Ep 031 Giving Love, Joy and Hope to the blood diamond war victims of Sierra Leone - with Faith Okrafo-Smart.

During the civil war in Sierra Leone from 1991-2002 almost 30,000 people who weren't killed were left with amputated limbs for the rest of their lives after being butchered by the rebels. The RUF tried to cut the hands and limbs off as many people as possible so they couldn't mine diamonds which would fund the government. This was their way of trying to overthrow the government, but in some of the most in-humane ways known to man. Today on The Best Version Of You I am joined by Faith Okrafo-Smart. An award wining fundraiser and founder of the charity Melqosh Mission International. A non-profit charity that focuses on helping the amputees of Sierra Leone. Faith, originally born in Russia, moved to Sierra Leone with her parents when she was only 5. Her mother was a doctor who desperately wanted to help people and her father was a man of the people and for the people. She tells us harrowing stories of what happened to men, women and children during the war and more explicably what happened to her father. Faith rose to be a high ranking officer within British Government after fleeing the country with her mother to UK. It was later that she felt she needed to fulfil her purpose and sacrifice everything she had built to help he people of Sierra Leone. It was in her blood. It was something that she could not shy away from. Faith founded Melqosh Mission International and has since raised funds from al around the globe and helped thousands of people in Sierra Leone who have nothing. She has brought love, joy and hope to thousands who thought their lives were over, and she has given so many people who have been butchered by war, raped, beaten and tortured, faith in humanity once again. I am so honoured to be partnering with Faith on the next mission in January and doing my bit to help hundreds of amputees and orphans of war and will do my best to show the world just how bad life is there for so many but hopefully bring positivity and hope to this I meet. If you would like to donate to our amazing mission the please do so via the fundraising page here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/2533511776735019/ Every single penny goes direct to the amputees of Sierra Leone via desperately needed medicines, vaccines, mobility aids and food. Thank you for tuning in and all the donations so far. They will be forever appreciated.