Volunteer in Sierra Leone! Go Volunteer Africa, the leading and largest volunteer travel organization in Africa welcomes you to Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is a place that once you go, you’ll never want to leave. For those looking to volunteer, it’s a country full of opportunities for meaningful interaction with local culture and nature. Go Volunteer Africa offers many ways to travel to Sierra Leone and give back at the same time.
Go Volunteer Africa offers many meaningful and life changing Sierra Leone volunteer opportunities from teaching English, Childcare, to Medical work and in return you’ll get an experience like no other. Living in a semi-urban or rural village, immersing yourself in traditional life and culture, this would be an experience completely different from the normal tourist trip.
VOLUNTEER IN SIERRA LEONE PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Coach sports and games
- Teach English language
- Take up a medical care job
- Work with childcare projects
- Work with our arts and culture projects
- Work with women empowerment projects
- Get involved in our environment conservation project
- Visit the numerous historic and geological sites of the region
SIERRA LEONE FAST FACTS
Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of Western Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi), Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, with diverse environments ranging from savanna to rainforests. The country has a population of 8,367,839 as of the 2022. The capital and largest city is Freetown. Bo is the second largest city in the country, and is located 150 miles from Freetown. The country is divided into five administrative regions, which are subdivided into 16 districts.
Sierra Leone is a secular nation with the constitution providing for the separation of state and religion and freedom of conscience (which includes freedom of thoughts and religion). Muslims make up about three-quarters of the population, though with an influential Christian minority. Religious tolerance in the West African nation is very high and is generally considered a norm and part of Sierra Leone’s cultural identity.
Sierra Leone on the Atlantic Ocean is known for the white-sand beaches lining the Freetown Peninsula. The capital city, Freetown, commemorates the nation’s slave-trade history with the Cotton Tree landmark and King’s Yard Gate. Both were known as places of refuge for returned slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries. Nearby Bunce Island was a key departure point during the slave trade.
Sierra Leone has everything adventurous travelers could want – exquisite, empty beaches fringed by palms, rainforest jungles with monkeys swinging through the trees, a fascinating heritage and warm, welcoming people. Volunteers are needed in Sierra Leone. Volunteers can help out in schools, medical facilities or work to restore local communities.
WHY VOLUNTEER IN SIERRA LEONE
Poverty in Sierra Leone is massive. Since Sierra Leone gained independence from the British in 1961, the country has experienced many economic, political and social challenges. A rebel group called the Revolutionary United Front plotted to overthrow the Joseph Momoh Government, causing a devastating civil war from 1991 to 2002.
The extreme brutality of this conflict caused over two million people to be displaced and resulted in more than 50,000 casualties. The war ended as a result of a U.N. peacekeeping and British military intervention. The country has made tremendous advancements in establishing a good government and keeping peace and security since the war ended.
Three years after the war ended, Sierra Leone was considered the poorest country in the world. Today, it is ranked at 177 out of 184 countries on the Human Development Index. This minor improvement is partly due to the assistance of international donors. Officials say Sierra Leone is on its way toward securing macroeconomic stability through democratization and stabilization, but large populations of youth who are former combatants are still unemployed, threatening the peace and stability of the country.
More than 60 percent of Sierra Leone’s population presently lives in poverty. Many people are living under the poverty line at less than $1.25 per day. The literacy rate is only 41 percent and 70 percent of young people in Sierra Leone are unemployed or underemployed as a result. The poorest people live in the Northern and Southern provinces of the country and consist mostly of landless people, particularly women in rural households.
The civil war and social unrest of previous years caused a severe economic decline that virtually destroyed the physical and social infrastructure of the country, leading to widespread poverty. Sierra Leone’s development depends on consolidating peace, democracy and increasing its economic growth.
Wherever you choose to go in Sierra Leone, Go Volunteer Africa has a volunteer opportunity for you. Whether you choose to volunteer in Sierra Leone’s Freetown, the capital close to the salt-sprayed beaches, where palm trees bow to the Atlantic Ocean and old colonial fortresses crumble on the clifftops, whether you want to venture into the inland- Sierra Leone, where chimps roam the Guinean forests, and colobus monkeys tread the undergrowth of the savannah woods- Go Volunteer Africa has a volunteer project for you.
As a volunteer in Sierra Leone, you can help improve the quality of life by participating in Go Volunteer Africa projects. You can volunteer in childcare projects, sports development projects, teaching placements, medical care projects and community development projects.
A volunteer placement in Sierra Leone with Go Volunteer Africa is an excellent opportunity for anyone wishing to learn about post-conflict community development. Social work and psychology students and professionals will be challenged to adapt their skills to a cross-cultural environment. No matter what your background or experience, in even just a short amount of time, you will see how much your involvement helps local children, youth and women.
SIERRA LEONE VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
HOW TO APPLY
To start the process fill Volunteer application form and submit it for consideration and book your placement. For more information on how to get enrolled for the volunteering experience of a lifetime contact us. Or Give us a call | WhatsApp | Telegram | Viber | Imo at +254-796-786292 to talk to a Program Specialist.
