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In the heart of Sierra Leone, where vibrant communities thrive, there exists a silent epidemic that has plagued the innocence of our children. This is the story of the Enough Abuse Campaign Sierra Leone, a movement committed to preventing child sexual abuse, fostering healing, and seeking justice.

Mission

The mission of Enough Abuse Sierra Leone is to prevent the sexual abuse of Sierra Leone’s children and youth.

Introduction

In September 2019, child advocates in Sierra Leone adopted the Enough Abuse Campaign to help address the serious prevalence of child sexual abuse in their country. Using resources from the EnoughAbuse.org website, Mr. Francis Sam-Kabba, Director of Student Parliament/ Sierra Leone (SP/SL), consulted with Jetta Bernier, Executive Director of ENOUGH ABUSE®, to bring the initiative to his country. 

Enough Abuse Sierra Leone started its activities by tracking the most vulnerable communities in the country, and targeting those with the highest rates of child sexual abuse cases as reported by the Government of Sierra Leone and other Child Protection Agencies. They started with schools in the Northern Province of the country, specifically small towns with vulnerable children. In a meeting with teachers from 10 Primary schools, and community chiefs, Mr. Sam-Kabba presented trainings using the “Enough Abuse Strategies for Schools and Communities” curriculum adapted for West Africa. These leaders were encouraged to train school children on safe and unsafe touches and to always report concerning behaviors to a trusted person.  

Recent Achievements

Commencement of the Enough Abuse School Safe Club in Fall 2025

The successful completion of the School Safe Club Ambassadors Training brought together passionate and committed students dedicated to building safer, more protective learning environments.

Over the past sessions, ambassadors were trained on:
✨ Child protection and safeguarding principles
✨ Identifying and reporting risks of abuse
✨ Leadership, peer support, and positive communication
✨ Creating safe spaces through advocacy, awareness and student-led initiatives
✨ Promoting responsible digital behavior and online safety

The training empowered students with the knowledge and skills to lead prevention activities in their schools—using drama, debates, peer dialogue, awareness campaigns, and early reporting mechanisms to protect themselves and their peers.

These young ambassadors are now fully equipped to:
🔹 Raise awareness on child protection issues
🔹 Champion anti-bullying and anti-abuse efforts
🔹 Report concerns safely and confidently
🔹 Promote a culture of responsibility

In January 2026, the campaign conducted trainings across 10 schools (5 primary and 5 secondary schools).

Secondary School Safe Club Ambassador Training:

A total of 10 Safe Club Ambassadors from secondary schools were trained on:

• Child sexual abuse prevention, healing, and justice
• Safe and unsafe touch
• My body is my body
• Safety alerts and reporting

Teacher Training – Golden Star School Model:

Teachers from all 10 schools were trained on:

• Reporting and referral mechanisms
• Creating safe school environments
• Child safeguarding responsibilities

Focus Group Discussions

Enough Abuse Sierra Leone is currently holding Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in the schools and communities where they have held programs.

This is a critical stage in their long-term efforts to assess the effectiveness and impact of their prevention, healing, and justice programmes. Through these discussions, they aim to understand whether their strategies in schools and communities are achieving the desired outcomes, whether they are acceptable to community members and students, and what improvements may be needed. The findings will guide Enough Abuse Sierra Leone on whether to continue with their current approaches or refine our strategies to achieve greater impact.

Mother Support Groups

In January 2026, mother support groups were held to empower mothers with skills to prevent abuse and respond to disclosure.

Mothers were trained on:

• Age-appropriate discussions with children
• Handling disclosure
• Referral pathways to access services

Community Engagement Meetings with Stakeholders

Community engagement meetings were held in January 2026 to mobilize community stakeholders to prevent abuse and support survivors.

Community leaders and stakeholders were engaged on:

• Prevention, healing, and justice
• Reporting pathways
• Survivor-centered approaches

Challenges Identified:

• Under-reporting due to perpetrators being known
• Victim-blaming and neglect of survivors

Positive Change:

Continuous engagement is gradually shifting communities toward survivor-centered responses.

Meritorious Award for Most Outstanding Child Advocacy Organization of the Year (Northern Region)

a)  Award to Enough Abuse Campaign – Sierra Leone

Category: Most Outstanding Child Advocacy Organization of the Year (Northern Region)

In January 2026, The Enough Abuse Campaign – Sierra Leone was honored with the Meritorious Award for Most Outstanding Child Advocacy Organization of the Year (Northern Region) by the Youth Humanitarian Foundation under the Ultimate Northern Icons Awards.

This recognition acknowledges the Campaign’s exceptional dedication to the protection, promotion, and advancement of children’s rights, with a strong focus on the prevention of child sexual abuse, survivor healing, and access to justice. The award reflects the

Campaign’s sustained efforts in school-based prevention, community engagement, survivor-centered advocacy, and the strengthening of referral and reporting pathways.

The award further validates the Campaign’s impact in influencing positive social norms, promoting child safeguarding systems, and mobilizing communities to adopt survivor-centered and rights-based approaches to child protection.

b)  Individual Recognition – Leadership in Child Advocacy

Recipient: Mr. Francis Sam Kabba

Category: Most Influential and Outstanding Young Leader Under 40 in the North

In addition to the institutional recognition, Mr. Francis Sam Kabba received the Meritorious Award for Most Influential and Outstanding Young Leader Under 40 in the Northern Region.

This award recognizes his leadership, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to child protection, safeguarding, and community-based prevention of child sexual abuse. His work has contributed significantly to the design and implementation of school safe clubs, community engagement strategies, mother support groups, and survivor-centered programming under the Enough Abuse Campaign.

c)  Significance of the Award

The awards serve as an important milestone for the Enough Abuse Campaign, reinforcing:

• Credibility and public trust in the Campaign’s work
• Increased visibility for child protection and safeguarding issues
• Stronger advocacy positioning with government, donors, and community stakeholders
• Motivation for continued excellence in prevention, healing, and justice for children

Way Forward:

Building on this recognition, the Enough Abuse Campaign remains committed to scaling up school-based prevention, deepening community engagement.

Previous Achievements in 2024-2025:

Validation Meeting for the National Alternative Care Policy

The Enough Abuse Campaign Sierra Leone participated in a high-level validation meeting convened by the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MoGCA) in November 2025 to finalize the country’s National Alternative Care Policy. The session brought together senior MoGCA leadership—Director of Children’s Affairs Mrs. Joyce B. Kamara, Deputy Director Mr. Daniel Albert Gbow, Assistant Directors Mr. Bashiru Thullah and Ms. Laura Koroma, among others—along with civil society organisations and child protection partners.

The meeting was chaired by former Chief Director Mr. Joseph Sunday Sinnah, who reiterated the critical role of the Alternative Care Policy in safeguarding children without parental care or at risk of separation. He emphasized the policy’s foundational principles:
• Non-discrimination
• Child participation and safety
• Preservation of family cohesion where safe and possible

He noted that the policy places particular focus on foster care, institutional care, and the urgent needs of street-connected children—groups often most vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and neglect.

Mr. Sinnah outlined several strategic provisions within the policy designed to enhance prevention and response systems, including:
• Psychosocial support services for vulnerable children
• Establishment of community-based child welfare committees
• Community awareness and education to shift harmful norms
• Strengthening case management capacity for social service officers
• Addressing protection risks within foster care, kinship care, orphanages, and ICCs

These measures align strongly with the Enough Abuse Campaign’s mission to prevent sexual abuse, protect survivors, and promote accountability.

During the interactive session, participants—including representatives from EAC-SL James Yahjah—shared experiences, concerns, and recommendations related to:
• Gaps in the foster care process
• Challenges faced by children who are unable to disclose abuse
• Strengthening kinship care structures
• Improving monitoring, licensing, and oversight of orphanages and ICCs

Back to School Teacher Training September 2025

The Enough Abuse Campaign (EAC) Sierra Leone trained teachers in Mile 91 on child sexual abuse prevention, healing, and justice, strengthening their role as frontline protectors. The training, part of EAC’s School Safe Clubs initiative, equipped teachers with skills in prevention, psychosocial support, and legal accountability. Through interactive sessions, teachers learned to handle disclosures sensitively and support survivors. EAC stressed that teachers are key to building safe, child-friendly schools, where abuse is confronted, healing supported, and justice pursued.

16 Days of Activism November 25^th To December 20^th 2024

During the 2024 16 Days of Activism in Bonthe District, Enough Abuse Sierra Leone collaborated with the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MoGCA) and the Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW) to implement various activities aimed at combating violence against women and girls and raising awareness about Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

Key activities included:

1. Community Dialogue Sessions
   Enough Abuse SL, in partnership with MoGCA and MoSW, conducted community dialogue sessions on December 6th and 7th, 2024, in Yoni Mamaila Chiefdom and Yoni Bana, respectively.

• Participants: The sessions included health workers, community leaders (chiefs), adult men and women, youth (male and female), teachers, Mother Support Groups (MSGs), Community Health Workers (CHWs), and pupils. In Yoni Mamaila Chiefdom, 36 participants attended – 23 males and 13 females. In Yoni Bana, 40 participants attended – 23 males and 17 females.
• Support: The Director for EAC-SL Francis Sam Kabba was supported by the line ministry staff in mobilizing community members and facilitating the session.

2.  School-to-School Sensitization Campaigns
On December 9th, 2024, ACF supported MoGCA/MoSW in organizing sensitization campaigns in five educational institutions in Mile 91:

• Benevolent Islamic Secondary School
• Technical Vocational Secondary School (TVSS)
• Comforti Secondary School
• SLMB Primary School
• RC Primary School

Activities:

• Awareness sessions with pupils and students focused on the significance of the 16 Days of Activism, GBV, child abuse, protection issues, reporting, and referral pathways.
• The EAC-SL along with MoGCA/MoSW staff, mobilized the Children’s Forum Network (CFN) and Children Welfare Committee (CWC) to engage school pupils.
• Later in the day, the team, in collaboration with members of Tonkolili Women in Governance (BonWIG), raised awareness focusing on similar topics

3. Collaboration with Co-Implementers

Enough Abuse SL maintains a strong and collaborative relationship with line ministries and other child protection ministries.  Its Director consistently engages partners and stakeholders during the planning and coordination of activities to ensure successful implementation and alignment with shared objectives.

Report on the Kadhija Case of Sexual Abuse in Freetown

The case of Kadhija, an 8-year-old girl from Freetown, Sierra Leone, has garnered significant attention due to the serious allegations of sexual abuse against her teacher. This incident has not only highlighted the urgent need for child protection but has also mobilized community action, with mothers and various child protection organizations taking to the streets to demand justice.

In late 2023, reports emerged that Kadhija had been subjected to repeated sexual abuse by her teacher at a local school. The allegations were brought to light when Kadhija confided in her mother about the incidents. The mother immediately sought help from local authorities and child protection organizations, which initiated an investigation into the matter. In November 2024, another case of 8-year-old Khadaijatu was reported but this time she was poisoned by her teacher after he sexually abused her in the school toilet/ rest room. The nature of the abuse described was severe and involved multiple instances over a period of time. This prompted immediate concern from child advocacy groups who recognized that such cases are often underreported due to fear, stigma, and lack of trust in legal systems.

Following the revelation of Kadhija’s abuse, a coalition of mothers and child protection organizations organized protests in Freetown. These demonstrations aimed to raise awareness about child sexual abuse and advocate for stronger protective measures for children within educational institutions.

The protesters called for:

1. Justice for Kadhija: They demanded accountability for the teacher involved and urged law enforcement to take swift action.
2. Policy Reforms: Activists highlighted the need for reforms in school policies regarding teacher conduct and mandatory reporting laws concerning suspected abuse.
3. Support Systems: There was a strong call for improved support systems for victims of sexual abuse, including counseling services and safe reporting mechanisms.

The protests were peaceful but powerful, drawing attention from local media and international observers. They served as a platform not only for Kadhija’s case but also as a broader commentary on the systemic issues surrounding child protection in Sierra Leone.

As investigations progressed, authorities began collecting evidence against the accused teacher. However, there was widespread public support for ensuring that justice be served swiftly and effectively. Child protection organizations emphasized the importance of creating an environment where children feel safe to report abuses without fear of repercussions or disbelief from adults.

The Kadhija case is emblematic of larger societal issues regarding child safety in educational settings. It underscores the necessity for community vigilance and proactive measures to protect vulnerable populations. The collective action taken by mothers alongside child advocacy groups demonstrates a growing awareness and refusal to tolerate such abuses within society.  Moving forward, it is crucial that both governmental bodies and non-governmental organizations work together to implement effective strategies aimed at preventing further incidents like those experienced by Kadhija.

Earlier Achievements

On the 15th of February 2020, Enough Abuse Sierra Leone held a one-day workshop in Magburaka, Tonkolili District in the northern province of the country, engaging youth leaders from different organizations and social clubs and training them on the Enough Abuse Strategies for Youth Organizations. They also had local musicians perform during the workshop.

On the 22nd of February 2020, Enough Abuse Sierra Leone conducted another training at Bubuna town, one of the communities with the highest rate of child marriage in the country. In this training, they were able to bring together 30 youth leaders from 40 villages in the interior part of the country and 10 from youth clubs and women’s groups.

Another Enough Abuse training was held on the 8th of March 2020. With support provided by MassKids (now ENOUGH ABUSE),  Enough Abuse Sierra Leone was able to bring representatives from Concern Worldwide, Action Aid, Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s’ Affairs, and other youth groups. Each of these representatives spoke about how we can work together as a community to put a stop to child sexual abuse and child marriage.

In March 2020, Mr. Sam-Kabba met with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Holland, Union of Midwives, Concern Worldwide, Council of Churches, and Family Support Unit (Police) to see how these agencies could come together to support the work of Enough Abuse.  At the end of the meeting, Enough Abuse Sierra Leone came into agreement with MSF Holland to use their 6611 toll-free line for Enough Abuse activities. The number now appears on all Enough Abuse posters, handbills, stickers, and banners, which will be displayed at strategic places in communities and schools.

Providing Prevention Education

A cadre of volunteers in over 50 chiefdoms are being trained to deliver Enough Abuse’s tested, research-based curricula on preventing child sexual abuse to parents, schools and youth groups.  They are also providing supporting prevention materials including the Enough Abuse “10 Conversations” Fact Sheets and the “Pledge to Prevent” online action campaign.

Training a “Trauma-Informed Educator” In Each School

Enough Abuse Sierra Leone is also working to identify a designated “Trauma-Informed Educator” for each school, train these child advocates about their specific role to protect students from abuse, and support them to facilitate focus groups for students at various age levels to discuss child sexual abuse and how to prevent it and report it. Enough Abuse Sierra Leone is also supporting them to facilitate educational meetings with parents about how to prevent and report cases of child sexual abuse, and developing a brief training video to educate Trauma-Informed Educators and parents about how to appropriately handle disclosures of abuse from children and youth.

Teachers trained by Enough Abuse Sierra Leone

Promoting Reporting of Abuse and Treatment for Survivors

Enough Abuse Sierra Leone is also working to promote the national child abuse reporting line, 116, by distributing large banners featuring the number to each school and educating students about the need to report any abuse using the number. Enough Abuse Sierra Leone is also educating students about Medecins Sans Frontieres’ role in providing treatment and support services for children and youth experiencing child abuse and child sexual abuse.

Celebrating World Day for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

Enough Abuse Sierra Leone delivered an all-day child sexual abuse prevention training on Nov. 18th, 2021 in recognition of the global movement to establish World Day for Prevention, Healing and Justice to End Sexual Violence Against Children & Adolescents. Participants included 75 key community leaders from 5 vulnerable communities in the Tonkolili District including: police officers, local chiefs, lead mothers, teachers, women and youth leaders, imams and pastors, traditional birth attendants, commercial bike riders and bus/taxi drivers.

Below are photos from the World Day 2021 event:

On Nov. 18th, 2023, Enough Abuse Sierra Leone held their third annual World Day event, bringing together over 200 people, including survivors, FGM leaders/Soway health workers, civil society groups, religious organizations, teachers, policemen, etc. to set up a national action plan on child sexual abuse prevention, healing and justice, with support from the Brave Movement.

Enough Abuse District Focal Person Training

Enough Abuse Sierra Leone successfully held an Enough Abuse District Focal Person Training on 22 April,2022 at the Enough Abuse Sierra Leone office room 3 Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs.

Enough Abuse Sierra Leone Opens Office

In January 2023, Enough Abuse Sierra Leone opened its new office space.

Volunteers wanted!

Enough Abuse Sierra Leone is looking to recruit new volunteers for several important positions:

1. Community Educator
Volunteers in this role will help deliver training sessions on child sexual abuse prevention targeted at schools, parents, and youth groups. This involves utilizing the “Enough Abuse Strategies for Schools and Communities” curriculum that has been specifically adapted for West Africa.

2. School Health Club Officer
This position will focus on promoting health education within schools by organizing activities and workshops that engage students in discussions about health-related issues.

3. Counselor for Survivor Healing Centre
We are seeking compassionate individuals who can provide support and counseling services to survivors of abuse, helping them navigate their healing journey.

4. Event Organizer
This role will involve planning and executing events aimed at raising awareness about child protection issues and engaging the community in meaningful discussions.

To learn more, email francis@enoughabuse.org.

Donate

Enough Abuse Sierra Leone could use your support to continue its efforts to train community leaders in Sierra Leone to prevent child sexual abuse. Any amount you are able to contribute will further this effort. Please consider donating today.  

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