Who are the people?
Sierra Leone is a mosaic of ethnic tribes. Nine of every 10 people are descendents of tribes native to Africa. The remaining 10 percent are descendents of freed slaves, called “Creoles.”

The capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown, was established by Creoles in the late 1700s. The Creoles spoke a derivative of English, called Krio, which continues to be the common language throughout the country today. Only a small minority of Sierra Leoneans speak the country’s official language, English.

Most of the population lives in rural farming communities. Sierra Leone dwellings are generally mud huts with dirt floors and thatched roofs.

Sierra Leone has one of the lowest average incomes in the world. Nearly 75 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day, with over half the population living on less than $1 a day. Most families do not have sufficient resources to purchase essential items.

Approximately two-thirds of the population depends on subsistence farming for survival. A typical family’s diet consists of rice, cassava root, and leafy vegetables. They grow barely enough food to feed their families; half of the population is chronically undernourished.

Access to health care is severely limited, especially in rural areas. Sierra Leone also has a high maternal mortality rate: one of every 50 births results in the mother’s death.
Sierra Leone is a mosaic of ethnic tribes. Nine of every 10 people are descendents of tribes native

Country Comparison	Sierra Leone	United States
Population	5.3 million	295.4 million
Land Mass	74,132 sq. miles	3,537,439 sq. miles
Life Expectancy	41 years	78 years
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000)	165	7
Literacy Rate	30%	97%
Primary School Enrollment	41%	92%
Access to Safe Water	57%	100%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita)	$200	$41,400

Religion

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What is it like to live there?
The West African country of Sierra Leone is bordered by Guinea to the north, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Originally founded by freed slaves, Sierra Leone was a British colony until the mid-1900s. From 1991 to 2002, a crippling civil war caused tens of thousands of deaths, 2 million displaced people (almost one-third of the population), and a ruined infrastructure.

The illicit trade of “conflict diamonds” has contributed heavily to Sierra Leone’s status as one of the least developed countries in the world. Conflict diamonds are diamonds sold to fund human rights abuses either by insurgent groups or corrupt governments. They were a crucial factor in prolonging the civil war in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone’s diverse landscape includes a coastline of mangrove swamps, an interior of forest-covered plateaus rising 1000 feet above sea level, and mountains to the east. The country has a hot, tropical climate with up to 195 inches of rainfall a year on the coast—making it one of the wettest places in West Africa.


Wildlife abounds in Sierra Leone. It is home to elephants, crocodiles, chimpanzees, monkeys, hippopotamuses, and antelope. On the Freetown peninsula alone, there are more than 375 kinds of birds.
The West African country of Sierra Leone is bordered by Guinea to the north, Liberia to the southea
Sierra Leone Projects
With the support of generous donors like you, World Vision is partnering with families throughout Sierra Leone to build brighter futures filled with hope for their children.

Many activities are under way to help meet immediate needs and promote lasting changes that will strengthen communities and move families toward self-reliance.

Overall program goals include:

• Increasing educational opportunities for children to improve their chances of earning a secure livelihood.
• Ensuring children and families have access to adequate health care to maintain well-being.
• Training community health workers and equipping medical facilities.
• Helping families secure dependable sources of year-round food through training in agriculture and animal husbandry.
• Providing access to appropriate seeds and tools.
• Offering microenterprise development loans and business coaching to help hardworking families break free from poverty.
• Partnering with local churches to develop Christian leadership training courses and strengthen outreach ministries.

• Pray that your sponsored child might be open to God’s love and grace.
• Ask God to guide your sponsored child as he or she learns, grows, and moves toward a future full of hope and possibilities.
• Pray for God to protect the health of your sponsored child and his or her family.
• Pray that churches and families will respond to God’s call to care for orphans and widows, especially those most affected by the recent civil war.

Please click here to peruse online picture folders of children from this country.