The men from PHDA continue to work hard in their blacksmith ‘forge’: the forge being a straw covered wooden structure. Whilst we were there in February 2008 we saw them at work making school bells and keys in their forge.

It was not a particularly hot day, in Sierra Leonean terms, but yet it was stiflingly hot for the men working over their fires. Despite this they were all ready to smile and were genuinely grateful to be able to work. (90% of the population still remains without paid employment).

Abu Bakarr Koroma, the project leader, was delighted to tell us that they had managed to bank money, from sales, for the first time just before we arrived in February.

During our 2009 visit we were delighted to see that they had exceeded our expectations in the building of the safety wall around the welding equipment.  The wall, in fact has been developed into a shed which enables them to weld all year round, not just in the dry season.