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Oxfam in Sierra Leone

Gbessay Sesay practices her tailoring skills at the Grassroots Skills Training Centre in Freetown. Photo: Aubrey Wade

From our staff

Mustapha Abu, Women's Economic Leadership Project Co-ordinator

 Sierra Leone is a country with high levels of poverty and deprivation. Discrimination against women is widespread, and as a result women often struggle to influence the decisions that affect their lives. So my work focuses on empowering women and on giving them the skills - and therefore the confidence - they need to make their voices heard.

Similarly, Oxfam in Sierra Leone also works on helping people form co-operatives, so they can work together more efficiently and join forces to bring about change. And we support people to increase crop production, by providing high quality seeds and teaching people about the best farming methods.


Full details of what Oxfam is doing in Sierra Leone (PDF, 261KB)

Campaigning success

Your campaigning persuaded the UK Government to help Sierra Leone give mums and under fives health care.

Free health care Sierra Leone

In 2010-11 Oxfam helped:

200,000
people in
Sierra Leone

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Oxfam's projects in countries like Sierra Leone rely on your generosity.

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Related reports and papers

Snapshot of Oxfam in Sierra Leone

Photo 1/10 photo by: Vince Haig

Women are among the most marginalised members of society in Sierra Leone - female literacy rates stand at just 24%. This is the supervisor of the Oxfam supported Bewondoo Women's Centre in Buedo. The centre provides training on women's rights, and many of its visitors have subsequently stood for local government.

  • Women are among the most marginalised members of society in Sierra Leone - female literacy rates stand at just 24%. This is the supervisor of the Oxfam supported Bewondoo Women's Centre in Buedo. The centre provides training on women's rights, and many of its visitors have subsequently stood for local government.
  • Lack of safe water and sanitation is a major challenge – almost half of all Sierra Leoneans lack access to safe drinking water. Here, a woman uses a water pump constructed by Oxfam in Freetown. We work closely with local communities to ensure facilities are installed in areas most useful to women and their families.
  • Sierra Leone used to be the worst place in the world to give birth. But free maternal healthcare, lobbied for by Oxfam and introduced in April 2011, is making a big difference for mothers like Ashma (pictured). Here she attends a vaccination clinic with her newborn daughter.

The impact of our work

 I volunteered for training because I wanted the experience. I want to get a job making wells in other villages when I've finished my training. For now I'm not on the water committee, but I will be when I've finished my training. Then I will be responsible for looking after this well and fixing any problems.


Bockarie Abu, a community technician receiving training from Oxfam