Civil war and military coups plagued Sierra
Leone for much of the 1990s, but since the completion of disarmament in
January 2002 the nation has been engaged in the difficult task of recovery
and development. During the course of the war, an estimated 50,000 people
lost their lives, and some 10,000 suffered limb amputations; carnage caused
by the conflict resulted in an average lifespan of 34.2 years, one of the
lowest in the world. The economy was also hit hard -- unemployment rates
among young people are around 80%. The scars left by this war are yet to
heal.
This project aims to consolidate peace
and rebuild society in Kambia, an administrative district located in Sierra
Leone's Northern Province that was hit particularly hard by the war. With
a special focus on the education and social reintegration of children,
including some who were child soldiers, the project will also provide support
to the community in a number of different fields.
The core of the project lies in providing schools with educational materials that promote the fun of learning and the joy of living to children who have been affected by civil war. Also provided for in the project are training sessions designed to support a host of activities outside of the classroom for both children and parents. These programs will cover basic education, practical training, school farming, hygiene and nutrition instruction, as well as create social groups for women and youth. Though these activities clearly revolve around schools, the project's impact is not limited to education; broader goals include the overall physical and mental rehabilitation and development of communities.
Providing these various school-based activities will create local organizations in which all residents can participate equally, regardless of gender, age, or social class. JICA will then work in conjunction with these groups and the regional government to promote and support humanitarian assistance. Moreover, by including the central and local government as much as possible, the project seeks to promote capacity building among administrators and ensure the sustainability of the results produced through this cooperation.
This project specifically targets children and young adults in Sierra Leone who have been scarred by civil war that has only recently ended and also seeks to support mid- to long-term development through capacity building of civilian and governmental institutions. Clearly, these two aims include an approach based on a human security perspective.