country and its victims and they need to be addressed . The other females are those who became disabled due to birth defects or illnesses such as polio , cerebral palsy , multiple sclerosis and paralysis attributed to accidents and the like . These girls and women are looked upon as rejects of society ; no future , no dreams or opportunities ; just barely living under the hospices of family or relatives . In Sierra Leone , even the able-bodied woman finds it difficult to earn a living hence the high rate of prostitution . If life for the able-bodied woman is so bleak , imagine what life is like for the physically challenged . Melqosh quest is to teach and train post war afflicted amputee and physically challenged girls and women in the provinces and the most social-excluded parts of the Western Area ( who have no education , training , social capital or opportunity ). Because these women have had no education , Melqosh will provide elementary education with English ( literacy ) and mathematics ( numeracy ). Other subjects in line to be taught are computer studies , music , and literature . Vocational training will include sewing , knitting , garment dyeing and other arts and crafts . Life skills such as interpersonal skills , communication and negotiation skills , decision-making , critical thinking and self-management skills will be demonstrated .
The Struggle of War Afflicted Amputees
During a feasibility study trip in 2008 , the Melqosh Mission discovered that many of the physically challenged women had young children . So they did not only have to contend with their disabilities , they also had dependents to take care of . Some had to use their hands to crawl as they do not have wheelchairs . Moreover , research undertaken in 2010 and in 2011 illustrates that although an amputee camp was facilitated specifically to provide artificial limbs , rehabilitate and educate amputees specifically , many of the victims did not receive the proposed rehabilitation and education ’ therefore they do not have the ability to sustain themselves and countless amputees have become beggars as they continue the struggle of life .
Recent research undertaken in November 2012 has highlighted high mortality rates among the war afflicted amputees . 3 amputees died in the Grafton Amputee Camp in the space of 2 months . 5 other amputees died in 3 other camps , totaling 8 deaths in 3 camps in the last 7 months . All these deaths are attributed to severe poverty : poor nutrition and lack of access to medical care , especially for medical conditions resulting from the war .
The Melqosh research also unearth a social malaise ; a crippling level of deprivation among the children of the living and deceased amputees . These dependents are severely disadvantaged because they do not have the opportunities to complete or further their
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