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Caritas Sierra Leone was founded in 1981 by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sierra Leone with a mandate to serve as the humanitarian and development wing of the Catholic Church in Sierra Leone. During the 1990s, the organization focused on the plight of the population caught in the middle of the violent civil war, providing food, shelter, and lobbying for the release of child soldiers. Today, Caritas Sierra Leone continues with post-war peacebuilding initiatives, but is also active in several areas such as: HIV/AIDS prevention, food security, emergency and humanitarian aid, youth empowerment, environmental protection, poverty eradication and gender equality.

One of Caritas Sierra Leone’s areas of focus is the continued support of families and communities after the civil war through initiatives such as peacebuilding, counseling, and refugee relocation assistance.

Caritas Sierra Leone, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services, has implemented a life skills program to teach primary school children the values of avoiding conflict, respecting each other, and managing the stresses of life. The program also provides community members with the skills and know-how to recognize and respond effectively to the warning signs of conflict.

Caritas Sierra Leone is strongly committed to education and lobbying to combat sexual crimes against women and vulnerable people, as rape and female genital mutilation is a chronic problem. Its advocacy campaigns protect vulnerable girls and women from violence and call for legislative reforms and enforcement of laws.

Caritas Sierra Leone has health clinics to treat people in dire need of medical care, provides agricultural and food processing training to help farmers increase productivity, rehabilitates schools for orphans and poor children, raises awareness about HIV and AIDS, and prepares communities to minimize future emergencies.

Caritas Sierra Leone is responding to the country’s high unemployment rate. 70% of youth are unemployed, so they tend to turn to substance abuse, violence and petty crime. The organization provides vocational training to former child soldiers and women, and invites businesses in the community to train ex-combatants without paying them to rebuild communities.

Caritas Sierra Leone works throughout the country through its national office in Freetown and 4 diocesan Caritas offices. To pursue its mission and vision, the organization is comprised of a Board of Directors, a management team, and over 100 employees.

Caritas Sierra Leone frequently partners with the global Caritas network to develop and implement its programs. For example, with Catholic Relief Services USA, Caritas Ireland-Trócaire, Caritas England & Wales-CAFOD, Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Africa.