ChildFund Sierra Leone

As we prepare for the upcoming First Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children (EVAC) in Colombia, we are thrilled to share that our Advocacy and Child Protection Manager, Lahai Aruna, and Morison Bockarie, Vice President of the Children's Forum Network (CFN), were featured this morning on Africa Young Voices (AYV) Television. They discussed the conference's mission and the contributions our team will bring to the table. Stay tuned for more updates as we work together to protect and amplify the voices of children globally!🌍 #ChildProtection #EndViolenceAgainstChildren #Advocacy ChildFund International ChildFund International - Africa ChildFund Alliance ChildFund Australia ChildFund Sénégal ChildFund Kenya ChildFund Zambia ChildFund Guinea ChildFund Ethiopia ChildFund The Gambia ChildFund Uganda See link to AYV TV Talk Show: (starting at 42:02) https://lnkd.in/du7uF462

“Protecting children, especially girls, in our communities is our responsibility,” shared Chief Ya Alimamy Oryaroh during a radio discussion for stakeholders involved in the Increasing Access to Secondary Education for Out-of-School Girls in the Western Area project. As the project enters its final year, community leaders from six areas gathered at Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) radio in Freetown and Viascity Radio in Waterloo to promote new by-laws designed to safeguard children in their communities. In partnership with KOICA the project has re-enrolled 240 girls across six schools since 2023. With the project wrapping up in 2025, ensuring the continued education of these girls is key to its long-term success. #Children #Project #Communities #Access #Girls #Safeguard #Partnership #Education #EducationForAll #GirlsEmpowerment #CommunityResponsibility ChildFund International Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)

"Investing in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) ensures that children develop emotional intelligence, resilience, and social skills—qualities just as crucial as academic excellence." These were the words of the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Honorable Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, as she officially launched the Social Emotional Learning Working Group. This initiative, co-created and led by ChildFund in collaboration with the Ministries of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), aims to integrate SEL into Sierra Leone’s education system. ChildFund's approach to SEL focuses on building essential life skills such as communication, emotional regulation, self-awareness, conflict resolution, relationship management, and decision-making. By embedding these skills into its programs across various sectors, ChildFund seeks to enhance children's overall learning experience and well-being. As part of this initiative, ChildFund is partnering with the Ministry of Education to develop a national SEL framework for primary schools and Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs). This framework will institutionalize SEL, ensuring that children across Sierra Leone receive an education that nurtures both their academic growth and emotional well-being. ChildFund Sierra Leone’s Country Director, Victor Kamara, expressed gratitude to the ministries for their collaboration and, on behalf of ChildFund, donated computers and stationery to support the Directorate of Curriculum and Research (MBSSE) and the Directorate of Research, Learning, and Development (MTHE). "We are grateful to ChildFund for leading the way in SEL, and UNICEF looks forward to future partnerships," said Aiah Mbayo, Education Specialist for Foundational Learning at UNICEF. Deputy Minister of MBSSE, Honorable Emily Kadiatu Gogra, also commended ChildFund’s contributions: "ChildFund is a household name within the Ministry of Education. We appreciate their dedication to reaching hard-to-reach areas and supporting the development of children, teachers, and communities." With this launch, Sierra Leone takes a significant step toward embedding social-emotional learning into its education system, ensuring a more holistic approach to child development nationwide. #Education #SocialEmotionalLearning #SEL #MBSSE #MTHE

We’re excited to share that our recent media tour provided press with an exclusive look at the positive impact of our work in rural Sierra Leone. We took the press to #Falaba and #Koinadugu Districts, where we partner with Daindemben Federation to make a difference in local communities. Find full story here: https: //https://lnkd.in/dzEfEY_a #MediaTour #Sponsorship #Impact #Media

#MondayMotivation They say charity begins at home—and today, the male staff of ChildFund Sierra Leone proved just that! With #InternationalWomensDay2025 falling on a Saturday, our amazing male colleagues found a unique way to celebrate their female counterparts. Through a ballot selection process, each male staff member gifted a female colleague, adding a personal touch with heartfelt notes filled with kind words and uplifting adjectives. It wasn’t just about gifts—it was about appreciation, recognition, and solidarity. Small gestures like these make a big difference in enhancing an inclusive and supportive workplace. Kudos to the team for making this Monday truly motivational! #IWD2025 #GenderEquality #WorkplaceCulture #Leadership #ChildFundSierraLeone

A quick reflection on International Women’s Day. This year, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and potential of girls and women across Sierra Leone. At ChildFund Sierra Leone, we believe that when girls’ capacities are enhanced, entire communities thrive. From ensuring access to quality education to protecting girls from child marriage and gender-based violence, we are committed to creating a future where every girl can reach her full potential. But change doesn’t happen alone—it takes all of us. This year’s theme, “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,” reminds us that when we invest in women and girls, we drive economic growth, reduce inequality, and build stronger communities. Join us in championing the rights of girls and women. Let’s work together to break barriers, challenge discrimination, and create opportunities for every child to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe. #ChildFundSierraLeone #InvestInWomen #IWD2025 #GirlsCan #GenderEquality #Education #Protection #Communities

TGIF! Access to clean and safe water is a basic necessity, and we’re making strides to ensure communities in need are not left behind. This week, Victor Kamara, our Country Director, handed over a newly constructed Biosand water facility and a rehabilitated hand-dug well in Baiima Bobo and Tomboma villages, Kailahun District, Eastern Sierra Leone. Paramount Chief, Musa Ngombukula Kallon II shared, “This is a huge development for our community and we thank ChildFund and N’domakeh for this.” He urged his people to embrace this development and take good care of the facility. Through our partnership with Procter & Gamble, we have constructed 7 Biosand water facilities in Bo, Bombali, Tonkolili and Kailahun —bringing clean water solutions to underserved communities—leveraging purification sachets and Biosand filtration technology to improve access to safe drinking water for children and families. Additionally, ChildFund International continues to invest in sustainable water access by providing boreholes through subsidy grants and project funding. Together, we are making water safety a reality. #WASH #CleanWaterForAll #CommunityImpact #grants #funding #water #Biosand #Access

How we wound up for the weekend might interest and inspire you. In Sierra Leone’s Kono, Kenema, and Kailahun Districts, the Establishing Regenerative Organic Cocoa Agroforestry in Sierra Leone: Promoting Biodiversity and Farmer Livelihoods through a sustainable cocoa value chain, is a key action of the Agro-Tech Development Support Project, co-funded by the European Union and Tradin Organic and implemented by ChildFund International.  The two-year project worth € 215,628 has the objective of Sustaining and further expanding agroforestry through effective financial management with Village Savings and Loan Associations at Community Level. The project has begun transforming livelihoods and promoting sustainability in the cocoa sector. A key success? Strengthening financial resilience. So far, 25 of the targeted 50 Farmer Based Organizations have been structured into Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA), collectively valued at 312,410 Sierra Leone Leones (€13,700). These groups have generated 585,935 Leones (€24,112) in total shares and a profit margin of 146,897 Leones (€6,045). Recently, officials from our donor partners, Delegation of the European Union to Sierra Leone—Federico Capurro, Infrastructure and Rural Development Programme Manager, Franko Manso Marah, Finance, Contracts, and Audit Officer, Jonathan Yambasu Bundu Communications Consultant—joined the ChildFund International team, including Isatu Venn, Programs and Sponsorship Director, Lahai Aruna, Advocacy and Child Protection Manager and the project’s lead, Victor Aitkins, the project’s coordinator, Michael Jah, one of the project’s officers, Samuel Forbes, Senior Driver, and Sahr Ngaujah, Communications Manager, and, on the Tradin Organic side, Soizic LEGRAND, Indigenous Agroeconomist to witness our collective impact firsthand. One of the project’s participants, 22-year-old Sitta, shared how the VSLA has changed her life: "Since joining this group, life has been smooth, and my pot hasn’t stopped boiling. I invested the loan I took from the group, and my business is really growing.” Other members of the group revealed they are using the loans from the VSLA to buy school materials for their children, pay hospital bills, university fees, as well as establish profitable businesses, and more importantly, from the proceeds from their businesses, put food on the table for their families each day. This is the power of sustainable development—where economic growth meets resilience, and communities are strengthened and sustained for the long term. #SustainableCocoa #EUinSierraLeone #ChildFund #VSLA #RegenerativeAgriculture #RuralEconomy #FinancialLiteracy #project #AgroTechDevelopment #Development #AgroForestry #VSLAs #SavingsGroups ChildFund Africa ChildFund Alliance ChildFund Australia ChildFund Brasil ChildFund Uganda ChildFund Mozambique ChildFund The Gambia ChildFund Sénégal ChildFund Guinea ChildFund Ethiopia ChildFund Kenya ChildFund Zambia

Today, ChildFund is proud to join colleagues from various NGOs in Sierra Leone for a health walk as we kick off NGO Week—from February 24 to 28, 2025. “The enthusiasm from colleagues is remarkable depicting the level of collaboration among NGOs in Sierra Leone,” ChildFund Country Director and INGOs Steering Committee Co-Chair, Victor Kamara shared. The Honorable Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay said, “We appreciate the work of NGO’s in Sierra Leone especially with regards to human capital development.” This year’s celebration is themed “Empowering communities for sustainable development” —recognizing the transformative impact of NGOs working tirelessly to make communities and our world a better place for everyone. #MoPED #NGOWeek #CommunityImpact #SierraLeoneNGOs

Nearly two years after we successfully re-enrolled out-of-school girls in the Western Area, local government representatives, tribal heads, and community leaders are taking the next critical step—ensuring these girls stay in school. Beyond retention, they are now championing local laws that will promote education for all children, helping them realize their dreams and aspirations. Today marks the first of several meetings where community leaders are discussing ordinances to safeguard every child’s right to education. With agreements reached, plans to engage the local council are already in motion. Together, we can build a safer, more inclusive future for every child in Sierra Leone. KOICA 초록우산(Childfund Korea) ChildFund International #EducationForAll #CommunityLeadership #GirlsEducation