Sierra Leone

Having emerged from a brutal civil war in 2002, Sierra Leone remains extremely poor - with most people forced to rely on subsistence agriculture to meet their basic needs. Vulnerability to the HIV epidemic is high, especially as youth mobility increases between rural and urban areas, and knowledge of sexual and reproductive health issues among young people is limited.

Restless Development (Sierra Leone) addresses these integrated issues by:

• Providing sexual and reproductive health education to both in and out of school youth in rural areas
• Sensitising communities on sexual and reproductive health, citizenship and gender issues
• Teaching peaceful reconciliation skills and civic education
• Training young people in entrepreneurial and pre-professional skills, and connecting them to employment opportunities with government, and with private and civil society sectors

In 2009, Restless Development provided sexual and reproductive health lessons to over 20,000 young people, and trained over 500 teachers to continue delivery of these lessons.

To enhance our reach and sustainability, we work with government ministries to ensure that youth issues are at the forefront of government plans and spending. We also partner with civil society organisations, including Marie Stopes International and a wide range of local NGOs.

In 2010, Restless Development will reach national scale, working in all 149 chiefdoms across the country to:

• Scale up civic education and election information activities nationally to equip young people with the skills they need to be peacefully and constructively involved in the 2012 elections
• Advocate with government to ensure youth involvement at all levels of decision-making
• Expand skills and support provision for private sector graduate and internship schemes
• Connect young people with microfinance and financial institutions that offer low-cost loans and savings schemes