Our History

Our achievements

DST commenced operations in Sierra Leone in 2010. Since that time (until 2019), we have trained 80 students, of which around 60 are in some form of employment, have established their own business or have accessed higher education. This is a success rate of about 75%, which is an incredible achievement in a country where less than 2% of people with disabilities are employed (according to the 2015 census).

Our graduates are now managers in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the Ministry or Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One of our graduates has gone on to study advanced IT in Japan and is now lecturing at the Institute of Public Administration (IPAM) in the University of Sierra Leone.

The beneficiaries are able to support themselves and their families, and contribute to national development and the payment of government taxes.

In 2012 the BBC reported on some of our early successes. Shecka Conteh and Paul Diabate were recruited to the Sierra Leone Police force as IT specialists. Read more here.

You can also read an account from one of our graduates who has gone on to make a success of his life.

The achievements of DST have stretched beyond training individuals and finding them employment. Over the years the Chief Executive of the Trust, Dr Abs Dumbuya, has gained a well-earned reputation within Sierra Leone and beyond as a strong advocate for the rights of persons with disability, working with government institutions to improve the lives of persons with disabilities.