Post-prison Support for 300 Women in Sierra Leone

Reintegration following time in prison is a great challenge for many women in Sierra Leone. Often women are disowned or heavily stigmatised by their family and community. The reality that many formerly incarcerated women return to is a life of poverty and little or no family support.

In 2018, AdvocAid was successful in securing the release of Mariama*, who was imprisoned for use of her language. Following her release, her partner left the family home, leaving her alone to look after their two children. Mariama* slept on a stranger’s sofa and spent her days looking for jobs. Thanks to a start-up grant from AdvocAid in 2018, Mariama was able to start earning a living as a market trader, selling fresh fruit.

However, a year later, tragedy struck when a fire raged through her residence. Fortunately Mariama and her children were unharmed, but the place they had been staying and all their belongings were burned. As a result, Mariama and her children turned to sneaking into a local school at night, in order to have a place to sleep, then leaving early each morning so as not to find out. AdvocAid is now helping Mariama find new accommodation, so she can provide stability for her and her children.

Mariama’s story is an example of the on-going need for support for many women in the months and years after incarceration. On behalf of the women and girls we work with, thank you very much for your generosity.

Next month Global Giving will be launching a bonus day; on July 18th any donations of $100 or over will be matched 100% by Global Giving. Please consider donating on July 18th - your donation will be doubled and directly support women and girls rebuild their life after prison.

To get the latest news from AdvocAid please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and sign up to our newsletter via our website.

* Names changed to protect clients’ identity.