Kadiatu Bakarr, is a 19-year-old girl from Gbangbatoke Junction in Moyamba District, whose desire for education was unquenched despite the numerous challenges she faced in her early teen years. In 2021, at the age of 16 and in school, she became pregnant. Her family, deeply disappointed, rejected her, and she was forced to drop out …
In Kalangba, a rural community in Sierra Leone, many adolescent girls face limited opportunities after completing secondary school. Isha S. Kanu, an 18-year old girl, had completed her West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), but like many of her peers, she found herself at home with no access to further education, skills training or employment. With few prospects and no structured …
In the quiet, remote village of Makwie an outreach community to Gbendembu in Sierra Leone 18-year-old Yapo Kanu lived in silence and shame because she had never gone to school. For Yapo, the world of education was foreign and intimidating. She often avoided conversations with her peers who were enrolled in school, feeling inadequate and …
Young girls like Elizabeth are breaking barriers through education and setting an example to inspire others. Limited access to education for girls in rural Sierra Leone poses a significant challenge. Discriminatory practices often rooted in cultural norms and economic disparities hinder girls from receiving the life-changing education they deserve. Elizabeth is a 12-year-old young girl …
Solar Powered Innovation is lighting up young lives in Sierra Leone. Electricity is essential for learning in rural Sierra Leone, meaning the difference between being able to study at night, or skipping homework. For most students in rural communities, children join their parents on the farm or market to help earn money after school and return …
Gender must not determine whether girls get education. Girls, just like boys, deserve education because an educated girl can change the world. Fanta Jalloh is a 23-year-old woman living in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Her favourite childhood memory was going to school. Fanta used to love social studies, her dream was to study to become a …
Young people make up the majority of the world’s population. We need to have access to quality education so that we are able to implement change in our communities. Ibrahim Bockarie is from the Pujehun community, in the Kailahun District of Sierra Leone. He is passionate about pursuing his education and becoming a teacher. He believes …
In Finnah’s community, teenage pregnancy and early marriage are problems facing many girls. “I grew up in Badala/Iyisia village in Sierra Leone. There are limited opportunities here for young people to make the best out of their lives. We are a loving family even though none of the children were fortunate enough to go to …
“People who receive an education are exposed to a wide range of opportunities. Now I provide for my needs and have my own business as a hairdresser.” Education can be life changing, helping girls shape their own future, on their terms. But in countries such as Sierra Leone, where 17 year old Sitta lives, systemic …
