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 and training and creating employment for former soldiers and young people.

Sponsor a child in Sierra Leone

Child sponsorship in Sierra Leone

Maryama Mondah (9 years old, pictured right) writes messages to her sponsor in the UK. She, and many students like her, will be instrumental in rebuilding Sierra Leone from the ground up.

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.

Health and conflict in Sierra Leone

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 works to provide healthcare, safe childbirth practices and clean water and lobbies governments to change the policies and practices that affect the lives of poor people. We also work with communities to create opportunities for young people to mix and develop business skills for the future.

How you can help

When you sponsor a child in Sierra Leone, you'll be providing the resources for real, long-term change. You'll get two letters a year from the child you sponsor, and updates from the country programme to tell you how the money you are spending is changing the community your child lives in.