To Whom it May Concern,
I am writing on behalf of the Sierra Leone Kenema District Development Mission (SLKDDM) to ask for your help at our annual fundraising gala, scheduled for March 27, 2010. Specifically, we are requesting donations for a silent auction we are holding at the event.
SLKDDM, formerly the Kenema District Association, or KDA, is a registered 501C non-profit organization and an international non-governmental organization, established in 2001 by a small group of Sierra Leonean natives, that now has over 200 members nationwide. We are committed to helping the people of Sierra Leone recover from a brutal eleven-year civil war that crushed its economy and resulted in making the United Nation’s top ten list of poorest countries every year in the last decade.
This is particularly sad given Sierra Leone should be able to economically sustain itself. It is rich in minerals and among the top ten diamond producing nations in the world. Its capital, Freetown, sits along the world’s third largest natural harbor. Although the bountiful marine resources were depleted during the war, the potential of recovery and tourism offers hope to those with a vision to rebuild.
With the help of organizations such as SLKDDM, progress has been made. In recent years our projects have included erecting a monument honoring those killed in the war and sponsoring a book drive to aid the Kenema school district. Last year we awarded thirty-nine scholarships to cover tuition, books, and uniforms for middle and high school students; in 2010 we are seeking to triple that number. We have established two offices, one in Kenema and one in the United States. We have hired staff in Kenema and outfitted the office with an Internet accessible computer used to report projects’ progress and send messages from the people.
Our greatest undertaking and achievement started in the summer of 2008 when a report of the unhealthy condition of the Kenema District Government Hospital was published in the Concord Times. We found the plumbing was so clogged that toilets were unusable. SLKDDM authorized emergency funds to correct the situation, and with a visiting member coordinating the effort, the septic system was refurbished. After assessing the deplorable condition of the hospital, we then undertook the ambitious project of rebuilding a hospital wing, which was completed in under a year. Our new goal is to outfit this new wing with new furniture, beds, linens, hospital screens, office furniture, and crucial medical equipment and supplies.
Fundraising from this year’s gala will be dedicated to outfitting our new hospital wing and providing additional scholarships for deserving students.
Our contact for this fundraiser is Claire Green who can be reached via email at cvgreen@me.com or at
(703) 785-2815.
We appreciate anything that you can donate to assist us make the silent auction a success. In anticipation of your generosity we sincerely thank you.
