Philosophy graduate gives ’voice to the voiceless’

PA 329/10 An article written by a University of Nottingham graduate about the struggles of young disabled people in Sierra Leone and Leonard Cheshire Disability's Young Voices project won the amateur journalist category in this year's Guardian International Development Journalism Competition. Libby Powell's heartfelt article, "Beyond beliefs" was commended by judges for "giving a voice to the voiceless." The former philosophy student tells the stories of disabled young people living on the streets in Sierra Leone, where 11 years of civil war brought about an increase in disability — as a result of forced amputations and the collapse of the national health system, including childhood immunizations. Libby Powell, who studied English and Philosophy, said: "It is both an honour and a challenge to tell somebody's story. When the challenge is set in a poverty-stricken, post-war country such as Sierra Leone, where so many have a story to tell, it becomes all the more difficult. I will never forget the bravery and honesty of the young people who spoke to me in the hope of reaching out and speaking to the global community. These are children who have taught themselves to survive, achieve and forgive despite the obstacles in their way. I hope that the article highlights and celebrates their strength in confronting life with a disability in one of the poorest countries in the world.