Sierra Leone

BRAC began its journey in Sierra Leone in 2008. The country is home to about 8.5 million people and has faced years of conflict and economic hardship. Today, about 41% of people live in extreme poverty.

We partner with communities to ensure they have the tools to break the cycle of poverty, and build a more hopeful future for themselves.

AT A GLANCE

66,777

borrowers, 96% of whom are women, have accessed microfinance loans

54

model farms established

20,000

girls and young women learned life skills, and gained confidence and knowledge to start their entrepreneurial journeys.

What has changed in my life is that I now own a house, which I never had before. My dream is for my children to be educated, to become someone in their future.”

Masu, BRAC Sierra Leone Microfinance Client

Our Work

Youth Empowerment

Setting the stage for the next generation of leaders.

BRAC Sierra Leone’s work with young people combines social and economic empowerment with education, ensuring that girls and women reach their full potential.

Through safe, mentor-led clubs, girls gain life skills, learn how to think critically, and build confidence. They also receive vocational training, startup kits, and support to start small businesses of their own. They are also equipped with the skills needed to better navigate the challenges that may affect their lives. Sports and games are also a part of the experience, helping girls strengthen their teamwork skills.

Throughout the process, we also work closely with parents, communities, local partners, and governments, to create solutions to the challenges they face. For over 15 years, this approach has helped girls and young women take charge of their futures.

Accelerating Impact for Young Women (AIM)

Confident girls grow up to be bold women who transform their own lives and communities.

BRAC and the Mastercard Foundation are equipping 156,500 girls and young women in Sierra Leone with entrepreneurship, employability, and life-skills training. We’re also providing them with tools to start and scale their own businesses.

The five-year programme applies BRAC’s proven approaches using microfinance, youth empowerment, agriculture, and skills development to improve lives and livelihoods.

Agriculture & Food Security

When farmers thrive, so do communities.

BRAC Sierra Leone helps farmers grow more food sustainably—and earn more income. Our programmes give participants, who are primarily women and young people, the tools they need to succeed. This includes technical training, supplies, loans, and connections to local markets. We also teach farmers how to grow food in ways that protect the environment and adapt to climate change.

Our work creates jobs in rural communities and raises household incomes. It also improves nutrition for Sierra Leone’s growing population. We’ve built a network of self-employed agriculture, livestock, and poultry entrepreneurs. They are increasing food security and strengthening their local food system.

Early Childhood Development & Education

Joyful learning and play create a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

BRAC’s cradle-to-career network of education programmes in Sierra Leone support learners at every level—from toddlers to adults. Our award-winning play labs are vibrant, fun spaces where children ages 3–5 learn through play. With engaging facilitators and an evidence-based curriculum, children can develop physically, emotionally, and socially. Evidence shows early learning opportunities can break the cycle of poverty and inequality.

Adolescent girls who have left the formal education system can access secondary schooling or vocational training. Through our accelerated learning approach, girls learn digital literacy and entrepreneurship skills. We also support the Sierra Leonean government with teacher training, mentoring, and curriculum development.

Microfinance

Unlocking the entrepreneurial spirit of women.

BRAC Microfinance Sierra Leone Limited is the largest microfinance institution in the country, with 42 branches in 12 districts of the country. We provide responsible financial services to people who are excluded from the mainstream financial system, particularly focusing on women living in poverty in rural and hard-to-reach areas of the country.

Our core credit products include group-based microloans provided exclusively to women, small enterprise loans, and agrifinance loans for rural small-holder farmers.

We complement our services with financial and digital literacy training, empowering clients to make informed decisions and manage their finances better. In all our endeavours, we adhere to the Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management and the Client Protection Principles, placing clients’ well-being at the centre of everything we do to achieve our mission.

Access to financial services is a core part of BRAC’s holistic approach to development, complementing its social programmes to drive sustainable change and support people to lift themselves out of poverty.

Our Stories

Masu’s journey from roadside struggles to restaurant dreams

Orphaned at an early age, Masu came to Freetown hoping to finish school—but life only got harder. A small loan, along with training on how to manage a business, gave her the fresh start she needed. She has since grown her roadside food stall into a small restaurant. Today, Masu owns a house for the first time in her life. She is now saving up for a wheelchair so that her son can return to school.

“I feel so happy now because my situation has changed. I have overcome so many difficulties.” -Masu

Masu’s journey from roadside struggles to restaurant dreams
John transforms a simple crop into a thriving business.

John Samura has a keen business acumen and in Sierra Leone, where the agricultural sector employs around 60 percent of the population and accounts for 49 percent of the country's GDP, he managed to stand out. He saw an opportunity to transform a simple crop into a thriving business. This is his story of hard work and creativity to bring tangible change into his life and in the lives of others.

"I started with very little, but I always had a vision of creating something meaningful,” -John Samura

John transforms a simple crop into a thriving business.
How Hawa makes finance work in rural Sierra Leone

Before she wore the BRAC name tag, Hawanatu Betty Magbity was a single mother navigating Sierra Leone’s harsh economic realities. She joined BRAC Sierra Leone in 2018 as a credit officer in Moyamba. What followed was not just a career, but a remarkable sense of purpose.

“Do the right thing, even when it’s the hardest thing to do, and you’ll only rise.” -Hawa

How Hawa makes finance work in rural Sierra Leone

Meet the Leadership Team

Sierra Leone’s economy is driven by agriculture, mining, and small trade. Most people rely on farming to feed their families and earn a living.

But the country faces significant challenges, including high unemployment, limited access to education and healthcare, and the lasting effects of past conflict. About 3.4 million people live in situations of extreme poverty. With support, individuals and communities can create a more resilient future for all people in Sierra Leone.