The 11-years Sierra Leone civil war’s negative legacies of lack of quality education for children and youths, human rights and drug abuse, youth violence, poor economic empowerment for women and youths; lack of access to the correct information and awareness of national policies (laws), instability, limited jobs, and economic empowerment opportunities for youths and women, injustice, inadequate use of the national resource, lack of youth, women and children’s inclusion in decision making for total participation remain as serious challenges across deprived rural communities in Sierra Leone.

Vulnerability can cut across, but 40% of the vulnerable population (youths, women, and children) living in deprived communities proved to be more vulnerable than those in urban centers because they continue to live below the poverty margin (US$1.90), especially those in hard-to-reach terrains. These vulnerable groups often have very little or no recourses to advocate and fight for their civil rights to improve their lives and communities to thrive. These continue to affect the growing generations.

YACEI is taking actions at the grassroots to protect those vulnerable lives, by empowering them with resources to lead self-directed development initiatives, access to the correct information through awareness-raising to hold their leaders to account, fight for their rights, improve their lives and build their communities for a just and sustainable world.

Since its inception in 2002, YACEI, as a youth-led grass-root organization, struggles to access funding to amplify its operations. However, between 2018 and 2022, YACEI has engaged 10,752 youths, women, and children through awareness-raising on national policies, education and health promotion, gender equality, Sexual Reproductive Health Education, etc. YACEI  has also resourced youths to go into agriculture and advocate for their rights.

Support us to amplify our operations to reach out to more deprived rural communities.