Located on Africa’s west coast, Sierra Leone has suffered many tragedies, including a brutal 10-year civil war that ended in 2002, and during 2014-15, the worst Ebola outbreak in recorded history. During the war, tens of thousands of lives were lost, and about one-third of the population was displaced. Ebola claimed nearly 4,000 lives in Sierra Leone, and more than 14,000 people contracted the virus. Sierra Leone’s infant mortality rate is the highest in the world, with 107 children dying per 1,000 live births. With more than 70 percent living below the world poverty line, Sierra Leone’s population faces many challenges.
ChildFund has served children in Sierra Leone since 1985.