Disabled Sierra Leoneans face difficulty obtaining adequate healthcare, education and jobs, which are already hard to come by in the country.
While there are no data available, polio survivors are believed to account for a significant proportion of Sierra Leone's disabled. Many came to Freetown during or after the war, in search of safety, shelter and employment. Few now have jobs, and most resort to begging. Many have trouble finding a place to sleep.
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The community is run by the Handicapped Youth Development Organisation (HYDO), a group whose members are disabled.
HYDO plans to develop a plot of land it bought in Waterloo on the outskirts of Freetown for disabled people to work, farm and live. But with few means of income, the community faces an uphill battle.
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