Advocacy

Even though the government and other groups have worked for years to protect children, big problems still remain. Child protection laws are not always fully put into action, there isn’t enough money or support, and efforts are often scattered. This makes it hard to make real, lasting change. No one organization or group can fix this problem alone.

On February 1, 2024, a bold movement was born in Sierra Leone, a movement against the silent enemy hurting our children: violence.  At the Lagoonda Complex in Freetown, five leading child-focused organizations—ChildFund, Plan International, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, and World Vision—came together to launch the Joining Forces Alliance in Sierra Leone.

Their mission is clear and urgent: to end all forms of violence against children and protect their rights.

Each organization brings its unique strengths, but they now stand united, speaking with one voice. Together, they will champion critical issues such as child marriage, female genital cutting (FGC), climate change impacts on girls, child trafficking, drug abuse, and bullying in schools. Because no single organization can fight this battle alone.

As Joyce Wuyah Tejan-Kella, Commissioner of the National Commission for Children, rightly said:

“One cannot talk about child safety in Sierra Leone without mentioning these five child protection agencies.”
She emphasized that the Joining Forces Alliance will strengthen efforts to tackle growing threats like drug abuse and other vices that endanger young lives.

Launching the Alliance, Honorable Dr. Isata Mahoi, Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, underscored the importance of working together:

“There are a lot of gaps to be addressed in the Child Rights Act, but we must all work together. It is only when we work together in a coordinated approach that we will be able to bridge those gaps and solve some of the issues.”

From forced marriages and trafficking to school bullying, Sierra Leone’s children face a storm of challenges every day. But when organizations, governments, and communities rally as one, there is hope.

Sagane Thiaw, Country Director for World Vision Sierra Leone and Chair of the new Alliance, called the launch a milestone:

“This is a big step towards accelerating positive change for children. We will take advantage of existing frameworks, structures, and our collective expertise to amplify the voice of children in decision-making—decisions that will shape their lives.”

Thiaw also called for a greater national commitment, urging increased budget allocations for children in line with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2030.

Education, too, stands at the heart of this fight. Emily Gogra, Deputy Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, thanked the five organizations for their continued partnership, assuring them of her ministry’s full support.

Most importantly, the children themselves had a voice. Mahmoud Barrie, outgone President of the Children’s Forum Network-Sierra Leone (CFN-SL), expressed heartfelt gratitude:

“We want to extend our appreciation to all the organizations behind the formation of this alliance.”  He affirmed that the movement must include the voices of the very children it seeks to protect: “Nothing for them without them.

Staff from the five organizations and the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Deputy Minister of Education and President of Children’s Forum Network Sierra Leone, during the launch.

As separate international entities, all of the organizations have different approaches in their advocacy work to end all forms of violence and abuse against children; yet as they have joined forces, they have agreed to work on unified messaging to address child protection issues. The coming together will bolster already existing local and national child protection structures while working with families, communities and institutions to raise awareness and improve capacity to protect children.

The fight against violence is not one we can win alone. But together—government, organizations, communities, and children themselves—we can build a Sierra Leone where every child is safe, heard, and free to dream