A 14-year-old girl has successfully given birth with the support of the Commit and Act Foundation Sierra Leone, thanks to funding from Kinder mission werk/KZE.
This young girl had been a victim of sexual abuse by a commercial motorbike rider in 2022 and was subsequently abandoned by her own family when she became pregnant. To protect her privacy, we'll refer to her as "NAME WITHHELD." She is a participant in the Kindermissionwerk/KZE Girl’s Shelter Project, administered by the Commit and Act Foundation in Bo City.
On August 23, 2023, she delivered a baby girl at the Bo Government Hospital in the Bo District of Southern Sierra Leone. The Commit and Act Foundation Girl’s Shelter, supported by funding from Kindermissionwerk/KZE in Germany, continues to offer temporary shelter, legal aid, educational assistance, psychological support, pro-social programs, psychosocial counselling, and livelihood support to survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and their parents.
The new-born baby has been enrolled in another initiative known as the "ONE DAY HOPE BABY SHELTER," funded by ONE DAY e.V in Germany. This project aims to provide care and support to infants born as a result of sexual assault, rape, and other forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. This support enables their mothers to continue their education.
Sierra Leone has been grappling with one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Africa, but efforts have been made by authorities to address this issue. Over the past five years, the country has made significant legal advancements, including revising its Sexual Offences Act and establishing model courts to expedite trials.
These reforms are designed to deter paedophilia and ensure swift punishment for individuals involved in sexual offenses, especially those committed against underage children.