SINGLE LEG AMPUTEE SPORTS CLUB (SLASC)

33 Regent StreetFreetown, Sierra Leone

Phone: +232 76 680 481 / +232 76 680 681

Email: amputeesoccer@yahoo.com

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Project Proposal submitted to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)

By

The Single Leg Amputee Sports Club (SLASC)

Project Title:

“Post Conflict stability and Development of Sierra Leone Amputees”

Part I – Organizational Profile

1. Name of Applying Organization

Single Leg Amputee Sports Club(SLASC) – Freetown, Sierra Leone

2. Name and Address of Head of Organization:

Mr. Jabaty Mambu (Amputee)Single Leg Amputee Sports Club (SLASC)33 Regent Street, FreetownSierra Leone, West Africa+232 33 818 408amputeesoccer@yahoo.com

3. Name and Address of Chairman of Board of the Organization:

Mr. Peter Ngu-TayongUnited Nations Integrated Peace Building Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSL)Signal Hill Road, FreetownSierra Leone, West AfricaTelephone: + 232 76 865 691

4. Account Information

Account Name : Single Leg Amputee Sports ClubAccount Number : 10101408701Banker : FI Bank – 2 Charlotte Street

Freetown, Sierra Leone

5. Accounting Agency

Emile Kargbo & Associates (EKA)92 Circular Road, FreetownSierra Leone, West Africa+232 22 226 624 Cell: +232 333 366 088 / +232 76 626 368Eka2002@sierratel.sl

6. Implementing Partner

Part II - Organizational Background

The brutal decade civil war in Sierra Leone from 1991 through 2002 left thousands of people displaced while hundreds of thousands fled to neighboring countries and abroad as refugees. Thousands lost their lives or suffered acts of cruelty in the form of rape, amputation, enslavement and forced child labor. In recent years the country has made significant improvements to build on the peace that was achieved in 2002, but the legacy of the war still lingers and is manifesting in a wide range of social and economic problems.

Whilst impressive efforts have rightly gone into disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating former combatants and justice has been sought through the truth and Reconciliation commission and the Special Court of Sierra Leone, physically challenged persons generally do not have access to social justice that would build their capacities and enhance their socio-economic participation in the peace and democratization process. Among the marginalized groups we find the war and non-war related amputees who face socio-economic integration challenges. Competition over scarce resources and limited organizational capacity generally affect the ability of physically challenged persons to participate in the development of the country and contribute to the implementation of the ‘Agenda for Change and Agenda for Prosperity’ preached by the Head of State and Government. Such marginalization, if unaddressed, can evolve into accepted social discrimination, which in turn would challenge crucial aspects of the peace-building process.

The amputees wanted to use football to promote peace in their communities and to help the reintegration and acceptance of their amputation into our civil societies. Though extremely strenuous for the amputees to play football amidst the odd conditions or rugged pitches, unavailable protective stumps or prosthetics to keep up with the match, but they still prefer to use it as a medium of building peace in the communities. As there were no defined rules of the game and organization responsible for setting for the standards of a professional training of the amputees to match up with the sports, the Single Leg Amputee Sports Club was formed.

The Single Leg Amputee Sports Club (SLASC) of Sierra Leone was formed in 2001 at the peak of resolving the nation’s civil conflict. This group played an influential part in the peace building process by collectively as a group organized a peace parade sensitizing the communities about peace building after the war; rendering an open forgiveness and clemency to the perpetrators of the crimes against humanity; accepted the situation and pray for a lasting peace and development amongst others in Sierra Leone.

Part III – General Information

The Single Leg Amputee Sports Club is actively engaged in the sports of football. Football is used as a major event for building peace which they believe is the only available option for comforting the aggrieved. With football, they amputees can regain their happiness and hence use this to preach the good news of preventing conflict and hence managing prospective conflicts.

The organization has endured an eleven years of successful achievements and developments in the area of peace building through sports locally and internationally. Through its participation in regional and world cup games, nation’s cup and local games, amputees has gained recognition both locally and internally.

The organization comprise of both male and female amputees mutilated during the civil strife in Sierra Leone. The major activities are sporting with a major event in football.

The amputees have participated in World Games in Brazil 2005, Russia 2006, Turkey 2007, Holland 2008, United Kingdom 2003, Ghana 2010, Liberia 2008, Spain 2010.

The organization is partly sponsored by the Government and local and International Agencies in executing its activities. The UN Secretary General – Ban Kin Moon, in his official visit to Sierra Leone, applauded the efforts of these marginalized group in their courage to uphold the sports as a means of encouraging their destitution and support the course with a key project of rehabilitation and reintegration.

The organization comprises a total membership of about 400 members including players and supporters. Nationwide, there are about 6,000 amputees affected by the war and most of which are not gainfully engaged in any form of economic or social activity.

SLASC has been instrumental in the peace building process not only serving as peace ambassadors for the amputees but also creating awareness for the wider disable communities towards social inclusion and awareness raising on the developments in disability issues. SLASC’s contributions and support towards peace building has been widely recognized by FIFA, Street football, One Goal, Sierra Leone Football Association to name but few.

The organization is also highly engaged in the peace building processes of the electioneering process of Sierra Leone’s general and parliamentary elections. Both post and pre-elections activities of sensitization and awareness raising through football is being organized.

The organization in its bid to foster peace, hope and confidence has acquired three acre of land bought by the organization to cater for a standard training grounds, medical unit, conference hall, recreations centre, resource unit and a production lab.

Part IV - Project Title:

‘Post conflict stability and development of Sierra Leone Amputees’

Part V - Project Description

This project seeks to address the need for a structured program of the amputees through the creation and establishment of a Multi-complex resource centre. This centre is expected to cater for training grounds with health centre and a production unit for protective stumps. As an innovative technique, this will be the first disable recreational facility in Sierra Leone. and production centre for protective stumps used to support crutches in the amputee football games and their daily lives.

This facility will bring together amputees from diverse background within Sierra Leone not only in the field of sports but also in economic, social and civic developments. In future, it is intended to establish the capacity of the facilities to accommodate regional competitions. However it is important to provide the appropriate stumps for the crutches of the amputees and single legged people to walk swiftly with the support of a comfortable protective stump. The protective stumps are used underneath the crutches to ensure a smooth walk and balance with the crutches.

The amputee football requires comfortable grounds that can accommodate the falling of a residual limb with no dangerous effects to the body parts. The need to create and establish a standard football playing pitch for this organization is of prime concern in sustaining the success of the sports.

A resource unit is required to keep the literate amputees in basic computer training and research facilities. This is geared towards making provisions for the future career and work of the amputees after our sporting days that all is not lost. The resource unit will also enhance capacity building opportunities and reintegration into communities. The unit further serves as the information collection and outreach centre for the amputees and other disabled in our communities.

Part VI – Objective of the Project

The objective of the project is to bridge the peace gap between the aggrieved and the perpetrators of the civil strife in Sierra Leone, through post conflict stability and development programs for the reintegration of amputees in Sierra Leone.

With sports as a medium of demonstrating our sportsmanship, strength , love, peace building campaign and non violence, the SLASC has succeeded to take away our compatriots from street begging and destitute lives in our communities. Through the sports, we are gainfully engaged and settling down with our homes with wives and children, hence managing the grief of the violence in our conflict.

To cater the welfare needs of the Disabled To promote the human rights of equal participation of the single leg

amputees in sporting activities, educational and To prepare the national amputee team for the amputee world cup in

2013 – xxxx and the USA Games for Disabled To train the amputees in the production of the protective stumps…

prosthetics and other required materials for their sporting activities To create employment opportunities for the disabled

Part VII Project Justification:

Lack of good protective stumps may lead to a damage of the foot and body parts

May cause tenderness of the arm and to some extent shock and death if fallen on the residual limb

The production unit creates job opportunities for the amputees and a better design structure of the required stumps for their movements

A small computer lab to train and equip the amputees for future challenge in the job market

Part VIII – Project Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries of the project are amputees and the disabled communities generally in Sierra Leone. The project in the future will benefit other areas of post conflict rehabilitation to other groups and hence create socio-economic and welfare developments amongst the aggrieved people.

Part IX – Monitoring and Evaluation

What Institution does the Monitoring and Evaluation (UNIPSL) Periodic reporting on developments Monitoring of Accounting Expenditures

Part IX – Project Timeline

The proposed timeline for the implementation of the project is between 18 – 24 months. This include the period of the construction of the training lab, production unit and medical centre.

Stages of the project Stage 1 – construction of the buildings and playing field Stage 2 – purchase of equipments for the production of the protective stumps Stage 3 - procurements of computers and gadgetries for computer literacy

Time bound

Part X – Project Budget

Between $100 - $120