Concern marks 30 years in Liberia and Sierra Leone

The Irish humanitarian organisation started working in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 1990’s during civil wars in each country. 

While Concern’s initial involvement in both countries was to respond to emergencies, over the last 30 years this work has evolved to focus on sustainable development, seeking to prevent emergencies and crisis while strengthening communities’ resilience. 

Concern programmes, through working with local partners, now aim to help people adapt to a changing climate and improve access to equitable health care, nutrition, education, agriculture and livelihoods. Community leadership and decision-making are core to this work. 

“I feel very privileged to be able to visit Sierra Leone and Liberia at this time while we are celebrating 30 years of standing with communities from humanitarian crisis to recovery and resilience. I am proud of the work the teams have done to strengthen local systems and develop strong collaboration with national non-government organisations and government ministries with the ultimate aim of eliminating extreme poverty,” said Reka Sztopa, Concern regional director for both countries.

Concern was part of the Ebola response in Sierra Leone and Liberia from 2014 to 2016, working on prevention, supporting households and communities impacted by Ebola, providing safe and dignified burials and psychosocial support. Both country programmes have also played a significant role in COVID vaccination programmes and handled multiple cholera outbreaks in Sierra Leone.

Celebrating 30 years

To mark 30 years, Concern Liberia hosted a harvest and nutrition festival featuring food producers supported by Concern along with a learning gallery virtual exhibition, and announcements of new partnerships with local government in the areas of agriculture and water and sanitation, among other events.

Concern Sierra Leone hosted a Sustainable Programming Exhibition on the 13th October celebrating three decades of partnership while looking ahead to the next generation of locally led solutions. It also provided grants to rural and urban youth groups for climate-smart projects. These initiatives include reforestation to improve water retention and reduce the impact of flash floods; locally available water-purification technology; stronger preparedness against fires and flash floods; and environmental education to address poor waste management, which can intensify flooding.

Putting communities first

“When we say we reach the furthest behind first, we really do. Sometimes to get to our communities, you go by car as far as you can go and then you have to walk. We may be the only organisation that has ever supported them, and many of these communities are amongst the most vulnerable in the country. Some of our communities are so enthusiastic about the projects that they build roads for us to travel on,” said Sarah Cundy, programme director with Concern in Sierra Leone.

“Sustainability is key. When we leave a community, they still have something they can hold on to and continue for subsequent years to come. And they talk about what they've done, not what Concern has done. And I love that.” 

Community Savings and Loan (CSLA) schemes, where people come together to pool their savings and offer loans to their community (not too dissimilar to a Credit Union in Ireland) have contributed to economic empowerment, for both women and men. 

“The CSLAs are a massive success of the work over the years. A few months ago, many of the CSLA groups were doing what they call annual share out, providing dividends among members based on their savings and accrued interest. We noticed that there are some groups in remote communities that have saved a significant amount of the money they have generated through livelihood and income generating activities, supported by Concern programmes. Many groups put a percentage of that money into community development, making a broader difference to the people around them,” said Ciara Begley, country director with Concern in Liberia. 

Improved farming practices and technologies has contributed to this improved financial wellbeing. Local farmers are trained in new agricultural and climate-smart techniques which teach them skills to significantly increase their yields and become lead farmers who then share their knowledge with their own and neighbouring communities. Programmes also assess and develop opportunities for farmers to store and sell their excess produce, providing an additional income and a sustainable food source for the local community.

Gender equality, inclusion and peacebuilding is also a central part of Concern’s programmes in Liberia and Sierra Leone. It has been consistently cited by local leaders as the element which has brought about the biggest change to their communities. Conflicts are now resolved through communication, with joint solutions and a sharing of the household decision making. People say it makes them better parents, better husbands and wives, and that they are more financially viable as a result. 

“When asked to sum up this programme, every single local leader says, ‘there’s no development without peace’,” added Sarah Cundy. 

Impact of aid cuts

For the many positives that the last 30 years has brought, the devastating impacts that international aid cuts are having on this progress cannot be ignored. Liberia and Sierra Leone are some of the poorest countries in the world. More than half of the population in Liberia live below the poverty line, while in Sierra Leone that figure stands at 26%.

In Liberia, emergency ready to use therapeutic food stocks ran out run in September 2025. Child wasting figures in Liberia had reduced to 3%, considered nationally a big success. But this figure has gone up again and currently stands at 8.5%. This puts child mortality at very high risk. Concern is working to provide guidance on how to make nutritionally rich products with food grown locally. But this is not a replacement for badly needed essential medicines to treat malnutrition.

In Sierra Leone, international aid cuts have had a devastating impact across many areas, with maternal, newborn and child health particularly affected. Sierra Leone continues to face one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, though significant progress has been made in recent years. The painful reality of this came home to Concern earlier this year, after the death of one of Concern’s youth climate activists, who died following the birth of her child.

For further information contact Eilis Staunton, Media Relations Officer, Concern Worldwide, at eilis.staunton@concern.net or +353 85 872 0720