From Freetown to forced labour

Thousands of children were forced to take up arms during the 11 year civil war

In December 2007, the United Nations announced an update to the Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI ranks the countries of the world based on their level of development, using key statistics like literacy, child mortality and unemployment rates. Canada was one of the top ranking countries in 2007 because of its stable government and extensive health care system. At the other end of the spectrum was Sierra Leone, the least developed country in the world.

A brief history of Sierra Leone

At the time of Sierra Leone’s independence from colonial rule in 1961, the country began to flourish. Shortly after gaining its independence, a series of unfortunate political events left the country in economic chaos. In 1991 a civil war erupted. A key focus of the conflict was control over the profitable diamond fields.

During this brutal period of conflict children were forced into child labour, recovering diamonds from the mines and even taking up arms as child soldiers. By the end of the war, tens of thousands of people were killed, millions had been displaced and more than 80 percent of all the schools in the country had been destroyed. After 11 years of conflict, much of the country was in ruins.

Young people making a difference

Sometimes the enormous difficulties in countries like Sierra Leone can cause us to feel overwhelmed. However, young people across North America have stepped forward with courage and hope to bring their local communities together to help support the communities of Sierra Leone

Students from Thorold Secondary School, in Niagara, Ontario, are planning a 24-hour famine to raise funds for the Adopt a Village Brick By Brick campaign in Sierra Leone. Students have been working hard to raise money for their campaign and on the day of the famine participants will play games, tell stories and take part in other entertaining activities to help pass the hours.

Celia White, a student from Wellington Secondary School in Nanaimo, British Columbia, rallied her school and community to host an art auction, raising money to go towards upgrading computers at the University of Freetown in Sierra Leone. 

“People are realizing there are so many problems and yet there are also so many opportunities to make a difference,” she said.

Through art auctions and extensive community outreach, Celia and her classmates at Wellington have raised more than $3,000 to support education in Sierra Leone.

Take action with Free The Children

By supporting Free The Children’s Adopt a Village campaigns in Sierra Leone, young people are able to contribute directly to helping their peers rebuild their lives.

Free The Children works in the Kono District, located in the eastern part of Sierra Leone. This region was completely destroyed during the war because of the large quantity of diamonds in the area. In response to the ravages of civil war, Free The Children is committed to rebuilding the infrastructure of Sierra Leone, especially in the area of education. Free The Children is currently providing education to thousands of war-affected children and has sent major shipments of wheelchairs, school kits, backpacks, desks, textbooks and $1.17 million US in medical supplies to war-affected regions. 

Adopt a Village campaigns in Sierra Leone are planting seeds of hope for a bright new future emerging from a dark past.

Helpful Hints from Helpful Links

Read Hellen’s story of survival and hope in Sierra Leone
Read a heartfelt poem about the tragic 11-year war in Sierra Leone
Learn more about Free The Children’s development projects in Sierra Leone

Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.