Sierra Leone

All children require a safe space to learn and develop. Unfortunately, both physical and psychological aggression and gender biases are prevalent in far too many schools.

Schools and communities in Tonkolili district are benefiting from two programmes - the Irish Aid funded Safe Learning Model (SLM) holistic approach to education, gender equality, and Gender Based Violence (SRGBV) and a Global Partnership for Education (via World Bank) funded project (Save The Children International led consortium). 

Our 'Safe Learning Model' in Sierra Leone is a pioneering multi-million euro, five-year programme, funded by Irish Aid. The model was developed to ensure a holistic approach to education and bring together interventions that address SRGBV within a comprehensive education programme. The aim is to gather data and design a blueprint for an effective safe learning model which could be used by the Government of Sierra Leone and contextualised for different countries.

We are also working to address school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) in education programmes in Sierra Leone. We aim to reduce violence and improve methods for responding to violence, as well as addressing attitudes and influences both within and outside of school, from local to national level.

Both programmes are implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Basic & Senior Secondary Education. We also work with adolescent young women in three districts who are out of school to help them build their lives and self-confidence to either return to education or set up a small business (FCDO funded consortium project led by IRC – EAGER).

In Sierra Leone we continue to contribute significantly to the national COVID-19 response. Concern, with IRC as partner, is implementing an ECHO-funded project in all 16 districts to support the Government achieve its COVID-19 vaccination strategy.

The focus is on reaching people living in geographically hard to reach areas and vulnerable people (e.g. those living with disabilities). We have provided strong support to coordination mechanisms, including the development of a ‘Readiness Checklist’ to identify gaps in capacity at district level, which can be used in other future vaccination campaigns.

By the end of January 2022, Concern and IRC supported mobile vaccination teams had fully vaccinated 18,829 people and provided a first dose to 26,304.

In Irish Aid funded projects, we are working with subsistence farmers to improve production using improved climate smart techniques, reduce post harvest losses, and engage in Village Savings & Loans (VSLA) groups to access finance.

The VSLA approach combined with ‘Living Peace’ sessions with couples is also proving to be a powerful gender transformative approach – improving women’s independence, access to finances and decision-making, at the same time as engaging men.