Gender Equality Sierra Leone Project #20211

Girl Power Project - GPP

by ChildHelp Sierra Leone

Project Report | Sep 1, 2016
GIRLS EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE

By Kaprie J G Thoronka | Director/Project Leader

ChildHelp Sierra Leone

REPORT ON USE OF FUNDS AND SITUATION

31^st August, 2016

GLOBAL GIVING REPORT

Project Title: End early child marriage through Education/Girls Educational Challenge

Funds Raised so far: $4,610.72

£ 299 GBP (USD$ 460.7) received from fundraised from November 19, 2014 up to March 8^th 2015.

Reporting Period: 31^st August, 2016

ACTIVITIES/ EXPENSES

Awareness raising on ending child marriage in schools and communities
Child Help Line call response reached 7699 children and youths on abuse and neglect
Community dialogue meeting with parents and stakeholders to end child marriage in 28 communities reaching 130,000 to date
Girls support to 23 girls at the OIC Vocational School through 18 months training in tailoring, carpentry, agriculture, masonry, 9 students on catering
Support 157 teenage mothers returning to school

Response Team Officers: Miss Mabinty Koroma and Paul Amadu Bangura

REPORT:

The repercussions of the EVD crisis in Sierra Leone have been multi-dimensional with detrimental effects on the provision of education, economic activity and livelihood and primary health care at the community level. ChildHelp targeted isolated communities porously bordering Guinea and Liberia, facilitated the spread of the disease. Drop-outs, teenage pregnant, teenage mothering, Job losses, reduction in trade and an overburdened health infrastructure all amassed to create an environment that placed insurmountable pressures on the resilience of the local people and their community structures in ChildHelp operational areas.

From November 19, 2014 to August 31, 2016, the Global Giving Support has strengthen rural resilience to disasters by promoting an integrated approach to improved educational and economic development for girls affected by poverty and the Ebola Outbreak in needy communities. This support including other friends such as Laurette Folk, Anne Frank Fonds etc and yours is used for restoring access to basic facilities, including supporting educational service delivery and strengthening local governance for the inclusion of all stakeholders in the fight against early child marriage. The Global Giving platform will be used more with help of you and friends, to promote education and economic recovery through scholarships and school kits, provision of cash transfer initiatives, improving community infrastructures and stimulating local economic development. The Global Giving support is based on ChildHelp Sierra Leone’s Ebola Recovery Strategy approach to support girls to return and retain in formal and non-formal schools.

Global Giving UK volunteers Rosie and Paulina are also with ChildHelp Sierra Leone, training the team in Fundraising, Engagement in fundraising (local & international), Social media, Governance & Accountability,Development of staff & volunteers, Networking & collaboration, Inclusion & access, Communications review, Finance & Administration, Environment & Well-being, monitoring and evaluation.

The project will continue to work with identified vulnerable and remote communities in Bombali, Koinadugu and Kambia districts in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone respectively. ChildHelp Sierra Leone work closely with existing village development committees (VDCs), local councils, district Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s’ Affairs, Education and health medical teams (DHMTs), existing local governance structures, including community social and humanitarian development workers.

The little raise will be used and reports will be posted at Global Giving UK. ChildHelp is also encouraging every supporter, to come back and support this campaign under the title ‘’ GIRLS EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE’’. Thanks to everyone and those who will be supporting us again.

Beneficiaries listening to GGUK Volunteers

The lead Tutor with GGUK Volunteers

Youth beneficiaries with GGUK Volunteers

GGUK and ChildHelp discussing issues

women and girls beneficiaries

Paulina, GGUK Volunteer on Network Mapping

Permalink

Jun 3, 2016
End Child Marriage Report June 2016

By Kaprie J G Thoronka | Executive Director

Tity Kamara

REPORT TO GLOBAL GIVING JUNE 2016

Organisation: ChildHelp Sierra Leone

Country: Sierra Leone

Project Locations: Bombali, Port Loko and Kambia districts

(Northern Province of Sierra Leone)

Donor: Global Giving (UK/USA)

Co-financier: Anne Frank Fonds, Switzerland

Reporting Period: December 2015 to June 2016

Description:

Serra Leone is a former British Colony. Serra Leone operates a Socio Cultural system based on traditional African customs that place high premium on Male dominance over female folks in decision making, control of resources and leadership. The social cultural norms lean disproportionately in favour of Men against Women. Women in Sierra Leone are often victims of Gender Base Violation, in the forms of physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse. These abuses undoubtedly inflict not only physical injuries but emotional injuries as well. Women are enduring oppressive situations even during the civil war and Ebola outbreak due to lack of Livelihood and capacity to take control of their lives or resist and break free from the circle of violence they find themselves.

Over the years both Government and Non-Governmental Organizations have attempted to address these abuses against Women. The Government has enacted the Domestic Violence Act, 2007, the Devolution of Estates Act, 2007, the Customary Marriage and Divorce Act, 2009 and the Sexual Offences Act, 2012. All these legislations are aimed at providing greater safety and security for Women.

During 2014 and 2015, the Ebola outbreak caused destruction, loss of properties, intimidation, stigmatisation and neglect. The crisis resulted in early marriages, unwanted pregnancies and unwanted babies. These same girls continued going to the streets, abandoned places and clubs etc to survive and take care of their unwanted babies. The Global Giving Support and a support from Anne Frank Fonds help us in our consultations, workshops and field events identifying survivors and assessing the prevalence of early child marriage and teenage pregnancies so as to end such practice using the best practice, involving stakeholders, CSOs, the business bodies, religious groups and youths.

The result of the 6-months field activities revealed that 75% of women and girls interviewed experience Gender Base Violence (CEFM) including prostitution. 39% of participants identified economic power as the major cause of CEFM. 120 girls affected have been supported with life-skills and literacy training support for empowerment including messages of CEFM, FGM/C and Harmful Traditional Practices and the role of culture and elders in early marriage.

The beneficiaries engaged with livelihood activities are empowered to actively take the process forward. Their Economic activities has build their confidence and self-worth and thus built their relationship with their families and their communities when the project fade out finally. The participation of girls in household expenses will go a long way in changing the communities’ perception on women and girls there by consulting them in decision making and thus serve as partners in development. The start-up kits to be given to the clients to start their business will be an asset of promoting the business for longer years.

ChildHelp SL’s experience with these projects is that the root causes of gender base violence are linked to livelihood issues. ChildHelp SL is convinced that livelihood Empowerment for these girls will help break free from oppressive relation or situations. ChildHelp SL developed a staff code of conduct which state among others the relationship that a staff must maintain with a beneficiaries and the giving of gift and appreciations to staff by the beneficiaries before, during and after the project implementation.

ChildHelp SL protects beneficiaries from exploitation and abuse by the programme staff. ChildHelp SL also gives every beneficiary a care letter to assure them of their security in the programme. This letter clearly states that the services are free, show the details of person (s) responsible for the beneficiaries, provide assurance of quality and effective services and where a beneficiary should express concerns in a situation where she sense threatened or exploited.

More girls affected are still out there in need of such support to be trained in life-skills and economic empowerment. More funding is needed to support them. With continued support from supporters will help end child, early and forceful marriages and will help girls to take care of themselves and their new born babies.

The Photograph above, Miss Tity Kamara, is one of the beneficiaries with her own child, thanking all supporters and the Global Giving team for their support provided to enable them learn skills that will empower them in the future.

Prepared and submitted by: Kaprie J G Thoronka

T. Kamara

Child Marriage meeting

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4 5

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.