Sierra Leone saw one-third of its population displaced and tens of thousands killed during the civil war of the 1990s.

Conflict ended in 2002, and great leaps have since been made towards democracy and a more stable economy. Yet the destruction of many schools, hospitals and roads during combat has proved a challenge to recovery, and the country remains one of the poorest in the world.

ActionAid in Sierra Leone
ActionAid became involved with Sierra Leone in 1988, and now works with 158,000 people.

We work at a practical level to help people rebuild their lives, homes and communities. This includes finding houses, providing skills-training and creating employment for former soldiers and young people.

A vital element of our work is boosting education levels after damage to many schools during the civil war. We work with rural communities to provide accommodation for teachers and promote the importance of education for girls as well as boys.

We also work with communities to create opportunities for young people to mix and develop business skills for the future. 

Elsewhere, ActionAid Sierra Leone works to provide healthcare, safe childbirth practices and clean water, and lobbies government to change the policies and practices that affect the lives of poor people.