50 Girls Supported by YoMSuD-SL With Education Materials

As part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, the Youth Movement for Sustainable Development Sierra Leone (YoMSuD-SL) has taken a bold step toward transforming the lives of vulnerable girls in the Bo District. On Saturday, 29th November 2025, the organization provided 50 adolescent girls and survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) with essential learning materials an intervention that not only supports their education but also restores hope, dignity, and opportunity.

SGBV continues to pose one of Sierra Leone’s gravest threats to the safety and development of young people, particularly girls from marginalized communities. Limited access to education, entrenched poverty, and social stigma often leave survivors silent and unsupported. In response, YoMSuD-SL launched an ambitious and transformative initiative titled “Voices Against SGBV Through Education and Community Advocacy Campaigns,” aimed at strengthening protection systems, empowering survivors, and reshaping harmful social norms.

A Safe Space for Healing, Growth, and Empowerment

According to Mamoud Balla Kamara, Director of YoMSuD-SL and Coordinator of the project, the initiative was born from a belief in the power of young people to drive change when given knowledge, protection, and leadership opportunities.

A cornerstone of the project is the creation of a dedicated safe space for the 50 SGBV survivors more than just a shelter, it is a nurturing environment designed to:

support psychosocial healing

build peer networks

rebuild trust and confidence

encourage personal growth

Through mentorship, therapeutic group sessions, and youth-led conversations, girls who once felt voiceless have begun reclaiming agency over their lives.

Community Awareness: Shifting Mindsets and Strengthening Protection

To foster wider community transformation, YoMSuD-SL conducted five intensive community-based awareness and sensitization campaigns across the targeted communities in the Kakua Chiefdom. These campaigns engaged parents, youths, teachers, elders, and religious leaders in open dialogue around:

the root causes of SGBV

long-term consequences

early reporting and survivor rights

the importance of community-led prevention mechanisms

Kamara noted that, for many residents, this was the first time they received honest and practical information on gender laws, reporting procedures, and how to protect vulnerable girls.

Keeping Survivors in School: Education as a Pathway to Transformation

A key focus of the initiative is preventing survivors from dropping out of school due to trauma, poverty, or stigma. To this end, YoMSuD-SL provided school retention support, scholarships, and educational materials to the 50 beneficiaries.

The impact has been visible:

improved school attendance

renewed motivation

stronger academic performance

restored hope and self-worth

Teachers and parents have confirmed notable improvement in confidence and participation among the supported girls
evidence of the transformative power of education.

Legal Literacy and Youth Leadership Training

One of the project’s most impactful components was a one-day Legal Literacy Training Workshop, which brought together all 50 survivors for an intensive learning experience. The training covered:

simplified gender laws

girls’ leadership and advocacy

SGBV prevention strategies

use of anonymous reporting platforms

This knowledge empowered the girls to understand their rights, challenge harmful cultural practices, and speak out confidently within their communities.

Today, the survivors serve as youth ambassadors across schools and neighborhoods
educating peers, reporting cases, and championing safe spaces.

Engaging Men, Boys, and Traditional Leaders as Allies

Recognizing that SGBV cannot be addressed by women and girls alone, YoMSuD-SL actively engaged men, boys, chiefs, imams, pastors, and community leaders as partners in the fight. Through dialogue sessions and interactive forums, they were encouraged to:

challenge harmful gender norms

promote respect and accountability

take responsibility for the safety of girls and women

This approach has already led to increased community reporting, reduced resistance, and a broader understanding that SGBV is a community problem
not a women’s issue.

Visible Impact and Promising Change

The early results of the initiative are already clear:

strengthened psychosocial support systems

increased community awareness and action

safer school environments

empowered survivors leading advocacy

higher male engagement in prevention

Communities that once normalized silence around SGBV are now actively participating in prevention efforts. Survivors who once felt invisible now speak boldly as agents of change.

Building a Safer Sierra Leone Together

The “Voices Against SGBV” project is more than an intervention it is a movement. A movement changing narratives, healing trauma, and equipping young people with the knowledge and courage to protect one another.

As Kamara emphasized, “We are building a Sierra Leone where every girl, boy, and young woman can live free from violence and pursue their full potential.”