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Plan International has been working in Sierra Leone for over 40 years to support children to go to school, stay safe and get good jobs.
Safer Schools For Girls
Creating a safe and supportive environment for girls to learn and thrive.
Safer Schools for Girls (SS4G) is dedicated to making schools safe and creating supportive environments where girls can thrive and reach their
full potential. Through funding from Comic Relief and together with the Daindemben Federation as our local partner, Plan International is implementing the SS4G project in the Koinadugu district. We aim to create a school environment free from all forms of violence, with the goal of reaching over 5,500 participants.
why do we need Safer Schools For Girls?
Girls in Sierra Leone face significant challenges when it comes to accessing education. They often experience different forms of violence at school based on their gender, such as bullying, harassment, and even sexual exploitation and abuse. Media reports have highlighted the alarming rates of sexual exploitation in exchange for good grades. Survivors of this violence are at risk of negative consequences such as early and unwanted pregnancies, early marriage, and lasting psychological effects that hinder their ability to reach their full potential.
The Safer Schools for Girls (SS4G) project, is dedicated to addressing school related gender-based violence (SRGBV) and creating a safe learning environment for girls in the Koinadugu district. A comprehensive approach is taken that focuses on the individual, community, and institutional levels. Plan International is working towards a future where girls in Sierra Leone can learn and thrive in a safe and supportive environment. By empowering girls and raising awareness SS4G aims to create lasting change and ensures that every girl has the opportunity to realise her full potential.
Our goal
We aim to address school related gender-based violence in the Koinadugu District through a multi-level approach focusing on individuals, communities and institutions to build girls’ agency in understanding the provisions of law, their sexual reproductive health and rights and support initiatives to champion the changes that concern them.
Champions of change
The Champions of Change model encourages both girls and boys to explore and question gender norms. By engaging in ongoing reflection and learning, the children work towards transforming deeply ingrained beliefs and challenging existing power dynamics in their communities.
SS4G has been conducting weekly Champions of Change sessions in the 10 schools where the project operates. We bring together 300 children (15 boys and 15 girls in each school) in separate groups based on their gender. These sessions are an essential part of the project and aim to empower children, especially girls, by helping them understand their rights and their sexual reproductive health.
Inclusivity is a key value of the project. SS4G is currently working with 3 girls and 1 boy who have different forms of disabilities, ensuring that they are included in the Champions of Change group. Additionally, during project meetings, we always invite people with disabilities to contribute their insights, which greatly advance our project goals.
During the sessions, the focus is on both learning and playing games to engage the children. Each school has 4 mentors, 2 females to engage with the girls and 2 males to engage with the boys. The modules for the girls cover important topics such as being assertive, understanding gender, body confidence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, enjoying healthy relationships, living free from gender-based violence, and being economically empowered. By actively participating in these sessions, the children will develop a stronger commitment to gender equality and promote healthy and equal relationships. Plan International believes that empowering girls and boys with this knowledge will lead to positive changes in their lives and communities.
Innovative feedback mechanisms
The SS4G project has adopted Plan International Sierra Leone’s innovative and youth-led feedback mechanism. This digital system uses SMS (text messages) to address communication challenges and create a two-way feedback channel. Telerivet works across various technologies, including SMS, chat apps, polls, voice response, airtime transfer, mobile rewards, and integration with local messaging providers. The use of SMS channels is particularly beneficial for SS4G as it allows communication over long distances, making it effective even in remote areas with limited or no internet access. This technology ensures that the project can reach communities that it might otherwise be difficult to connect with.
Getting feedback from programme participants through telerivet
The innovative, youth-led feedback mechanism creats a two-way channel to collect data, receive and respond to feedback.
To make this system youth-centered, we have established a team of information focal points (IFPs) within the community. These young people are hired and trained as data collectors for SS4G. Equipped with basic mobile phones capable of sending SMS messages, they play a crucial role in gathering feedback and information from the project communities.
By using Telerivet and engaging young people as IFPs, we create a trusted and safe space where community members can share their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions. This feedback is vital for us to continuously improve our project and ensure that it meets the needs of the community.
Safer Schools for Girls is being implemented in partnership with the Daindemben Federation.
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