It offered disadvantaged young people aged 16 to 24 the opportunity to increase their understanding of global citizenship whilst helping some of the most deprived young people in the world.
The trip was also supported by the Craig Bellamy Foundation, the brainchild of the Liverpool and Wales footballer, which is based in Sierra Leone.
Football sessions were led by Peter Griffiths, who played alongside Bellamy in the Wales under 16s team.
More than half of the £27,000 budget was met by a GwirVol youth volunteering grant from the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
Project manager Hannah Fitt of Communities First said it was a means of boosting the aspirations of the youngsters involved.
“The number of Neet young people in East Cardiff has been a priority for some time and, having personal experience of the benefits of international volunteering, I thought this project would be an extremely positive way to engage some of the hardest-to-reach young people in Cardiff.
“Communities First is committed to supporting our volunteers in ways that will help increase their access to opportunities and prospects and this has been an experience that has exceeded all of our expectations.
“I am so proud to have worked alongside some of the most wonderful young people from Cardiff and Sierra Leone and am really excited to see what the future holds for them.”
Lucy Dickenson, managing director of the SAFE Foundation, agreed that the project had been a great success and would now be run on an annual basis to give volunteering opportunities to other young people.
She said the plan for those who had returned from Sierra Leone was to build on their experiences and enthusiasm to help them find jobs or training.
