Sierra Leone

Capacity Building for Peace

Following Sierra Leone's independence from Britain in 1961, the country descended into 35 years of internal conflict, which decimated key social and economic infrastructure. Between 1991-2002, a brutal civil war tore Sierra Leone apart, leaving 50,000 people dead and forcing over 2 million people from their homes. It was characterized by the widespread use of child soldiers, kidnapping of girls and women for use as sex slaves, rape and torture.

Following democratic election in May 2002, Sierra Leone embarked upon a process of peace building and rehabilitation. Former child soldiers, rape and torture victims, and displaced peoples are slowly recovering and rebuilding their lives. Despite these recent improvements, young people in Sierra Leone continue to struggle with scarce economic opportunities, high unemployment rates, a collapsed education system and a lack of appropriate skills training programs.

War Child works in the capital, Freetown, with Artists United for Children and Youth Development (AUCAYD) - a youth run non profit organization that provides a platform for young people to learn, share and interact with their peers though arts, culture and media technology. Their mission is to  empower and promote the creative talents of young people in order to foster self-reliance, economic growth, sustainable peace and development.

In 2009, War Child launched the Capacity Building for Peace Project with support from Street Quality Entertainment. Over the past two years, this project has provided AUCAYD with training in the areas of  IT, music and video production  as well as on pertinent social issues such as human rights, hygiene, environment and HIV/AIDS. Using the knowledge and skills obtained through this training, AUCAYD is inspiring and empowering youth and children in their community through their school network, which links together hundreds of students for training in the very same subjects that War Child initially provided to AUCAYD. These students then train their peers and so on, magnifying the initial impact of the program as it grows organically through the community.

AUCAYD has also established a community resource centre which provides local students with access to the internet, books and educational resources. Their music and video production training and the modern recording studio set up by Street Quality Entertainment and War Child has enabled them to produce advocacy documentaries, short films and music. They are also running a weekly radio show in collaboration with local students to discuss issues facing children and youth.