Action for Women and Children in Crisis-SL

Action for Women Children in Crisis-SL is a National Non-Governmental Organization, currently working with vulnerable women, adolescent girls and children in underserved communities in Sierra Leone, providing life skills training and sports  for adolescents girls in three communities and providing micro credit loans to poor business women in three communities who may not have access to bank loans due to high interest rate. Due to to lack of funding, our activities are scaled down in terms of expansion to other venerable communities across the country. If my organization is fortunate to win the Elevate Prize funding, it will be used to  support and advance my work in providing more micro credit for poor women to improve the quality of life and more support to adolescent girls both in-school and out-of-school in life skills training and sports for self development in their various community.

AWoCC-SL  vision is to see an  improvement  on promotion and developments of less privileged Women, girls and Children are empowered  to enhance the enjoyment of rights and reduce the high dependency rate in communities generally across the country and specifically during crisis situations.

AWoCC-SL is aware of the fact that the initiative to reduce or end poverty in vulnerable communities  and violation against women, children and girl's  rights cannot be won by one institution. Therefore, AWoCC-SL seek partnership and collaboration with likeminded Local, National Non –Governmental and International Organizations including other CSO groups  and networks to provide and enhance welfare, health, education and livelihood support to target vulnerable women ,children and adolescent girls in the near future. 

The role of women in Sierra Leone is under increasing scrutiny. At the highest levels, gender issues have been, and continue to be, studied and analyzed within the overall national economic context. Sierra Leone women, as members of the human community, and as members of the marginalized peoples of the global and national patriarchal societies, constitute a diverse group, which despite differences of culture and class, are yet bound together by a commonality of issues and experiences that are rooted in the discrimination that they experience at all levels and stages of their lives. Action for Women and Children in Crisis-SL is solving national economic problem facing vulnerable women who want to engage in economic activities but doesn't have the capacity.60 groups of poor market women in three communities are facing financial constrain to advance their businesses in the community they served.Due to COVID-19, which is a global pandemic had reduced all economic and livelihood activities in the country. We are also solving adolescent girls empowerment problem through life skills training and sport to enhance good wellbeing and personal development at community and national level.

Over the past ten years, credit disbursing NGOs, specialized financial institutions and some non-traditional banks in Sierra Leone has demonstrated that financial and business development services can be provided to low-income women in responsive and sustainable ways.Credit to this low-income women is being done at high interest rate, opening on bank accounts provision of collaterals which mostly make it very difficult for them to access loan. Action for Women and Children in Crisis-SL new approach will be unique  to be responsive to the needs of low income women, financial services need to provide an informal banking atmosphere; small, short-term loans; non-traditional collateral requirements; simple application procedures with rapid turnaround; flexible loan requirements; ownership and mutual accountability; participatory lending and savings structures; and participatory management of business groups. For adolescent girls empowerment through life skills and sports, we will create safe space for girls which will make them feel free to discuss what is boarding them in their various communities with their peer as mentor in each community. Weekly football activities among girls will be conducted by a female coach which is different from other organization who are using male coaches for the same activities.

Organize meetings with the target group and the community leaders. Select  families to be included in the project. Select leader of women groups trough group meetings, introduce Weekly / fortnightly savings of the members.\Weekly / fortnightly meetings will be organized. Group accounts pass books & group meetings resolution to be maintained. Processing  applications for micro-finance support of the groups, assisting group members to select appropriate trades for income generation. Visit group members for collection of loan. Follow up by the group-themselves for realization of loan and prepare future plans. Prepare Terms of Reference and engage a Consultant for evaluation of the project.Selection of communities registration of adolescent girls in-school and out-of school to participate in the programme. Establish  3 sport  clubs  and 3 safe spaces in 3 communities.

Organize and conduct weekly sports and life skills sessions for adolescent girls club in 3 communities. Organize 3 sport competition for 3 adolescent girls clubs in 3 communities. Organize and conduct 2 training session for 6 mentors on life skills, child protection, and club facilitation.Hold 2 project information sharing meeting/s on project activities in 3 communities.

Support 3 adolescent girls experience sharing program in 3 communities.

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