Aminata's Story
I was born in Sierra Leone, a country that has been torn apart by a decade of civil war. The movie "Blood Diamond" starring Leonardo Decaprio fairly attempted to depict the atrocities and carnage of the rebel war in Sierra Leone. The United Nations ranked Sierra Leone last in its recent Human Development Index (a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living for countries worldwide).
I was fortunate, thank God, to have parents who provided me with the essentials of life. However, just blocks from our home are many kids who could not afford a square meal a day. It was in those early days that I nursed the passion of making a difference in the lives of poor children whose parents cannot afford them the basic necessities. My belief is that this inequity issue can be addressed through creating a sustainable environment. My dream is to help each child achieve their full potential through education and basic health.
The civil war in Sierra Leone, which left thousand of innocent children and women killed and maimed, heightened my desire and passion to bring hope to the millions of needy people worldwide, especially children — hope that is not limited by war, poverty, fear, gender, ignorance, illiteracy, and so on; hence the birth and name of the organization, Boundless Hope. We passionately believe that every child deserves an education and basic health care.
Compared to the developed countries, the present academic standard in these poor communities is deplorable. The kids want to learn and go to school but do not have the resources. Education is the key that opens doors to opportunities and eventually, a better life. It creates sustainability that aids development. But the need here to educate children at a primary level is urgent and overwhelming. In some cases, teaching takes place in makeshift tents or rundown buildings without doors or windows in slumps.
My vision became a reality in December 2007 when I went to Wal-Mart and Target and bought school materials (bags, books, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, binders, crayons) with my own resources for over 275 children. Then I requested that my coworkers at GlaxoSmithkline (GSK) donate their leftover bags from the Durham Rescue Mission project to the children in Sierra Leone. The GSK IT division donated 500 bags. I shipped these bags together with the 275 bags I purchased to Sierra Leone.
I was able to directly give over 700 of the poorest children a year's worth of school resources in the most deprived communities around Freetown, Sierra Leone. Since then, more than 3,000 children have received direct educational and dental hygiene resources from Boundless Hope. My prayer and dream is to help create a sustainable future where each child achieves their full potential through education and basic healthcare, "ONE SCHOOL BAG (BACK PACK) AND TOOTH BRUSH A CHILD."