Ishmeal Alfred Charles (better known as Charles), is a survivor of Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war. Kidnapped during the war by the rebels at 14-years old, Charles witnessed terrible horrors but this did not defeat him and from this experience he “always wanted to be someone who will help my community rather than destroy it.”

He is Healey International Relief Foundation’s In-Country Program Manager in Sierra Leone working with Caritas-Freetown. He manages and monitors all HealeyIRF projects in Sierra Leone. He received his Diploma in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sierra Leone and earned a certificate in International Humanitarian Affairs from Fordham University.