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In 2005, at the age of 10, Kadiatu was enrolled in ChildFund’s programs serving the Daindemben Federation in her Sierra Leonean community. With support from her sponsor to pay for school fees and learning materials, Kadiatu eagerly embraced the educational opportunities available to her.

 

How ChildFund was able to help Kadiatu and keep her in school

But when she reached junior secondary school, Kadiatu’s father decided to remove her from school and give her in marriage to a middle-aged man in the village. ChildFund and its local partner intervened on Kadiatu’s behalf, standing firm to ensure that her father’s decision was overturned. The marriage was cancelled, and Kadiatu continued her schooling. But her father withdrew all support. Her mother has died long ago and her stepmother showed no love to her.

Without ChildFund sponsorship and the support of Daindemben Federation, Kadiatu would have had nowhere to turn. “I have no fear now. I can continue my education.”

 

How Kadiatu’s education is allowing her to achieve her dreams

Today, Kadiatu, 18, is in senior secondary school preparing for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination. She credits ChildFund and Daindemben Federation for restoring her hope and believes she would have been the mother of two or three children by now had it not been for the intervention of the federation. “Daindemben has made me realise my importance and value in society,” she says.

Now she is determined to go all the way to university to study accounting. “I want Daindemben Federation and my sponsor to be proud of me. They have done so much to get me to where I am today. I don’t want to let them down,” she says. “Even my father is proud of me now,” she acknowledges. “He has regretted the action he had wanted to take then.

“I would like Daindemben Federation and my ChildFund sponsor to continue being my pillar, so that I will achieve my dream of becoming an accountant.”

 

You can help make a difference in the lives of girls like Kadiatu

ChildFund aims to keep children in school and prevent children being forced into marriage. Donate to our current appeal to help children in poverty.

Donate before June 30th and your donation will be tax deductible, which means you’ll be able to claim it on your tax return.

You may also be interested in sponsoring a child? Child sponsorship is a meaningful journey, where you provide a monthly contribution to support a child in poverty. Your donation will keep the child in school, pay for essentials like food and medicine, and supplement the household income. Learn more about becoming a child sponsor here.

ChildFund is responding to the cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone, which has claimed the lives of at least 250 people, including a number of children, and infected more than 15,000.

Billy Abimbilla, National Director for ChildFund Sierra Leone, says the outbreak started earlier this year in a few locations and quickly spread to all parts of the country. While efforts are being made to contain the spread, poor road networks, heavy rains and insufficient resources are complicating the problem.

“This outbreak is different from other ones because of the speed with which it spread, the ease with which it kills and the scale of the geographical spread of the problem,” he told AlertNet. “Cholera, even though can be treated with basic medicines and by maintaining proper hygienic conditions, can be fatal if not detected and treated early. Children are most vulnerable to this outbreak.”

ChildFund has been conducting awareness-raising sessions with local communities on how to prevent the spread of the disease, as well as the need to report early to the nearest clinic when the signs are detected. Our local partners have carried out house-to-house education on the outbreak. ChildFund is also providing safe water facilities in some communities to support the immediate and longer term solutions to the problem.

“The impact of the cholera outbreak on local communities has been devastating,” says Billy. “Families lose their loved ones, mostly the most productive family members or breadwinners, very young children and infants. This can be very traumatic to local communities and families. In addition, a lot of time is spent in caring for the infected rather than going about productive activities such as farming and other income earning ventures. Infected persons are not able to go to school or work and this is an overall loss to local communities.”

Read the full interview with ChildFund Sierra Leone national director Billy Abimbilla here [Source: AlertNet // Julie Mollins]

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