Sierra Leone
The civil war that ended in 2002 has left a dreadful legacy. Sierra Leone is officially the worst place in the world for a child to be born. One in four children die before their fifth birthday.
One in three children under five are moderately or severely underweight. More women die in childbirth than in any other country. And life expectancy is just 42.
- We’re protecting 10,550 children from violence and abuse
- We’re providing free primary healthcare for 28,172 children
- We’re helping 9,500 children go to primary school
- We’re finding innovative ways to tell people what we’re doing in Kroo Bay
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.
Watch Kadiatu's story:
Save the Children in Sierra Leone
We returned to Sierra Leone in 1999, after an absence of six years. Since then, we’ve focused on protecting children from violence and abuse, providing free basic healthcare for women, children and young people, and helping children get a good quality primary education.
We’re helping children protect themselves
Young girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse through early marriage, female genital mutilation and prostitution, which for many is the only way to earn a living.
We’re protecting 10,550 vulnerable children from violence and abuse. We’ve set up 27 child welfare committees and 27 children’s clubs in Freetown, Pujehan and Kailahun. The committees link with local police and the Ministry of Social Welfare to raise issues around abuse and exploitation.
The children’s clubs provide a safe space for children to play and talk, with adults on hand to discuss any problems.
We’ve trained 54 young people (aged 18-25) as ‘mobilisers’ or youth leaders. They support the children’s clubs, and encourage all children to get involved.
We’re saving women and children’s lives
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. People have to pay to see a doctor or get medicines, and many simply can’t afford it.
We’re helping the poorest people get access to free healthcare. We’re supporting 15 clinics in Kailahun, providing free primary healthcare to 28,172 children.
We’re helping more children go to school
We’re helping 9,500 primary school children in 30 schools in Kailahun and Freetown get a good education, as part of the International Save the Children Alliance’s Rewrite the Future campaign to help children affected by conflict.
This year, in the areas where we work, enrolment increased by 27% in the second term, and 1,059 children who had dropped out have re-enrolled in primary and preschools.
We’re making everyday life better in Kroo Bay
Kroo Bay is a dump — literally. The better-off Freetown residents throw their rubbish into the Crocodile River and it gets washed up in Kroo Bay.
Most people live in shacks made from corrugated iron that are built on the rubbish. There’s no electricity, no running water and only one run-down clinic between 6,000 people.
Find out more about Kroo Bay and what we’re doing there.
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.
Sierra Leone related articles
- 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.
- Monday 14 September 2009 Too poor to pay: Over sixty organisations call on world leaders to make free healthcare a reality for millions
- Failure to provide free healthcare for poor means that millions of people are paying with their lives
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