Volunteering with West African Medical Missions (WAMM) provides Veterans the opportunity to channel their strong communication, quick adaptation and team-driven skill set into humanitarian efforts and involvement in the global community. A Veterans Support Foundation (VSF) grant guarantees the opportunity for a Veteran to continue to develop these skills and removes any financial barrier that may inhibit participation in this life-changing opportunity.

Our Veterans are highly trained to be mission-driven, teamed-centered, and quick to adapt in dynamic situations. Furthermore, they have built a career on sacrificing to serve others. These abilities are extremely valuable to any organization, especially one with a mission to serve. However, our Veterans continue to face untold challenges following their service to our nation. A return to civilian life can be difficult and some Veterans struggle to transition their valuable military experiences into daily use and personal meaning. Veterans have an invaluable skill-set that can continue to benefit society and WAMM offers a platform for these skills to be translated and actualized in the global community following their call to service.

WAMM is a collection of health-minded individuals focused on strengthening the existing health capacities of West Africa through education, community empowerment, and civic engagement. For those interested in health and international development, WAMM facilitates volunteer opportunities to engage in strengthening health systems in Sierra Leone. Our mission is to nourish and cultivate the next generation of leaders to improve the health, education, and welfare of communities in West Africa. A VSF grant would be used to sponsor the entire cost for a Veteran to volunteer as a Global Health Officer (GHO) with WAMM in Sierra Leone for 10 weeks. GHO’s are responsible for leading volunteer teams which provides an invaluable opportunity for a Veteran to use their unique training and ability to work collaboratively within local communities while abroad. WAMM's programs are diverse, working to fit the needs of both the volunteers and the communities in which they work. We currently have projects in education, infectious diseases, mental health, poverty alleviation, and maternal & child health.

Since the program’s inception in 2010, WAMM has provided international volunteer opportunities for three Veterans from the Armed Forces. Their feedback has highlighted the ways in which volunteering with WAMM opened up a constructive context to transition their skills from service to a broader civilian context. When asked if they thought this experience was beneficial for Veterans, they unanimously agreed and expressed strong support to create more opportunities for other Veterans to participate in our international programming. Furthermore, WAMM provides ongoing opportunities for volunteers to stay involved with the organization domestically before and after they return from volunteering abroad. Past Veteran volunteers have used their experience for academic credit and to further their professional careers.