CARE in Sierra Leone
CARE International established its office in Sierra Leone in 1961.
Sierra Leone facts
- CARE is working with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to improve the health of 48,630 children.
- Life expectancy is 37 years of age.
Sierra Leone was subjected to more than a decade of brutal civil war which ravaged the already poverty-stricken country. Life expectancy at birth in Sierra Leone is approximately 38 years compared to 45 years across Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole.
Diseases such as malaria and HIV and AIDS are the major causes of death. About four-fifths of the population lives in absolute poverty, forced to survive on less than 60p a day. According to the UN's human development index it is the poorest country in the world.
In January 2002, the parties involved in the conflict declared peace, and Sierra Leone has begun to look to the future with new hope for reconciliation and development. Since the end of the conflict, over 500,000 people who were forced to flee during the war have returned to their homes.
Today, CARE Sierra Leone is helping communities to address the underlying causes of the war and move on with their lives. We continue to run long-term development projects, for example improving the health care of children and pregnant and breast-feeding women.
Our project work in Sierra Leone focuses on the following activities:
- Improving agriculture, for example by teaching farmers new farming techniques
- Providing water and sanitation
- Improving basic health
- Raising awareness about HIV and AIDS
- Increasing access to education and skills training
What we do
