Help 100 women in Sierra Leone escape poverty

What was really striking was the huge increase in income that the young women have already had as a direct result of the training.  One girl called Bintu told me she never dreamt she would be able to do a business training without being able to read and write. Bintu is just 25 and a widow as her husband died from Ebola. She had never been to school or had any training or support in business. She has two children and, thanks to your donation, is now earning enough to pay for her eldest child to go to school. She hopes business will improve enough to enroll the second child next year. She’s said for the first time since her husband died she is respected in the community and is consulted about things that are happening.  She was amazingly inspiring.

Another young women who had recently taken part in the training said she used to need her son to do her finances.  Now, she has a way to check he is doing it correctly and understand it herself when he is not here. It has made her independent and confident in her abilities. I think one of the most empowering aspects is that these women are no longer made to feel inferior.  They now have the tools, self-belief and confidence to escape poverty.  

I also went and visited a group of illiterate young women who completed the training four years ago.  It was amazing to see the long-term impact the training has had on their lives.  The training had been truly transformative for them. They have set up a farming cooperative from proceeds of their business. None of them worked before and relied on handouts... now their husbands come to them for help and they join in the ‘men's’ community meetings! This is something that is very rare in Sierra Leone and shows how the training is truly empowering these women and playing a huge role in improving gender equality in Sierra Leone. 

Thank you again so much for your support.  If you would like to know more about our work or are able to support our work again in any way, please do get in touch with me at adriana@peacechild.org

My very best wishes,

Adriana