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Helping to heal the wounds of war
Where would you like to go?

Due to the devastating effects of the civil war, access to education in the Kono District is very limited. In the Sierre Leonean communities in which Free The Children works, almost all infrastructure, including schools, homes and businesses, were destroyed by the rebels during the war. Seven years after the war ended, the area is still severely neglected by the government, and there is an enormous need for more schools. All children involved in our projects are war-affected youth (those who have lost family/friends, amputees, rape survivors, etc.). Free The Children schools are helping to return normalcy to their lives.

the issues.

Free The Children is working in the Kono District, which is located in the eastern part of Sierra Leone. This region was completely destroyed during the recent 11-year civil war because of the large quantity of diamonds in the area. Due to the fragile environment of Sierra Leone, this is the only country where Free The Children implements its projects through a local partner. The St. Joseph of Cluny Sisters have been working in Sierra Leone for many years and have been implementing our projects since 2002.

  • 70% of Sierra Leone’s population lives below the poverty line.
  • The average life expectancy in the country is only 42 years.
  • Less than half of Sierra Leonean women aged 15 to 24 can read and write.
  • 48% of Sierra Leone’s children aged 5 to 14 are involved in child labour.

where we work now.

Click here to learn more about Free The Children’s past projects.

kono district, sierra leone

Changing Lives: Meet Sahr

Sahr David Banga is a vivacious 13-year-old girl from Sierra Leone who loves playing soccer. Sahr lives with her mother (a clerk), father (a security guard), two brothers and two sisters. With such a big, busy family, everyone is expected to help out around the house. Sahr’s chores include sweeping and fetching water.

Each day, Sahr wakes up early in the morning to sweep the house and pray before heading off to the Free The Children school. Sahr is a smart girl and school is one of her favourite places to be. She likes all of her subjects but her favourite is science, because it helps her understand how the world works. Sahr hopes that one day her country will be peaceful.

She feels very proud of her new school and having a well in the community means that she no longer has to get up in the dark of the morning and walk for hours to collect water for her family. Thanks to Free The Children’s projects in Sierra Leone, her family also doesn’t need to pay extra money for her education—a gift for which they’re all grateful.

She dreams of becoming a doctor and having enough money to buy a nice home for her parents.

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get involved!

Ready to take a stand for children in Sierra Leone? Follow these steps:
1 Hold a Celebrate for Change party for Sierra Leonean children. 2 Raise awareness on Sierra Leone at your school. 3 Sign up for the FTC youth conference to learn more.
Teach your students compassion by taking action for Sierra Leone. Here’s how:
1 Check out our educator resources for facts and support. 2 Hold a class-wide fundraiser for Adopt a Village in Sierra Leone. 3 Start a Youth in Action group with your students.
Together, your family can make a difference in Sierra Leone. Here’s how:
1 Start a Youth in Action group with your kids. 2 Download our Family Kit for ways to help at home. 3 Make a donation to Adopt a Village in Sierra Leone.
Rally your office to take action for Sierra Leone by following these steps:
1 Start an incentive program to encourage donations. 2 Host an issues lunch for your staff to get talking. 3 Make a group donation to Adopt a Village in Sierra Leone.