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Opportunities Industrialization Centers International  |
Sierra Leone Opportunities Industrialization Centers (SLOIC)
DATE ESTABLISHED 1977
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEWIn 1977, the town of Bo became the first SLOIC training site in Sierra Leone. A year later, SLOIC began offering business development training in the capital, Freetown, and SLOIC soon headquartered itself in the city. The need for skills training services throughout the country was apparent, and so SLOIC began to expand its training locations throughout the 1980s. SLOIC's skills training services were greatly affected during the civil war of the 1990s, but SLOIC remained operational and transitioned to offering resettlement services and trauma counselling for those affected by the conflict. Currently, SLOIC is combining post-conflict rehabilitation programs with skills development training to assist the nation's rebuilding efforts.
Local Student Raises Money for Sierra LeoneUpper Darby High School student Claire Duncombe has helped raise more than $1,200 to support education and training programs of the Sierra Leone OIC (SLOIC). On Friday, January 26, the Drexel Hill school opened its doors to host a benefit coffeehouse; approximately 150 people from the school community and surrounding area drank coffee and tea while listening to the sounds of local bands Anonymous and Note To Self and soloist Natalie Butts.
Claire was inspired to help after hearing about the terrible conditions in Sierra Leone—such as impassable roads, electrical shortages and widespread malnutrition—following 11 years of civil war. Claire’s aunt Claudena Skran got involved with the work of SLOIC—ultimately joining the Board of Directors and taking on the role of spokesperson—during her year in the country as a Fulbright Scholar.
After some brainstorming, Claire coordinated help from classmates and school staff, including English teacher Ms. Shanna Huth. Friends pitched in to help with advertising and food contributions. Local Starbucks and Swiss Farms franchises donated products. The evening’s musicians performed for free.
On the evening of the event, the school cafeteria was transformed into a performance venue. Upon arrival, guests were greeted and provided with information about Sierra Leone. “Many of the kids were blown away by the music, but Sierra Leone was not forgotten,” Claire says. Between musical performances, members of the crowd chanted “Africa!” repeatedly in recognition of their larger purpose.
Established in 1977, SLOIC contributes to the country’s economic development by providing Sierra Leoneans with marketable skills and expanding work opportunities and helping both individuals and groups towards self-sufficiency. SLOIC has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, training them to become successful farmers, carpenters, masons and tailors and equipping them with essential tools.
Claire Duncombe hopes that the money raised at the coffeehouse will alleviate some of the financial strain on the organization. “[Sierra Leone] has survived a horrible civil war and is on the way to recovery. As a people scarred by war but working towards a positive future, Sierra Leoneans need our support now. Without help at this crucial period, the road out of poverty will be that much harder.”
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OIC International
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