Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is still recovering from the civil war that lasted through the 1990s and ended in 2002. More women die from childbirth-related causes in Sierra Leone than anywhere else in the world and more children die before their fifth birthday.
- We're enabling 6,000 children to protect themselves from abuse and exploitation
- We're improving the health of 74,000 children under five, 95,000 adolescents and 18,000 pregnant women
- We're helping more children complete their primary school education
285,000 children die in Africa every year simply because they can’t afford to pay to see a doctor or a nurse.
Cerebal malaria left Morie with brain damage. Desperate to find a cure, his parents spent all their savings and borrowed money to pay for his hospital fees.
Save the Children’s research shows that the lives of 285,000 children under 5 could be saved each year by abolishing healthcare fees.
Children, such as Lahai who is severely malnourished would then be able to be treated. His family can’t afford to take him to hospital.
Hospitals that provide free healthcare, like this NGO run one, are always full and provide a stark contrast to the government hospitals that are often empty.
Save the Children is asking world leaders to support countries in Africa to make healthcare free.
Children in Sierra Leone
Twice as many children go to primary school now as five years ago, but some 30% of primary-aged children still do not attend. Many drop out, especially girls. Children and young people aged 18 and under make up more than half the country's 6 million population. Rape of young girls, physical violence, child labour, teenage pregnancy and early marriage are just some of the challenges they face.
Watch Kadiatu's story:
Save the Children in Sierra Leone
We're working in slum areas of Freetown, the capital, and in two remote border districts - Pujehan, which adjoins both Guinea and Liberia, and Kailahun, on the border with Liberia. We're focusing on protecting children from maltreatment, providing more and better healthcare for women, young people and children and improving children's experience of primary school.
We're helping children protect themselves
The social and economic breakdown caused by the war has left many children open to exploitation. Young girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse as prostitution is for many the only way to earn a living.
We've set up children's clubs and children's welfare committees in Freetown, Pujehan and Kailahun. At the clubs, the children are able to play and talk in a safe environment, with adults on hand to discuss any problems with. The committees link with their local police and Ministry of Social Welfare to raise issues concerning the abuse and exploitation of children. The clubs, committees and mobilisers have so far directly helped nearly 10,000 children. Radio sessions, awareness raising and campaigning have reached approximately 300,000 children.
We're saving the lives of women and children
Three out of every ten children born in Sierra Leone die before they are five years old. In two out of every 100 births, the mother dies.
So far, we've been supporting 15 clinics in Kailahun. Birth attendants who work with the clinics are helping more women deliver their babies. In 2004/05 they were present at just 30% of births. In 2005/06 they helped at more than 40% and fewer mothers and babies died as a result.
We're improving young people's sexual health
High numbers of teenage pregnancies contribute to Sierra Leone's shocking rates of maternal and infant mortality. Rates of HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase.
Through our children's clubs and working with the Community Agricultural Skills Training Institute, we've enabled more than 2,000 young people in Kailahun to take part in the Sissy Aminata project. This involves them in discussion and, in particular, in writing and answering letters seeking the advice of 'Sissy Aminata', a respectable older sister, about relationships and sex. 64 young people were involved in the planning and implementation of these activities. As a result children and young people are now more likely to discuss health issues with their parents, more girls are going to school rather than marrying early, and there has been an increase in the reporting of rape cases.
We're helping more children go to school
The government's decision to offer free primary education in 2002 has vastly increased the numbers of children enrolling and there are almost equal numbers of girls and boys. However, girls are far more likely to drop out early.
Together with Save the Children Denmark and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, we're providing workshops for teachers in methods which really involve children in their learning, and follow up help in the classroom.
Find out more
- Download our country brief (PDF 80KB).
- Visit Kroo Bay.
- Read about Hawa's experiences of living in Sierra Leone.
- Find out how we're helping mothers and babies in the toughest place in the world to be born.
- Read how Mohammad was helped by one of our Blue Flag volunteers.
Get on Track
The UN met on 25 September to discuss the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). All over the world people came together to urge the UN to 'get on track' with MDG 4: to cut child deaths by two-thirds by 2015.
Find out more about Get on Track around the world.
The Sierra Leone programme held a Get on Track celebration day around the slogan “Belle human en pikin dem dey day leh wi act now!” (Pregnant women and children are dying, let’s act now!).
Sierra Leone related articles
- Monday 18 February 2008 Save a child's life - our biggest global campaign launches
- From today, you can log on to Kroo Bay website and be directly in touch with children in Kroo Bay, Sierra Leone. You can also provide a child with a simple life-saving solution just by sending a text
- Wednesday 19 September 2007 Africa under water: Children in 19 countries affected by floods
- Half a million children have been affected by widespread flooding across 19 countries in Africa. Torrential rains and floods have swept over east and west Africa in recent weeks, destroying homes and schools and washing away crops and livestock.
