Welcome to the Victory Blog

In February, we launched our first iCare project for 2008, our Grafton Village Medical Facility and School. In partnership with Joshua International Ministries we launched the campaign to build a Medical Facility and School in the heart of Grafton Village, Sierra Leone.

Grafton Village is a community with a population of 12,000. A place that the Sierra Leonean government used as a settlement site following the devastating civil war that tore apart the country, dividing the people into four distinct camps: The War-Wounded Camp, The Amputee Camp, The Polio Camp and the Internally Displaced People Camp. Of its 12,000 residents, 7,000 (58%) are school-aged children. Only 2,600 children (37%) of this number attend school due to the high cost associated with education. 90% of the children not attending school are involved in some form of child labor to assist in bringing income to their households. 85% of the children in Grafton Village were either child soldiers during the war or are born to young girls abducted during the war and forcibly raped and recruited as sex-slaves to rebel forces.

Sierra Leone is ranked as the second least livable country in the world with the highest maternal morbidity and infant mortality rates. 25% of all children born die before their fifth birthday from preventable diseases. 1 in 8 mothers die in childbirth due to lack of medical care. Grafton Village has a single health center that provides basic health care with no equipment, medication or trained doctor.

Pictures of Grafton’s only available health care center:

Together with Joshua International, we’ve purchased land and developed the initial architectural drawings for the next phase of HOPE for Grafton Village. Our Grafton Village Medical Facility and School will serve approximately 600 children in 14 classrooms, with 18 teachers and staff; and provide quality medical, dental and opthalmology services with Christian love, compassion and prayer.

Some of our architectural drawings:

With your help, we’re making it happen. We’re pleased to report that our current giving-to-date in our 1st iCare project of 2008 is now at nearly $239,000 – and Pastor Dennis has given the go-ahead to breaking ground! We still need to meet our overall goal of $500,000 to see this project through to completion.

 If you’d like to help us meet our goal and make a donation to our iCare, Sierra Leone project, click here.

Thank you for your generous support as we work toward helping the men, women and children of Grafton Village, Sierra Leone have a better life through Christian compassion and hope.

Use the link below to view the iCare Sierra Leone video:

iCare 2008: Sierra Leone Project