It’s time to Power Up!
Support girls in Sierra Leone and around the world to claim their right to an education.
DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT
Every pound you give to our #PowerUp Appeal until 6 June will be doubled by the UK government.
The power of education can be life changing, helping girls shape their own future, on their terms.
But in countries like Sierra Leone, girls are being held back. There are many problems forcing girls to drop out of school.
The coronavirus pandemic is only making things worse. 20 million girls may not return to school because of it*.
If we act now, being denied an education doesn’t have to be the reality for this generation of girls.
Education makes great things happen. It changes lives.
Kadiatu
Double your impact with a donation to our Power Up Appeal, supporting more girls in Sierra Leone and around the world to go to school, get their education and shape their own futures.
Every pound you give until 6 June will be doubled by the UK government.
Donate now.
Give a one off donation to support girls’ access to education.
Aid Match appeal: one-off donations
Kadiatu’s Story
Kadiatu is 17 years old and lives Sierra Leone. Growing up, Kadiatu’s life was difficult and she never went to school.
In 2019, Kadiatu met some youth mentors trained by Restless Development, and was encouraged to join numeracy and literacy classes and also some training in how to set up a business.
Today, Kadiatu is studying and has her own small business.
Education makes you self-reliant. I now do things on my terms.
Kadiatu
Double your impact in supporting young girls to earn a living.
The Power Up project will work with teenage girls and women, schools, parents and communities to ensure girls and women can go to school, stay in school, and go on to have careers.
With your support, girls in Sierra Leone will receive mentorship to create individual career plans, receive training in business skills, and receive grants for starting small businesses.
Anything you donate today will be doubled, meaning we can support more girls in Sierra Leone to earn a decent living.
Kumba’s Story.
Kumba is 17 years old. She was born in Guinea, but at a young age she lost both her parents and moved to Sierra Leone, forcing her to drop out of school.
Kumba met a Restless Development mentor and facilitator when they came to her community. She joined the programme and attended sessions on literacy, numeracy, life skills and business skills. She was able to put her new skills to work when she received a small grant to start her own business.
I’ve been able to buy a new sewing machine for myself. This has now been my source of livelihood.
Kumba
Kumba is multiplying leadership among her peers. She hopes to inspire other people to earn a living in this way too. She also aims to provide employment to other members of her community through her tailoring business.
As a result of the knowledge I acquired from the sessions I attended, I’ve been talking to my colleagues here at the tailoring shop about some business skills and this has made some of them start making plans to buy their own sewing machine just like me.
Kumba
The Power Up project.
Match funding from the UK government will go towards our project in Sierra Leone to help more than 15,000 girls enrol in school, stay in school and build their future.
In Sierra Leone, girls continue to drop out of school at alarming rates. Less than 10% of girls attend secondary school, and many never re-enroll in school once they leave. In a 2013 study, 39% of Sierra Leonean women aged 20-24 had been married before they turned 18, and 36% of women 20-24 years had given birth by age 18.
How your donations will be spent. The project will work with teenage girls and women, schools, parents and communities to ensure girls and women can go to school, stay in school, and go on to have careers. The project will start a learning and mentoring programme for out-of-school girls, supporting them to enroll in school, learn leadership and life skills, get the knowledge to protect their sexual health, and plan their career. The project will strengthen schools to support girls, and provide mothers and fathers clubs, helping communities to lead the way in supporting girls’ rights.
The remaining public donations to our Power Up appeal will support young people around the world to find solutions to problems they face in their communities, whether that means supporting more young people to enrol in school and to make informed choices about their education and careers, or supporting young people who are campaigning on issues like gender inequality and eradicating working poverty.
“I am focused
on getting my education”
When Serah was seven, her parents died and she had to drop out of school.
Serah’s life changed when volunteers from Restless Development came to her village. They helped Serah enrol in a learning programme for out-of-school girls and she is now claiming her right to an education.
DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT
Every pound you give to our #PowerUp Appeal until 6 June will be doubled by the UK government.
*https://malala.org/newsroom/archive/malala-fund-releases-report-girls-education-covid-19
Read more stories from Sierra Leone.
