16. CHILD POVERTY IN SIERRA LEONE: VIGNETTES FROM THE LEONENET STREET CHILDREN’S PROJECT

Abstract

This article is divided into seven sections randomly organized to address specific issues related to poor and destitute children in Sierra Leone. The contents are primarily flavored by the work and implementation dynamics of a small non-profit organization trying to make a dent in the welfare and upkeep of some of Sierra Leone's poor children. Sometimes the activities of our organization also touch the lives of adults, particularly when these adults are so poor that they are unable to provide for themselves and their children. The first section gives an introduction. The second section describes the country in geographical, educational, and socio-economic contexts. The third provides snapshots or vignettes of what it means to be poor and the realities of working among the poor in Sierra Leone. In the fourth section, we discuss the nature of child poverty in the country. Section five discusses probable contributions made by the state towards child poverty in Sierra Leone. Section six narrates the nature of the work done by the Leonenet Street Children Project.¹ Recommendations are made in section seven on what needs to be done to ameliorate the situation.

Citation

Hinton, S. (2004), "16. CHILD POVERTY IN SIERRA LEONE: VIGNETTES FROM THE LEONENET STREET CHILDREN’S PROJECT", Camp Yeakey, C., Richardson, J. and Brooks Buck, J. (Ed.) Suffer The Little Children (Advances in Education in Diverse Communities, Vol. 4), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 385-405. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-358X(04)04016-1