting from this gesture

What the group have done so far Swansea Freetown Disabled Link in 2011 collected donation of useful mobility aid sent and delivered to the link partner, Polio Challenge Association of Sierra Leone. We are at present planning fund-raising event to raise some funds to sponsor and facilitate at least two members of our link partner to visit us here.