KOINADUGU DISTRICT - Kabala Area
The Koinadugu District, situated in the far northeastern corner of the country, was the vegetable garden and agricultural center of the country in the 1960/70’s.
Koinadugu faces all the obstacles of rural poverty in a developing country. Most villages have no healthcare beyond traditional medicine while the district has among the worst health indicators in the nation. Recent research conducted revealed HIV prevalence of 6% among the hundreds of patients tested. Health remains a huge concern in Koinadugu and in Sierra Leone as a whole.
The Koinadugu District is the poorest district in the entire country. The district also faces major challenges in education and gender equality, which are fundamental components of development. Many villages in the district lack even a single school; the district literacy rate stands at 21%. Women’s literacy rate is less than half that of men’s and gender issues merit special attention in light of harmful traditional customs and practices.
Life in the rural regions is incredibly hard for those who live there, and such struggles have become a pressing issue in Sierra Leone
as the country endeavors to stem the flood of people moving into the overcrowded capital city. In the districts like Koinadugu, tiny isolated villages are spaced miles apart. Transportation is both costly and dangerous and the roads are in a constant state of disrepair and during the rainy season completely impassable. Electricity and clean water are nonexistent. Banks, shops, computers - all the conveniences of "modern" living are incredibly rare
SIERRA LEONE - Country of need
During the war, rebel forces criss-crossed through the country, abducting, amputating, and killing thousands of innocent civilians. Child soldiers were forced to fight on the front-lines, often while under the influence of cocaine or other drugs. Over that decade, half the population was displaced, 50,000 killed, 100,000 were maimed or mutilated, 200,000 babies born to victims of rape. Hospitals, clinics, home, schools, and whole villages were destroyed. Infrastructure was directly targeted, and much of the nation was left without the basic needs for human life.
Today, national statistics state that Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world.
Life expectancy is 40 years
Literacy is less than 31% with some areas not far above 0% for girls
Average annual income is $140
42% have no access to safe water
Has the highest infant, under-five and maternal mortality rates in the world
97% of the population lives on less than $1 per day
Affordable treatment for HIV/AIDS and education for eradication and prevention is needed more than ever
Severely inadequate infrastructure, joblessness and other issues render Sierra Leone the least developed country among all those on the United Nations Human Development Index, 2007-2008.
Sierra Leone is in West Africa. They received independence from England April, 1961. English is the official language with more than 15 tribal languages spoken. The rainfall is approximately 170 inches to 195 inches in a year (comes during a 4-5 month period). Rice is the main food with an abundance of fruit throughout the year. Sierra Leone is a beautiful country and it is filled with people that continue to strive to rebuild their lives so that they can give hope and dreams to their children.