Volunteer in Sierra Leone

  Sierra Leone

• Other Cities in Sierra Leone: 
Freetown,  Makeni,  Lunsar

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 3-6 months

Description: In Sierra Leone volunteers work on the following programmes:

In Freetown:

- AfCiC Youth Bank - Working with officially registered indigenous youth organizations that are promoting skills training and income-generating activities amongst marginalized and impoverished children and young people (particularly street children, child sex-workers, child ex-combatants and petty youth offenders).

In Lunsar:

- Cycle Breaker Programme - Working with girls and young women who were abused (physically, sexually, psychologically) by rebel troops during the civil war, providing them with counseling, basic education, vocational and business skills training, and micro-enterprise support, enabling them to reintegrate into their communities.

In Makeni:

- Street Kids Programme ' A temporary residential Care Centre (Interim Care) for street children provides basic food and clothing and a 6 week programme of literacy and numeracy education. All street children are given counseling and attempts are made to re-unify children with their parents or locate suitable foster parents. 'Kids Clubs' are formed in areas where children are being re-unified to aid their social re-integration through contact with local children and participation in psychosocial activities such as sport and drama. In addition, regular community events educate older family members on the issues surrounding street children.

- Sexually and Physically Abused Girls (SPAGS) ' Providing counseling and 'safe houses' to reduce the vulnerability and trauma of sexually abused girls, a drop-in centre which offers medical care and legal advice, and increasing public awareness of issues surrounding these girls.

Qualifications: 1. Qualified UK social workers with a minimum of two years work experience, to work on our Street Kids Programme in Makeni. Prior work experience with disadvantaged/minority groups is essential. Volunteers will always work with a local staff member and will shadow programme social workers (night-tracking, identification, mediation and post-reunification follow-up activities) and provide 'on the job training' and advice, and formal in-house training (workshop/seminars) to build up the skills of programme social workers.

2. Qualified UK counsellors with a minimum of two years work experience, to work on the Lunsar Cycle Breaker Programme, the Street Kids Programme, and the Sexually and Physically Abused Girls programme. We are looking for those with prior experience of child counselling and/or adult/young women counselling. Work experience with disadvantaged/minority groups is essential. Again, volunteers will always work with a local staff member and provide on the job training' and advice, and formal in-house training (workshops/seminars) to build up the skills of programme counsellors.

Those volunteers working on the Lunsar Cycle Breaker Programme will participate in the follow-up of past graduates (mediation and support) and provide trauma counselling to current beneficiaries (war victims, sexual exploitation, and domestic abuse). Those involved with the Sexually and Physically Abused Girls Programme will be involved in the initial diagnosis, confidence building, and 1-2-1 counselling (with a local staff member present). Those involved with the Street Kids Programme at the Interim Care Centre will be involved in the identification of behavioural change and mediation.

3. Qualified UK nursery and primary school teachers with a minimum of two years work experience, to work on the Lunsar Cycle Breaker Programme and the Street Kids Programme. Volunteers will teach children or young adults (women) with limited or no educational experience. Again, they will always work with a local staff member and provide 'on the job training', and formal in-house training (workshops/seminars) to build the skills of the programme teachers, particularly regarding child/pupil-centred learning, and will support the school sensitisation programme.

4. Qualified UK nurses with a minimum of two years work experience to work on the Lunsar Cycle Breaker Programme, the Street Kids Programme and the programme for Sexually and Physically Abused Girls. Volunteers will provide basic healthcare to programme beneficiaries and will provide 'on the job training' and advice, and formal in-house training (workshops/seminars) to build up the skills of programme social workers, care givers and nurses.

5. Qualified UK carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, and agricultural consultants to work on the Youth Bank and the Lunsar Cycle Breaker Programmes. Volunteers from these backgrounds will be playing a crucial role at Lunsar as existing skills training courses (in gara tie-dye, hairdressing, tailoring and computer skills) are faded out.

6. Qualified Lawyers or Law Students to provide advice and guidance to beneficiaries facing legal action, as part of the development of a programme for juvenile justice in Sierra Leone.

7. Development Specialists, Communications and/or Marketing professionals to build up the organisational capacity of AfC Sierra Leone.

Cost in US$: approx. $3000

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: No typical volunteer

Age Range: 21 years +

This Program is open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Sierra Leone Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Resume
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Action for Children in Conflict (AfCiC)'s Mission Statement: Action for Children in Conflict (AfCiC) works to break cycles of violence, hatred and despair by providing psychological, emotional and educational support for survivors of conflict to enable these survivors to come to terms with their past experiences, make the most of their present and build a better future. Our work focuses on children and young adults as often they are the most vulnerable during and after conflict and the most able to overcome the conflicts in their communities and to bring about change in the future.

Year Founded: 1995