INTRODUCTION

The Cotton Tree Children’s Trust was founded by Rosemary Bidwell in 2006. The charity is registered both here in the UK and in Sierra Leone, West Africa. We are a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) working to relieve the suffering of orphans and street children in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

Our aim is to rescue orphans and street children abandoned and forgotten. 

Our mission is to provide health and education and increase essential aid. We believe our presence in Sierra Leone is vital for the furtherance of making poverty history.

Rosemary sold her business to concentrate fully on running the charity and regularly visits the home in Freetown.

We recognise the need to care and support these children and bring stability, hope and love into their broken lives in a safe and happy home environment.

We are committed to ensuring that each child will have an education and learn new skills as well as meeting all their health and medical needs.

Our charity will always uphold the legal requirements necessary to comply with legislation in Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom.

89% of monies raised is directly used to benefit our children in Sierra Leone and we are always mindful to keep remaining expenses costs to the minimum practicable. All charity members working in the UK do so on a purely voluntary basis.

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Chilling Facts of Sierra Leone:

1.During the civil war fifty thousand   civilians were killed, maimed or burned to death.

2.Sierra Leone has the worst infant mortality rate in the world.

3.One child in four will die before the age of five.

4.One in six mothers die during childbirth.

5.General life expectancy is just 37 years.

6.Orphans and abandoned street children now live on the streets or rubbish tips to survive.

7. 60% of those aged 15 or over will die of TB, HIV & AIDS