Nearly half of the population in Sierra Leone is under the age of 18. Every day, children and young people face challenging social and economic problems and continue to be exposed to violence and abuse in the wake of the civil war. The public sector in Sierra Leone lacks the capacity and necessary resources to protect some of the children who have been identified as most vulnerable.

The goal of the project was to train social workers in how to address child protection concerns. The social workers learned how to refer cases of abuse to the designated institutions. Child protection committees at national, regional and district level received support to coordinate child protection related issues. Finally, the project supported initiatives to prevent and respond appropriately to teenage pregnancies.

Over 100 social workers received training together with personnel of local councils and the Ministry of Social Affairs.

This project is one of four projects that Aurora has supported in the educational sector in Sierra Leone through UNICEF 2008–2016.