Alex Smith

Girl Child Network Sierra Leone

Girl Child Network is a National Non-Governmental Organization NGO (CSO member) that seeks to promote the rights and holistic empowerment of the girl child in the home, school and community in Sierra Leone. The main issues we seek to address include girls’ empowerment, through sending them to school and supporting their talents which will empower them in the long run. We also want to address the issue of children’s rights, sexual reproductive health (Menstrual Hygiene), harmful cultural practices (FGM/C and Child Marriage), Gender-Based violence (GBV), sexual abuse rights, and rehabilitation of victims, and sports, arts/culture.

When we started GCN was established by Betty Makoni in 1998 out of the helplessness and hopelessness of the girls in Zimbabwe with the view to assisting girls in their quest for emancipation. Anita Koroma and team from the UK decided to replicate GCNW girl’s empowerment model in Sierra Leone 2011 in order to address the current trend of teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, education/career pathway, sexual reproductive health (Menstrual Hygiene), early sex and marriage, child abuse and right, Confidence-building and non-achieving life of the girls to create renewed impetus to push Sierra Leone forward.