The grant will support personnel with materials to provide literacy and numeracy classes for children in work situations in Mile 91, Yoni Chiefdom northern Sierra Leone. The project targets 200 beneficiaries that include orphans, street children, in various work situations with no opportunity to acquire basic primary education because they could not fit in to the normal schooling system.
According the UNICEF, around 150 million children aged 5-17 are currently engaged in labor situations, with incidence highest in sub-Saharan Africa. In Mile 91 a junction and trading town, a lot of children and adolescents work excessive hours and some in hazardous conditions and are unlikely to acquire basic education. This severely curtails their ability to escape from poverty. All children have the right to education and to grow in an environment that protects them from exploitation and abuse
The project will organize evening classes with experienced teachers; and entice the children with food to attend and be regular. At the end of the project all 200 children targeted for the project are expected to read, write and do simple calculation. They will be able to communicate better, take up opportunities that would otherwise have been impossible if they were stark illiterates. About 80% of the children targeted will be girls as they are most times not considered for any form education.
The road to poverty reduction in Sierra Leone starts with basic education for children. The project is step towards poverty reduction in the chiefdom. When these children grow up with some amount of education, they will be able to make meaningful contributions towards their living conditions and development of their communities.
