Sierra Leone gained its independence from The United Kingdom in 1961 and appeared to handle the transition well while other newly independent states broke down into tribal warfare. However by 1991 a civil war broke out that proved to be one of the
cruellest and most destructive in human history, at least in the last century. Out of a
population of just six million, by the end of hostilities
50,000 were left dead, many more wounded, disabled
and/or orphaned and two million displaced. Although the
war has been finished for over a decade its impact still
deeply affects a scarred society in Sierra Leone leaving
it in 182nd place out of 189 countries and territories
in 2019 when ranked in terms of life expectancy,
literacy, access to knowledge and the living standards
of a country.
Worse than the poverty, worse than the destruction of most of the country's
infrastructure, was and is the psychological damage to all the children who were
killed or forced to take up arms as child soldiers and murder those within their own communities leaving a legacy of
hopelessness and abandonment at the end of the war. These children had no where to go and no-one would welcome them. Volunteer work opportunities in Sierra Leone consequently focus on
rebuilding works ~ schools, hospitals and orphanages ~ as well as health care and rolling out HIV
awareness and prevention campaigns. There is also the opportunity to work with former child soldiers, sometimes just listening.
Please note that many volunteer opportunities in Sierra Leone were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic which led to the permanent closure of some volunteer opportunities and restrictions on others. Hopefully things are now beginning to return to normal. If you run or
know of a volunteer work project in Sierra Leone let us know by
contacting us here. We look forward
to hearing from you!
Volunteer Work Sierra Leone: Tacugama
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Volunteer Work Sierra Leone: EduAid
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Volunteer Work Sierra Leone: Red Cross
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