Country Stats

  • Population: 8,369,615
  • Rank in UN's Human Development Index: 184 of 189
  • Rank on Gender Equality Index: 150 of 160

Concern's Impact

  • People reached with the Treat and Prevent (TAP) Malaria program: 5,752 Sierra Leoneans
  • Adolescents reached through training in life skills: 7,088 adolescents

In Sierra Leone, our mission is to improve education in Tonkolili District. We’re working across 118 schools to enhance the quality of learning for students. To improve health, we are working with parents to promote better hygiene practices with their children.

Protracted civil war from 1991 to 2002, followed by the world’s largest Ebola outbreak, caused devastation in Sierra Leone. In 2017, it ranked 184 out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index.

With the new methods, we actually planted a lot of vegetables and when we harvested them, we had a large amount so that was very helpful. We were able to use the money we made from those crops to become members of the village savings and loan group.

Yadema Koroma, Tonkolili

After the Ebola outbreak, resumption of iron ore mining led to a rebound of Sierra Leone’s economy. However, the outlook for 2020 and beyond remains challenging, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies, such as a 2017 mudslide.

We have been working in Sierra Leone since 1996, and are currently in Port Loko, Tonkolili District and in the Freetown/Western Area. Our integrated programming approach aims to tackle all dimensions of poverty, focusing on the overlapping areas of health, education and livelihoods, while maintaining our response to emergencies.

Latest Achievements

Health & Nutrition

We've reached a total of 5,752 Sierra Leoneans with our Treat and Prevent (TAP) Malaria program. In order to combat the virus, TAP improves health services around treatment of malaria and other diseases.

Emergency Response

After a massive fire broke out in Freetown's Kroo Bay coastal community, our emergency team rebuilt 426 houses in two weeks and assisted 1,385 residents with recovery.

Education & Health

We provided 7,088 adolescents with essential training in life skills. This resulted in a significant reduction in teenage pregnancies, and an increase in school attendance.

Our Work in Sierra Leone

Over nearly a quarter of a century, our work in Sierra Leone has evolved with the communities we serve. Our programs currently focus on education, gender equality, and maternal and child health.

News & Features