SILVER SPRING, Md. —In Sierra Leone, women are disproportionately affected by economic, social and health issues that contribute to the continued slow development of a country that is ranked as the poorest in the world, reported the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
High rates of poverty, illiteracy, and gender inequality are just some of the issues affecting women in Sierra Leone. Women risk complications and deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS. Traditional practices, such as domestic violence, early marriages, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) also contribute to the slow development.
In response, ADRA is implementing the Women Income Sustainability and Empowerment (WISE) project that empowers women to address these issues within their own families and communities. Through the WISE project, ADRA is providing women with skills in numeracy and literacy, increasing their participation in income generating activities, and raising community awareness about the impact of the domestic violence, FGM, and other practices on women's health.
To help reduce the practice of FGM in the region, WISE directly targets 205 women who are former FGM practitioners. As a result of their participation, the project will also indirectly benefit an estimated 6,000 community members in the surrounding area.
"This project provides the women with new opportunities and sensitizes participants on how those practices have a negative impact on their quality of life," said Joseph Brima, program director for ADRA Sierra Leone. "It also provides a platform for them to discuss how to address these issues."
In May and June, literacy class facilitators received training from ADRA in northern Sierra Leone. The workshop educated 20 facilitators on methods to teach beneficiaries to read, write and do basic math. Once these skills are acquired, beneficiaries are prepared for more advanced training modules, such as business skills training, and traditional birth attendants training. Upon completion of the training, facilitators traveled to literacy centers within their region to continue to provide additional training to new beneficiaries.
"This training has been an eye opener in the communities [where we work]", said Brima. "They now view education as a key to development. The support that we are getting from the local leaders is a big boost to the project. It is truly amazing."
The project began in October 2008 and will be completed in December 2010.
According to UNICEF, the national literacy rate in Sierra Leone stands at 39 percent. Only 29 percent of the nation's women are literate. An estimated 70 percent of the country's population lives below the poverty line, and a woman in Sierra Leone has a one in eight chance of dying from pregnancy-related causes.
ADRA has been active in Sierra Leone for more than 20 years, focusing on relief work during the recent decade-long civil war, and promoting development in health care, education, agriculture, food security, water and sanitation, resource management, infrastructure, and HIV and AIDS.
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.
For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Shopkeeper Ali Lamie stands beside mobile phones charging from a single generator in his small store in Tintafor, 20 km (12.5 miles) north of Sierra LeoneÂ’s capital Freetown, September 17, 2009, ...
