Sending school and sport supplies to Sierra Leone

Origin story:

Mc'Collins Jones grew up in Freetown, Sierra Leone, during the civil war. He saw first-hand how war affected children there. Educations were interrupted as many children were recruited as soldiers and schools were closed.

Mc'Collins was a source of inspiration for local kids when he won a gold medal for Sierra Leone at the West African Championship in the Gambia. With his friends, Mc'Collins began an effort to use sports as a way to keep kids in school and steer them toward positive activities.

Mc'Collins moved to Nova Scotia in 2005 as part of a post-war program. However, he has continued supporting schools in the Sierra Leone capital by sending shipments of school supplies and sports equipment.

The last shipment was made in 2019 with help from many generous donors*. Along with sending a 20-foot shipping container of goods, Mc'Collins and volunteers arranged soccer, track and road race events for young people in Freetown.

What's next:

Mc'Collins is planning to ship a 20-foot container full of school supplies and sports equipment from Halifax, N.S., in August 2023 (this has been changed from July 2023). He will travel to Freetown to distribute the materials in August before the school year begins.

How you can help:

Examples of items that can be donated:

How to donate goods:

If you are in the Halifax area and you have items you wish to donate, please contact Mc'Collins through the email listed on the Facebook page.

*Special thanks to those who helped make these shipments possible, including Kevin Bourgeois, Dr. Ed Leach, Mary Kilfoil, Macquarie Group, Bluenose Marathon and Guysborough Transfer.