Sierra Leone
| Full country name | Republic of Sierra Leone | Republic of Ireland |
| Population | 5.5 million | 4.6 million |
| Area | 71,740 sq km | 70,273 sq km |
| Capital City | Freetown | Dublin |
| Language | English, Mende, Temne, Krio | English, Irish |
| Religion | Muslim, indigenous beliefs, Christianity | Catholicism, Christianity |
| Life Expectancy | 45 yrs | 78 yrs |
| Infant Mortality | 102 / 1000 | 3.89 / 1000 |
| Population below the poverty line | 70.2% | 4.2% |
This small country on the coast of West Africa is famous for its diamonds. Illegal trading of so called ‘blood diamonds’ funded many conflicts and resulted in a decade long civil war, which ended in 2002. Democracy is slowly being re-established.
Sierra Leone is one of the world’s poorest countries. The majority of its citizens earn less than a dollar a day. There are few opportunities for employment or to start a small business as economic and social systems are not well developed.
World Vision has been working in Sierra Leone since 1996 and started Imperi ADP in 2005, where 80-85% of the population are subsistence farmers. To read more about Imperi's outstanding successes of 2011 and to see where their greatest challenges for 2012 lie, click here.
Mother and Child Health
Sierra Leone still has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. And while there have been some improvements made like the government’s recent abolishment of charges for maternal and infant healthcare, other issues still remain. In rural parts of Sierra Leone where villages are far flung and often only accessible by boat or on foot, it is ultimately access challenges that prevent women and infants from getting the health care they need.
World Vision is working with the government and community leaders to address these access issues to ensure that health services can be provided to the entire population. We do this by training community health workers on how to deliver health messages like the importance of breastfeeding or how to recognise illness early in young children throughout the country. These health workers also inform expectant and new mums about what health services are available for them and how to get to them. Going to regular checkups and availing of medical help in clinics ensures that the maternal mortality rate will drop. Having this network of community health workers means we can spread messages of good healthcare even into the most remote areas of the country.
These small steps have a great impact on the mothers and children of Sierra Leone and are only possible through your sponsorship.
View World Vision Ireland ADP Imepri, Sierra Leone in a larger map
