Schools Without Borders

Schools Without Borders' signature program, the  GIRLS! Project, empowers girls in Sierra Leone, West Africa through early grade reading; and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).

Sierra Leone remains among the world’s poorest countries, ranking 180th out of 187 countries. The total adult literacy rate is 43.3% and only 52.1% women and girls aged 15 and 24  can read and write; and school participation and attendance decreases for girls in Sierra Leone from 75.6% in primary school to 33.2% in secondary school. (Unicef, 2018).   

The GIRLS! Project also provides workshops in the areas of the five Social and Emotional Learning core competencies and psychosocial support to change the life trajectory of GIRLS! in Sierra Leone.  

To date 231,497 books have been distributed through the GIRLS! Project. 4812 girls have benefited from our workshops. GIRLS Project participants are inclusive of disabled girls; and Ebola (2014) and Landslide (2016) survivors. 

 GIRLS! Project supports the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 4, 5, and 10. 

• Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 
• Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
• Goal 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
• Goal 10 Reduce inequality within and among countries