2010
290
20
10
Active in Sierra Leone
since
Total number of doctor deployments
volunteer doctors every year
Students current
Strengthen the rights of girls and women
Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world. The brutal civil war, which lasted from 1991 to 2002 and caused the deaths of more than 50,000 people, also had devastating results on the society and economy. Over two million people had to flee the country. This West African state still suffers from oppressive development problems, and it lacks trained medical personnel. In addition, Sierra Leone was hard hit by the Ebola epidemic in 2014. Sixty percent of the population lives below the poverty level. Undernourishment, especially among children, is widespread, and child and mother mortality are high. Alongside the continuous increase in sexual and gender-specific violence, traditional injurious practices, like female genital mutilation (FGM), which expose girls and young women to huge health and psychological risks, are still practiced. We stand up for strengthening the rights of girls and women and also train medical personnel to noticeably decrease child mortality.
Our medical projects
The German Doctors were active in the Serabu Community Hospital in Sierra Leone from 2010 to 2021. Aside from patient treatment, out priority lay in the training and ongoing education of local colleagues. We began a long-desired project in fall 2021: training of local medical colleagues in pediatrics.
Training of Medical Personnel in Pediatrics
We deploy volunteer doctors to support our training program in pediatrics in theory and practice. When they complete a bachelor’s degree, they can work in state hospitals and competently treat children.
Kailahun
We, in close cooperation with state health workers, provide medical services with a mobile clinic for patients in remote regions in the Kailahun District. We additionally provide further training for available healthcare personnel to sustainably strengthen the local healthcare system.
Our Partner projects
Mission against female genital mutilation
Together with our partner organization, Commit & Act Foundation Sierra Leone, we stand up for an end to the dangerous, widespread practice of female genital mutilation.
Makeni Girls’ Shelter
We also support a shelter for girls who have been victims of sexual violence run by our partner. The girls find a temporary home there and are provided medical and psychological support.
Supporting non-violent parenting
41 is the cost of training a family in good, non-violent parenting. This enables children to grow up in a self-determined and healthy way.
