Sierra Leone

VSO worked with partners in Sierra Leone from 1961 but in 1995 had to close the programme due to security issues. After the civil war the programme reopened in September 2004 and the first new volunteers began their placements in February 2005.

VSO Sierra Leone works in the areas of participation and governance, secure livelihoods and, more recently, in health. HIV and AIDS and gender are mainstreamed into both these areas, and all activity targets and encourages the involvement of young people. The civil war had a significant impact of the lives of young people in particular; some 700,000 lost their homes, were recruited as child soldiers or were orphaned during the war. It is estimated that almost 70 per cent of primary school age children do not go to school and many older children missed out on schooling during the ten-year war.

Building peace

With over 55 per cent of the population being made up of people under the age of 25, VSO’s work has been developed so that it contributes to peace building efforts by encouraging the inclusion of young people and women in local council decision making where it affects their lives, supporting efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS, and looking at ways to develop the skills of young people so they can earn their own living.

Volunteers are currently working with national non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Ministry of Youth and Sport, and other government and local council offices. Both the VSO programme and a number of these NGOs are in their infancy, or at least in the early stages of post-civil war activity, so much of the current work is helping to develop directions and work plans. Many are involved in developing strategic planning processes, funding strategies and proposals, management systems and IT processes. However many volunteers, with skills in programme development, gender, monitoring and evaluation, and advocacy are now involved in the development and implementation of programmes for partner organisations.