Joining Forces Alliance Launched in Sierra Leone - Leading Child-Focused Organizations Unite to Tackle Pressing Challenges Facing Sierra Leonean Children

^{Members of the alliance launching the Joining Forces Alliance Sierra Leone Chapter}

Freetown, 1st February 2024 - In a landmark event at the Lagoonda Complex, Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Isata Mahoi officially has launched the Joining Forces for Children Alliance, Sierra Leone Chapter in Freetown. The alliance comprises ChildFund, Plan International, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Village, and World Vision.

The alliance, operating in over twenty countries globally, aims to harness the collective expertise, resources, and efforts of these renowned organizations to accelerate positive change for the children of Sierra Leone.

Despite commendable progress in various areas, the rights of Sierra Leonean children face ongoing challenges, including growing inequality, technological misuse, gender bias, hunger, poverty, ill-health, and exploitation. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the alliance is poised to leverage existing frameworks like the Convention on the Rights of the Child and global opportunities such as the Sustainable Development Goals to end violence and ensure every child's rights are safeguarded.

This alliance's commitment is to actively engages in resource acquisition through fundraising initiatives and collaborative efforts. The focus is on securing vital resources such as education, healthcare, and support systems to uplift and empower the lives of Sierra Leone's youngest generation.

Moreover, the alliance will advocate for the inclusion of children in government budget planning, emphasizing the need to increase budget allocations for comprehensive child protection. By actively promoting children's participation in decision-making processes, the alliance aims to create a more inclusive and child-centric governance structure, where the voices of children are integral to policy-making.

Beyond governmental engagement, the alliance is dedicated to dismantling harmful norms and practices through targeted education, awareness campaigns, and community engagement. This transformative process actively will involve communities to create environments that champion the rights and safety of every child, replacing harmful norms with nurturing and protective practices.

Minister Isata Mahoi, during the official launch, expressed her commitment to supporting the alliance and called on all participating organizations to be ready for collective action, emphasizing that the launch was just the beginning of the alliance's impactful journey.

Joining Forces believes that these initiatives, coupled with the collaborative efforts of communities, governments, and partners, will significantly contribute to building a safer and more secure environment for children in Sierra Leone.

About Joining Forces:

Established in 2017, Joining Forces is a coalition of the six largest child-focused agencies: ChildFund Alliance, Plan International, Save the Children International, SOS Children’s Villages International, Terre des Hommes International Federation, and World Vision International. The alliance aims to use collective power to accelerate change, secure children's rights, and end violence globally, guided by the voices and needs of children.