DRR IN
Sierra Leone The civil war that ended in 2002 has left a dreadful legacy. Sierra Leone is officially the worst place in the world for a child to be born. One in four children die before their fifth birthday. One in three children under five are moderately or severely underweight and life expectancy is just 42. Of the country’s 5.7 million population, more than half are children and young people under 18. Many children have to work to help their families earn enough to get by. They miss out on education – one in three primary-aged children don’t go to school. Even though enrolment rates are increasing, many children – often girls – end up dropping out. Sierra Leone is affected by storm surges and are likely to be harshly affected by sea level rises. In low-income countries, infrastructure is often non-existent or ill-maintained and storm-water drainage infrastructure is often outdated and inadequate.
Save the Children’s Presence in Sierra Leone Save the Children has worked with the Ministry of Education to implement an Education Sector Plan to deliver an education system that is accountable and provides access to quality education in a protective environment for all children. We encourage child-centered learning and incorporate child protection support systems into education policies and practices Save the Children implemented the DRR ‘Kroo Bay environmental sanitation, hygiene promotion and advocacy project’ with over $30,000 USD from Save the Children United Kingdom. Collectively the programs have reached over 3,500 children and 6,000 community members directly.
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Preparedness and Mitigation Kroo Bay slum is one of the poorest and most disadvantaged communities in Freetown. Every year the community is flooded by heavy downpours of rain and flood waters that rush down the two rivers that converge in this community. The enormous volume of water can no longer flow freely to the ocean and backs up along the walkways and into the poorly constructed shacks of the residence. In an attempt to escape the flood, many residents build their beds high above the floors of their homes, some at five feet off the ground. Children and their families go to bed at night with rivers of floodwater washing below them. In response to this situation, 150 volunteers from the community were equipped with rubber boots, shovels, pick-axes and wheelbarrows to construct sand bags and walk ways to prevent the rivers from breaking their banks and allow community members to move freely around Kroo Bay. They have also worked to clear drains and remove the bulk of rubbish that was also obstructing the flow of the rivers. In addition, 240 volunteers were trained in the area of health and hygiene promotion and these messages have reached about 1,000 households (over 3,000 children).
Image: Kroo Bay sanitation conditions are extremely poor and open defecation is common, Freetown, Sierra Leone.