My Name is Mustapha Bangura, Yonibana Tonkolili District Northern

Province in Sierra Leone Better Lives Foundation (BLF) takes people from
nowhere to somewhere. This organization has changed my life into
different qualities – Education, Interaction and Code of Conduct. I
joined BLF in 2010. I was attending the Yonibana Secondary School. I
began volunteering giving water to patients during camp times. I was
also doing basic Infection Prevention and Control, at the end of every
day I made sure I removed all the sharps bin from each room and discarded them in the incinerator. Also cleaning the latrines or toilets properly before going home.

After two years serving the organization my name was included in the registration team to register each patients’ details and data imputing. Better Lives Foundation encouraged all of us. In 2014, among five other students we were fully sponsored to pursue a technical certificate course with different skills. I studied Information Communication Technology (ICT) at the government technical institute Magburaka Campus. After a year at Magburaka Campus I transferred to Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology, there I was awarded a Certificate of Diploma in Computer Study with Credit, After I completed the diploma program I was further fully sponsored by BLF to further study Management and Finance. I am truly grateful to Better Lives Foundation for turning my life around, giving me the opportunity to achieve these qualifications.

My mother was widowed during the first civil war and was very difficult for her to support me with my studies. She was a petty trader and practiced mix farming.  At 17 I lost my mother also, all in all a very tough time for me. I missed school frequently as I had to earn to live. I became a porter and a menial worker transporting local goods
from one place to another. Many days I would go without food. The intervention of Better Lives Foundation taking me off, from a most difficult stage in my life, brought me to the brightness of the world with the encouragement and guidance provided.

I take this opportunity to thank all the people who takes the risk to support this wonderful organization. I also extend my gratitude to the people enduring themselves the obstacles in their lives and continue to support us.

Exceptional thanks goes to the Patel family, especially to madame Devi Patel – Mother of Many Nations.

Mustapha Bangura – Administrator and
Finance Student in Sierra Leone.