Plan Sierra Leone celebrates Youth Day

On June 16, Plan Sierra Leone celebrated the Day of the African Child and helped children to advocate for their rights. Children decided how they wanted to mark the day and then Plan funded their ideas.

During the celebrations, 16-year-old Aisha Mariam Kabba received the "Child of the Year" award for her advocacy work. Aisha and other children have been participating in radio discussion shows and conducting outreach sessions on child rights. In her speech, Aisha called on authorities to ensure that children are protected from the 3 most common forms of violence in schools: corporal punishment, bullying and sexual violence. "This is a major factor undermining the education system in Sierra Leone", Aisha said at the event.

 Plan Sierra Leone launched Learn Without Fear in one district in 2008, since then it expanded across other parts of the country and currently reaches about 500,000 people with its messages, while working directly with 1,000 schools. In Sierra Leone, the campaign focuses on sexual abuse and exploitation in schools. Sexual violence against girls tends to remain a silent crime because of the stigma attached to the early loss of virginity, and girls can face expulsion from school if they become pregnant or are involved in early marriage.

To tackle this issue, Plan Sierra Leone is raising awareness at the community level involving children and youth groups in many activities. Children have been trained on the new Child Right Act and how to use advocacy skills to sensitise people in their communities. Children have also developed and host weekly radio programmes. These programmes give them a chance to express their views on issues affecting their lives in particular at school.