Sierra Leone sits on the West Coast of Africa bordered by Liberia and Guinea. The country’s varied terrain consists of mangrove swamps and beaches along the coast and wooded hills and a mountainous plateau in the interior.
It has a population of approximately 5.3 million, consisting of numerous and diverse ethnic groups of which the two largest are the Temne and the Mende. Sierra Leone emerged from a decade of civil war in 2002 with the intervention of peacekeeping forces.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in Sierra Leone
28% of all children die before reaching the age of 5
A third of children suffer from stunted growth due to poor nutrition
Only 41% of children attend primary school
Over half the rural population does not have access to safe drinking water
Life expectancy is just 41 years
Fighting for peace in Sierra Leone In the wake of a brutal decade-long civil war, children and young people in Sierra Leone are finding ways to leave bad memories behind and look forward to a peaceful future
BBC journalists train Sierra Leone radio stations Journalists from BBC Radio Humberside travelled out to Sierra Leone earlier this year to provide training and other support to the radio stations MODCAR FM in Moyamba and Voice of the Handicapped in Freetown
Rehabilitation for devastated schools Plan, with funding from the Big Lottery Fund, is addressing children’s lack of access to education in the districts of Bombali and Port Loko
Voices for Peace 'In Sierra Leone, the issue of child participation is crucial; children suffered disproportionately during the war, they need to gain in the same way from the peace' says Chernor, the President of the Children's Forum Network.
The importance of education in Sierra Leone The atrocities children in Sierra Leone witnessed, or were forced to participate in, during the civil war have had sever psychological effects. Returning to some form of education is vital for them and the wider community to help them address, and cope with, their experiences and enable them to resume their normal lives again.
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