Sierra Leone

Hunger and malnutrition in Sierra Leone are linked to climate change — the country is among the 10% most affected by the climate crisis. Our nutrition work centres on this connection through initiatives like Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), and projects like Yoti Yoti (see our Latest Achievements section, above) and Linking Agriculture, Nutrition, and Natural Resources (LANN), which help families in Sierra Leone maintain nutrient-rich diets despite changing ecosystems.

More broadly, our health programming also reaches the basic healthcare needs of communities in both rural and urban areas. We work with the Ministry of Health to increase vaccinations (especially to remote areas) at scale via mobile and community-based health centres. We also supported the Ministry in reaching 94% coverage for COVID-19 vaccinations.

Our flagship program, Saving Lives in Sierra Leone, has entered its second phase and works to address the country’s high maternal, neonatal, and under-5 mortality and morbidity rates. We’re accomplishing this by working across the national healthcare system to improve the availability, quality, and utilization of related health services, with mentorships, trainings, and other forms of material support.

We have led several major education projects in Sierra Leone in recent years. Our  Safe Learning Model was a pioneering, multi-million euro, five-year program funded by Irish Aid. The model was developed to ensure a holistic approach to education and bring together interventions that address and prevent school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) within a comprehensive education program. Through this project, we’ve gathered data to form a blueprint for an effective safe learning model that can be used by the government of Sierra Leone and contextualised for different countries.  

We also recently concluded work on a five-year program, Every Adolescent Girl Empowered and Resilient (EAGER), which began in February 2019 and was funded by FCDO through the Girls’ Education Challenge Initiatives. Working in ten districts in consortium with two partner organisations, EAGER worked with vulnerable adolescent girls ages 13 to 19 who either never attended school or had dropped out and had not learned basic literacy and numeracy skills. The project significantly improved learning outcomes for these skills, as well as financial literacy and life skills, while also challenging the harmful gender norms that limit girls’ education and employment in Sierra Leone.

Since hunger and malnutrition rates in Sierra Leone are linked to economic issues, Concern’s livelihoods programs in the country are designed to improve both financial security and food security for participating families. 

To promote access to financing options, we’ve established Village Savings and Loans Associations in multiple districts, which allows community members to support one another, access low-interest financial assistance to offset the costs of emergencies (e.g., funerals, illness, loss of assets), and invest in larger development initiatives. We’ve also promoted relationship-building across local sectors (including farmers, transporters, and traders), and have led business skills trainings across two districts.