Canton native finds calling in Sierra Leone

The NHI Children’s Home in Moriba Town, Sierra Leone (Courtesy of Phil d’Entremont)

As a child growing up in the relative comfort of suburban Canton, Phil d’Entremont experienced extreme poverty the way that most people in his circumstances did — in pictures and in words, usually on a television screen, and always from afar.

He can still remember watching those Christian Children’s Fund commercials, often narrated by actress Sally Struthers, and being moved by the heart-wrenching images of starving children in developing nations across the globe.

But it wasn’t until 2009, on a chance mission trip to Sierra Leone with members of his church family, that he truly began to appreciate the level of need that exists in this world.

“It doesn’t affect you quite the same when you watch it on TV,” said d’Entremont. “It’s a different feeling when you actually witness it and experience it firsthand.”

Ultimately, what d’Entremont discovered on that memorable first trip to rural West Africa was a new personal calling — one that aims to meet the “physical, nutritional, medical, educational, and spiritual needs” of orphaned children in Moriba Town, a small village in southwest Sierra Leone.

While the initial purpose of the trip was to establish a feeding program in the area, d’Entremont said it wasn’t long before the project expanded into a full-scale orphanage, consisting of a “14-acre compound with two children’s homes, a fresh water well, an open air pavilion, pig farm, and vegetable farm.”

D’Entremont, who took a “big leap of faith” in traveling to Sierra Leone six years ago, is now the director of the project, which is organized under the auspices of New Hope Initiative, a highly respected, all-volunteer nonprofit organization based out of Texas.

The Sierra Leone Project is currently one of five NHI projects in operation across Africa and India, and it certainly fulfills the organization’s mission of bringing “real, positive projects of hope to some of the poorest countries in the world.”

As noted by d’Entremont, “Sierra Leone is still recovering from a brutal, decade-long civil war that ended in 2002. It has an unemployment rate of 60 percent. Fifty percent of the people live on less than $1.25 per day and 75 percent of the people live on less than $2 per day.”

NHI’s Children’s Home in Moriba Town is actually the first ever orphanage in that part of Sierra Leone, and the needs are overwhelming in a country that has been ravaged by war and the HIV/AIDS crisis. There are currently 70 children enrolled at the orphanage, ranging in age from 5-22, and a staff of 10 oversees their care and wellness under the leadership of Pastor Francis Rogers, a Sierra Leonean national.

“For most of the children, this is the first time they have received two meals a day,” said d’Entremont. “The cost to feed a child for a day is approximately $1. Education is approximately $0.50 per day. Although these costs are low, they add up quickly when you care for so many children.”

The monthly operating expenses are raised by d’Entremont’s church, Calvary Baptist of Hanson, in partnership with Grace Community Church of Fannett, Texas, and with assistance from individual donors. Recently, Grace Church of Stoughton made a commitment to assist with the education expenses of the children, and the Ponkapoag Grange of Canton has made contributions to assist with the construction of the pig farm and agricultural projects at the orphanage.

Phil d’Entremont with a child at the NHI Children’s Home

D’Entremont himself makes annual visits to the orphanage in Moriba Town — usually in the winter during Sierra Leone’s dry season. He would prefer to go back more often, but his trips are entirely self-funded and it takes him most of the year to raise the money for travel expenses.

When he is not in Sierra Leone, he stays in touch with Pastor Francis through phone calls and emails, although access to both modes of communication is severely limited.

“Telephone calls are interrupted constantly and we never get a good line,” said d’Entremont. “He has very limited internet access through a mining company that works in the area; he’s able to get in their compound for maybe five to 10 minutes once a month. It’s very difficult communication wise, but we’re managing.”

Besides the logistical concerns, d’Entremont said one of the biggest challenges they face at the orphanage is deciding when the children should “age out,” especially since the opportunities for many of these children are “very slim to none.”

“Over the long term,” he said, “we’re trying to provide a means where they can get out on their own, be educated or learn a trade, so when they do get old enough they can have something to fall back on.”

As for immediate goals, d’Entremont said they would like to increase the monthly support for the orphanage and to raise funds to cover the expense (approximately $20,000) of constructing a perimeter wall, which will help to prevent theft of livestock and crops — a common problem in poverty stricken areas.

“Installation of a wall should allow the home to raise more livestock and crops, thus reducing the overall food cost of the home,” said d’Entremont. “The cost reduction will allow funds to be put towards other expenses, such as medical care and vocational training.”

Overall, d’Entremont is proud of what they have been able to accomplish over the past six years in Moriba Town.

“When we started we were taking in kids at their most desperate and their lives have completely changed,” he said. “Some kids were put into prostitution by their parents just to put food on the table. One girl was severely beaten by her uncle. Each kid has their own unique and individual story, and most of them are here because there’s nobody else there for them.”

“The project has become a beacon of hope in the area, and local leaders are astonished by the positive impact it has made not only to the children but to the region as well,” added d’Entremont. “However, the success of the project and positive future of the children cannot continue without the support of local individuals, businesses, and organizations in the U.S.”

D’Entremont said he enjoys being director of the Children’s Home and can see himself staying involved for many years to come.

Outside of his involvement with the Sierra Leone project, d’Entremont is active in his church community and is a proud husband and father. He and his wife, Tracy (Feeney), are both Canton High School graduates and d’Entremont is a longtime employee of Sunrise Erectors, a Canton-based company. They currently live in Plympton with their son William, age 14, and daughter Sarah, age 11.

Those who would like to support d’Entremont’s efforts in Sierra Leone can do so by visiting www.newhopeinitiative.org/donate. Donations can be made on behalf of d’Entremont to offset his travel expenses or can be sent directly to the Children’s Home in Sierra Leone.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=26157

Posted by Jay Turner on Jul 17 2014. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.