B-Gifted News!!!

Upcoming Programs!

B-Gifted to Host Jazz for Peace Concert Palm Springs CA to benefit B-G ifted children innovation and creative programs in Sierra Leone

I want to congratulate Rick (DellaRatta) and Jazz for Peace on everything they have accomplished to this point, and all the good they are sure to bring about as they continue this concert series….”

~ United States President Barack Obama

More soon!!!

B-Gifted Welcomes Claude William Genest!

Claude William Genest is a former Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada. He is one of 200 Canadians who regularly receives personal training from Al Gore. in 2007 he received an Emmy nomination for producing and hosting the PBS television show "Regeneration - The Art of Sustainable Living". He was also a Professor at the University of Vermont where he taught Permaculture and Ecological Design, which he now hopes to do in Sierra Leone.

Permaculture, a contraction of the words "permanent" and "agriculture", is a system of ecological design developed in Australia by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. The aim is to create systems that are ecologically-sound and economically viable, which provide for their own needs, do not exploit or pollute, and are therefore sustainable in the long term. It is a system of design which mimics the diversity, complexity and resiliency of natural systems to create sustainable human habitat. By assembling people, animals, buildings and land in mutually beneficial patterns, permaculture creates on-the-ground solutions that are aesthetically beautiful, ecologically beneficial and economically profitable. 

August 4th -12th 2010. Survivals of Amputation

Dalila Paulo, will visit B-Gifted Foundation Sierra Leone to co-host a workshop entitled support to survivals of Amputation. The workshop is aimed at helping to promote trauma healing and reconciliation to survivals of amputation, as well as on field assessment for further intervention. The Specific objectives of the workshop are to:

·         Support the victims of amputation to recover from traumatic experiences and emotions

·         Enhance self esteem and body image restructuration

·         Enhance the ability to participate in the creation of a peaceful and inclusive community.

·         Create synergies between group participants

 March- April 2010 -

Our host Human Rights Director Abass Victor Osman Kamara will co-host the workshop with Dalila Paulo. Ahmed Musa Sowa will also join the team. Dalila Paolo  is a Clinical Psychologist she worked for 7 years with institutionalized children due to abandoned, abusive and negligent parenting behavior. She worked as counselor at the youth support center of the Portuguese Family Planning Association As Psychotherapist. She has 21 years experience psychotherapist. She began her training in this field in Short Dynamic Psychotherapy and evolved into training in Junguian Psychotherapy, Systemic Body-Mind Psychotherapy, Deep Memory Regression and EMDR.In her path of spiritual integration she emerged in several retreats of Christian, Buddhist and shamanic's traditions. She received also training in Psychodrama, Social-drama and Transpersonal Psychotherapy. She has training in the fields of Institutional Analysis and Organizational Constelation Therapy. Dalila Paulo's visit to Sierra Leone for the purpose of undertaking such training  is made possible through the generous support of KOR, a Portuguese NGO.

 Sculptural And Photographic Project With Amputees

An American artist Keisha Luce is the brian behind the sculture project and has  significant experience in the documentary scultural discipline. She travelled to Sierra Leone with fellow American artist Kirk Torregrossa and spent several months working on a joint scultural and photographic project with Amputee victims.

 The work they completed in Sierra Leone was large in scope thanks to the help and technical and moral support from B-Gifted staff and associates. The help which ranged from assistance with travel, translation of local languages, mold making and introduction to the community was invaluable. In addition to work-related travel the B-Gifted staff and associates helped the artist spend memorable holidays traveling within the country.

 The art is a documentary sculpture installation joining oral history and figurative sculpture that explores the personal and cultural history of individuals whose bodies have been shaped by the mass amputations that took place during Sierra Leone's decade long civil war. Keisha and Kirk hopes that the project 'will bear witness and give representation and voice to ordinary people living under the extraordinary consequences of war.' Thanks to B-Gifted Foundation Board of Directors Abass Victor Osman Kamara, and Abdulai Bayraytay for their support as well as B-Gifted Associates Osman Jalloh and Victor Sesay. The success of the work was also due to the inspiration and support of B-Gifted Founder Andrew Benson Greene

Academy Awards Foundation Donates To Freetown Primary Schools. 

By: Bockarie - Gboo Alpha Monday 28th September 2009

- Sierra Express Media News Paper.

The Academy Awards Foundation, a non-profit non-governmental organization based in UK has donated school items, including school fees, and lunch allowances to primary school pupils from various Municipal primary schools in Freetown as part of effort to help in the development of education in the country. The occasion which took place at Constituency 107 Community Centre in the 'Ark' at Roberts Street in Brookfields Freetown, was witnessed by community members and several dignitaries including the special representative of the deputy Minister of Gender and children's Affairs, Mr. Ndehungeh Siaka, President of National Union of Students Mr. Felix Koroma, Miss Kaddi Turay representing the UK Branch of the Academy Awards Foundation, and the President of the Children's Forum Network. Among the items donated include school bags, pens, pencils, exercise books, erasers, rulers, set of uniforms, and school shoes. The sum of Le 150,000 was also presented as allowance and school fees.  

 Photos Coping Soon

The lucky beneficiaries, of the award were Hawa Conteh of UMC Primary School at Bright Street, Kandeh Musa of Rural Education Municipal School, Adama Kamara of Wesleyan Primary school at Ginger Hall, Edna Kamara of Tower Hill Municipal Primary School, and Ishmael Fofana of Dwarzack Community Primary School. In his Opening remarks, the chairman for the occasion Andrew Benson Greene acknowledged the strides taken by those who he said, offered their resources to cater for our young ones and commended the organizers for the contribution to national development by recognizing the abilities of the recipients in 'catching them when they are young'.

 He sited himself as an example of people who have taken chance of scholarships in order to transform their lives into meaningful citizens of this nation and admonished the beneficiaries to emulate the same example by taking their school work seriously. In His statement Mr. Siaka advising Sierra Leoneans to take the development of their country as their own responsibility adding that Sierra Leone can be better developed through personal development in the improvement of our human resources. Mr. Siaka further noted that the award is for primary school kids in order to ensure that country has a good foundation in Human Resource Development Index. He said that the development pattern in Sierra Leone has always been back and forth due to the fact that little attention is paid to education at the primary level.  

Speaking on behalf of the National Union of Sierra Leone Students, Mr. Felix Koroma, extended sincere gratitude to the member of the Academy Awards Foundation in Sierra Leone. "The number of needy pupils might be too numerous in the country but the efforts of the Academy Awards Foundation  is a big stride in solving such problems.  

In his contribution, the National Coordinator of the Academy Awards Foundation in Sierra Leone Mr. Patrick Kobba, admonished the beneficiaries, their families and guest about the aim of the foundation which he said is "reduce illiteracy and poverty level in Sierra Leone". Mr. Kobba further stated that their foundation will always endeavour to promote education "as a tool towards the improvement of the socio -economic situation of our beneficiaries. " "poverty and illiteracy are responsible for most of the violence that have besieged this nation". He said and admonished the dignitaries, the representatives  of student's and children's serving organization and parents of the beneficiaries that their organization will continue to give more awards not only to primary school pupils but also to University students by next school year. He said that their foundation is networking with other organizations in and out of Sierra Leone in order to execute programs for sustainable human resource development and promoting student. The National coordinator of the Academy Awards Foundation Promised that By Next Year the scholarship awards will cover up to 50 direct beneficiaries, disclosing that the foundation has already started several projects not only in Freetown, but also in the Provinces.  These projects he said, include an adult Education

project in Bandajuma Sowa, and the construction of a school, at ginger Hall. Mr. Edison Paul Banister, Minister of Constitutional and Presidential Affairs of the Njala University College Student Union helped to distribute the prizes. 

   Upcoming Programs      

B-Gifted Foundation will be hosting in Early November 2009 workshops and Training of children, youth and young adults on 'PeaceBuilding  and non Violence' with Iraqi and Sierra Leone Experts in the field of Conflict Resolution and Peace Building. The Program will be led by Ala, an activist in civil society organizations in Iraq. She holds a BSC in civil engineer , 14 years experience working with civil society organizations (International Local and UN ) , in field of planning programming , gender and women issues, conflict and peace. Currently, she is a second year student of MBA, with three years experience working for peace with the olof palm international center within Iraq program.  Since 2004 till now she has been working for peace and conflict transformation program with Iraqi-Alama Association , after attending 5 sessions on conflict transformation program with SPI , in EMU, VA.

Groups  and organization for the mid September training include:

• P.R.O.T.E.C.T  Sierra Leone (Makeni Branch - Northern Province

• Art Resourceful Tourism (Kissy, Eastern Freetown) and Waterloo, Western

• Alternative To Violence (ATV) Fourah Bay College USL Branch (Western Freetown)

• Youth Dream Centre, (Lumley, Freetown (Western Area)

• Covenant Ministry (Goderich, Freetown (Western Area) 

Art Resourceful Tourism

Launched its Adult / Youth Centre at Waterloo Sierra Leone. July 26th 2009

On July 26th 2009, the Board of Directors, staff and learners of the Art Resourceful Tourism Center, kindly invite Andrew Benson Greene as Guest speaker on the launching of the Waterloo branch of ART Resourceful tourism. The event began at 4:00pm at the S.D.A Primary school, Waterloo. Mr. Andrew Benson Greene

was invited to speak on the theme “Determined to defeat the challenges faced in a rural Community” during the launching of this branch based on the  result of his invaluable role as a promoter of the interests of marginalized groups, foundation laid for youth growth, his defense and promotion of the civic rights of people over the years. The organizers felt honoured for Andrew’s presence in delivering a speech which was greatly important and was enough to mark an urge for determination for the attendants of the launching of the Waterloo branch. The Art Resourceful Tourism Centre is a youth-oriented programme that is reaching out to groups of vulnerable people who hitherto did not have the opportunity to gain formal education as a result of the 11-year-old conflict and the attendant poverty that comes with it. Apart from literacy and numeracy approaches to the curricular, human rights, democracy, good governance and civil responsibilities have been incorporated as well. there Kissy branch currently has an enrolment of 249 youths. It was founded by a very self-motivated young gentleman, Mr. Sheka B.A Mansaray Jr.