A group of bright-eyed secondary school students from RSG Rijks in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands, is working to reshape the lives of underprivileged children thousands of miles away. As part of their final-year project, the student collective known as “Hoop voor Morgen” (Hope for Tomorrow) decided to champion a cause that resonated deeply: the work of Sierra Leone’s We Yone Child Foundation (WYCF).
For more than a decade, WYCF has quietly carried the burden of providing education, support, and opportunity to some of Freetown’s hardest-hit communities. Founded in 2009 by Santigie Bayo Dumbuya, the foundation took shape in neighborhoods like Kroo Bay and George Brook, where poverty, neglect, and lack of infrastructure left children with few chances for a stable future. WYCF’s mission has always been simple yet powerful: offer sustainable education and care to children who would otherwise be deprived of schooling, health care, or basic necessities.
WYCF now runs multiple primary schools, a secondary school, scholarship programs, vocational training, and outreach efforts that touch thousands of lives. From providing sanitary pads to girls so they stay in school to offering family-business grants and community education, WYCF works to break the vicious circle of poverty through lasting social change.
When the Dutch students learned about WYCF from a former volunteer, Veronique van de Reijt, they did not hesitate. They saw in WYCF a chance to make a real impact with their school project. Their goal was not merely fundraising. They wanted to carry forward WYCF’s vision: that every child, no matter where they live, should have the right to education, dignity, and hope.
Under the name “Hoop voor Morgen,” they launched a fundraising campaign, a small but meaningful contribution to the foundation. The campaign aims not only at raising money but also at elevating awareness of WYCF’s mission among young people across continents. As one student put it, “We hope to shine some light on the struggles these children face and show that if we stand together, we can change lives.”
For WYCF, this gesture is more than financial support. It offers renewed visibility, international solidarity, and encouragement for the work that continues every day. Partnering organizations like the Wegdam Foundation and other donor groups have already helped bring infrastructure improvements, educational materials, school buildings, vocational training, and welfare programs to communities served by WYCF.
Today, WYCF reaches thousands of children, providing education, hygiene and health support, secondary-school scholarships, and even livelihood training for families so that caregivers can earn an income.
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In a world where despair often overshadows hope, the actions of a group of Dutch students show that compassion knows no borders. With their help, WYCF’s vision of “educated children and empowered families in healthy, integrated communities” draws a little closer to realization.
As WYCF continues to uplift lives in Sierra Leone, the message is clear: community, care, and connection can transcend distance, and when people come together, young lives that once seemed forgotten can begin to dream again.
