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

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 Field Schools 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—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 officer, 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

Since ChildFund and KOICA launched the Increasing Access to Secondary Education for Out-of-School Girls in the Western Area project in 2023, 64 adolescent mothers have been enrolled across six schools in the district. Beyond supporting these young mothers, we are also ensuring their babies receive the care they need. Today, facilitators from the District Health and Management Team (DHMT) of the Ministry of Health are leading a practical session on preparing nutritious, homemade complementary foods. This training equips adolescent mothers with essential skills and knowledge on sustainable feeding practices, ensuring their babies continue to thrive even after the project concludes in December. ChildFund International Ministry of Health & Sanitation - SL #healthybabies #education

Our Regional Communications and Advocacy Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, concluded on a high note! This dynamic and action-packed gathering brought together Communications and Advocacy leads from ChildFund International, ChildFund Mozambique, ChildFund Zambia, ChildFund The Gambia, ChildFund Uganda, ChildFund Sénégal ChildFund Ethiopia, ChildFund Kenya, ChildFund Guinea and ChildFund Sierra Leone to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and strengthen our collective impact. Key Highlights Included: ✅ Enhancing storytelling for fundraising. ✅ Communicating organizational impact more effectively. ✅ Advancing child and youth participation in advocacy. ✅ Strengthening thought leadership. ✅ Promoting learning and knowledge sharing. ✅ Advocacy for climate change. ✅ Tackling Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children. ✅ Generating evidence to support impactful advocacy. Excitingly, a new Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) tool is in development, which will enhance our teams’ capacity to better document and share outcome stories—covering key policy shifts, impactful non-policy changes, and more. A huge thank you to our incredible colleagues, Maureen Siele, Africa Region Communications Advisor, and Joshua Ongwae, Senior Advocacy Manager, Africa & Liaison to the African Union, for coordinating this impactful training. Special appreciation to our Africa Region Director, Chege Ngugi, for hosting and championing this initiative, as well as Alice Kamau, Country Director, ChildFund Kenya and the ChildFund Kenya team for their outstanding support in making it a success. Appreciation also goes to Christine Ennulat, Senior Manager Brand and Communications, Erin Nicholson, Advisor, Strategic Communications, Danielle Lilly, Director, Policy, and Saranga Jayaratne, Senior Advisor, Country Office Advocacy, Walter Okello, Advisor, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, from our International Office. Your presentations were apt.! Thanks to Victor Kamara, Country Director, ChildFund Sierra Leone for supporting and ensuring the Sierra Leone team’s participation. Here’s to stronger collaborations and greater impact across the region! #ChildFund #Advocacy #Communications #Collaboration #Leadership #Impact #Stories #OSEAC

✨ It’s a wrap! As we celebrate the International Day for Education, our final day at the Annual Celebration of Education (ACE) week in Makeni was a rewarding one, as we had the opportunity to engage with incredible colleagues in the development sector, including Saskia Goldman and Kate Jefferies from FCDO Services Yabom from the US Peace Corps and Peter KOROMA, Head of Program at Plan International. They were excited to learn more about the work we do at ChildFund International to support children in Sierra Leone, particularly in the education sector. At ChildFund, we firmly believe that partnerships and collaboration are key to overcoming the challenges children face and creating lasting impact in their lives. Together, we can shape a brighter future! #EducationMatters #ChildFund #Partnerships #ACEWeek #SierraLeone ChildFund Africa ChildFund Alliance

“Organizations like ChildFund make Sierra Leone a better place,” shares Elizabeth, a student from Makeni. Elizabeth was among many students who visited our booth at the #Annual #Celebration of #Education (ACE) week to learn about our impact on education. At ChildFund, we believe education is key to unlocking every child’s potential. That’s why we’ve been empowering children in Sierra Leone since 1985—and we’re just getting started! #EducationMatters #ACE #Makeni Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education ChildFund Africa

We are happy that ChildFund Sierra Leone has a representation in the persons of Lahai Aruna, Advocacy and Child Protection Manager, and Sahr Ngaujah, Communications Manager. So far, it’s been an excitingly, learning environment and opportunity for the team, but also an opportunity for shared learning and replicating best practices as part of a set of back home actions. #Advocacy #Communications #ChildProtection #Environment #Team

At ChildFund, we are dedicated to supporting children’s optimal development at every stage of life, including Life Stage 3, which focuses on empowering youth aged 15-24. During the Annual Celebration of Education (ACE) Week in Makeni, we hosted Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara, Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education, and Abdul Senesie, Director of Technical, Vocational, and Education Training (TVET), at our booth. They explored our efforts to create lasting impacts on education for children and young adults. We believe that together we are building brighter futures through education and opportunity for children and young adults in Sierra Leone. #YouthEmpowerment #EducationMatters #ACE #Makeni #TVET ChildFund Africa