Education remains out of reach for many girls in Sierra Leone, especially at the secondary level. Early marriage, teenage pregnancy, poverty, and harmful gender norms continue to push girls out of school. According to UNICEF (2020), about 34% of girls aged 15–19 in Sierra Leone have begun childbearing, and the World Bank (2022) reports that less than 40% of girls complete lower secondary school compared to over 50% of boys. Until recently, policies barred pregnant girls from attending school, deepening the gap. Although these barriers are being dismantled, the impact persists.
To address these challenges, the Government introduced the Radical Inclusion Policy in 2021 — a commitment to ensure marginalized groups, including pregnant girls and children with disabilities, can access quality education.
ChildFund Sierra Leone, in collaboration with ChildFund Korea, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Government of Sierra Leone, is supporting the implementation of this policy through a USD 1,555,000 education project. This project aims to increase access to secondary education for 3,300 out-of-school girls in the Western Area. Learn more.

Children learn best when they feel safe, supported, and connected. That’s why we launched the Education for Protection and Wellbeing (EPW) program, giving children the tools they need to succeed, inside and outside the classroom. Through EPW, we work closely with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) to create school environments where children’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being is prioritized.
We train teachers and caregivers in techniques that help children manage emotions, build relationships, solve problems, and stay safe. Children also develop key life skills such as communication, self-awareness, and decision-making, which enhance learning and boost confidence.
At the heart of this approach is social-emotional learning (SEL), which research shows improves academic outcomes, mental health, and future success. ChildFund is working with communities to create a culturally relevant SEL framework, ensuring these essential skills are embedded in every child's education.
Initially piloted in Koinadugu District, the EPW model demonstrated strong results in improving children's well-being and learning environments. Building on this success, in 2024 ChildFund expanded the model to additional grades within the pilot schools and extended its reach to 3 more districts — Falaba, Bombali and Kailahun.

Learn More:

• Education for Protection and Well-being Brief
• EPW Evaluation Findings Sierra Leone 2022-2023: Read about ChildFund's research in Sierra Leone (technical).
• EPW Voices of Children 2023: Read about children’s perspective on their experience in the Education for Protection and Well-being program in Sierra Leone.
• EPW Qualitative Program Evaluation in Northern Sierra Leone 2023
• Protecting Yourself and Your Friends: A Comic Book

To provide conducive learning environments, we work with partners to build, renovate, and equip schools with child-friendly classrooms, ablution blocks, desks, and tables to make the learning environment comfortable for children.
Over the past years, ChildFund has constructed 49 three-classroom buildings in Koinadugu, Falaba, Bombali, Kailahun and Western Area Urban and Western Area Rural districts serving over 30,000 children.

Schools need the right governance structures to function effectively and to produce the desired quality. This past year, ChildFund and its partners in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education, train School Management Committees (SMCs) on governance and leadership, covering topics such as: supervision and monitoring of school functions, fiscal management, proper utilization of textbooks and materials, school records, maintenance, repairs, and respect for school/community properties, among others. From the training, SMCs are now equipped to hold head teachers accountable for their schools’ educational performance and performance management of staff. This has improved learning outcomes for children across ChildFund’s operational areas in the country.

ChildFund brings solar energy to off-grid schools in remote communities, cutting costs and powering learning. This clean, renewable solution reduces reliance on fossil fuels, protects the environment while ensuring students have reliable access to electricity, enabling them to study in well-lit classrooms and explore technology-driven learning opportunities. ChildFund also distributes solar lanterns to children in communities without reliable electricity enabling them to study safely at home, extend learning hours, and improve academic performance. Learn more.

We support financially underprivileged students with scholarships to ensure they successfully transition from primary to high school and tertiary institutions of higher learning.

In collaboration with various partners, we distribute quality learning materials to schools and communities to promote literacy and learning.