My Country: Sierra Leone
Population: 6.6 million (July 2020)
Life Expectancy: 59.8 years
Orphaned Children: 370,000
Attendance in early childhood education: 14%
Children sleeping under mosquito nets: 49%
All the children who live in COTN Children’s Homes come from difficult backgrounds. Many were orphaned due to a decade-long rebel war that began in 1991, in which thousands of people were killed and 320,000 children were orphaned. In 2014, the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone left thousands of additional children orphaned.
Before entering COTN’s Children’s Homes, many of these children were forced to beg on the streets or live with relatives who were unable to provide for them. Most of the children couldn’t attend school and typically suffered from malnutrition and other health problems. Now these children live in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment. Typical meals consist of rice, cassava root, leafy greens, vegetables, and fish or meat. The children do chores like gardening, washing clothes, and carrying water from the well. They speak Krio, a derivative of English; Mende, the local language; and English.
Thanks to sponsors like you who partner with our staff, these children receive all the benefits of a typical home environment with loving parents and siblings, daily meals, a good education, medical care, and spiritual guidance. By continuing to equip these children with tools for success, we believe they will grow up to create positive change in their community and, ultimately, their nation.