Our vision
Although the project work started with Richard & Yeakah Cole some 30 years ago, we are proud to say that we still work towards the same vision with the same ethos that they held.
Our vision is to see orphaned children and disadvantaged young adults, women, and girls in Sierra Leone thrive in safe communities and families, access quality schooling and adult education, and contribute to their communities in meaningful ways. Together with our partners, Lifeline Network International (LNI) we seek to find solutions to the challenges of poverty by equipping individuals, families, and communities for sustainable development.
We aim to empower individuals and communities to prosper and become truly self-reliant. We have seen that this can be achieved through diverse ways, for example by engaging in positive and practical social enterprise; equipping farmers in rural communities with the tools and knowledge for a sustainable increase in productivity; a comprehensive approach to the education of young people; combining vocational training with life skills and business training. and mentoring young women through the journey of pregnancy and motherhood.
Our values
Ethos
Our ‘STEADI’ values inform all that we do and the way that we do it.
Serving the community
- Be a beacon: Lead individuals to do good work by being examples of good work.
- Listen more: Encourage participation from our stakeholders e.g. the communities we serve, beneficiaries, partners, funders and government.
- Understand the needs of the communities we serve
- Use bottom-top approach: Shaping our services to include the feedback from grass root communities.
Teamwork
- Functioning as a unit: by having clearly defined roles and accountably supporting each other’s duties to achieve set goals.
- Encouraging effective partnerships with third parties, stakeholders and other relevant entities
Excellence
- Be an example of excellence, in person and in practice
- Whatever you do, do it well
- Having quality in mind in working towards set goals
- Tidiness: been clean and orderly in our service
Accountability
- Openness: deal openly
- Accurate record keeping
- Accurate reporting to our stakeholders: Producing accurate reports to community representatives, funders, partners and staff
- Tidiness: been clean and orderly in our service
- Be answerable: being willing to give further detail to stakeholders when requested and help stakeholders deal with questions or interests
- Taking responsibility, individually and collectively
Don’t turn a blind eye
- Get involved in achieving our aims and objectives
- Take ownership: own the vision
- Confront issues, however uncomfortable
- Never dismiss or allow misconduct: deal with issues promptly in line with our values
Integrity
- Be honest in all you do
- Respect time: come to work on time and attend meetings on time
- Ask if you don’t understand: don’t work in doubt
- Be real in service (no pretence)
- Do your best even when no one is watching.