Our 2022 annual report is out and we are proud to celebrate just a few of our achievements in this short impact report. This includes:

Supporting 137 expectant and young mothers in Bo and Kenema district, ranging in age from 14-22 (median age 19)
Equipping 40 of these young women with the resources and support they need to pursue their formal education, with a 100% completion rate. A further 81 pursued vocational training, with a 90% retention rate
Matching 100% of the young mothers with a female mentor, who offered ongoing mentoring and support.
Providing a range of complimentary activities and support, including life skills education and family mediation, which led to 100% of the young mothers agreeing that the AdAmi Project has equipped them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to make more informed and positive life choices.

We would like to say a huge tenki to our generous donors and supporters who have helped make this possible!

Group work at a Community Girls Network workshop

Young mothers finding their voice through film

We love hearing all the news and updates from the Community Girls Network, a girls-led movement coordinated by our local partner MEANS, in Bo. The young mothers continue to grow in confidence and purpose, as they lead the way in advocating for their rights, and the rights of other mothers and vulnerable girls in their communities.

Last month, MEANS delivered an interactive training session with the network to produce short films, using smartphones, to capture their work and explore the issues which matter to them. During the session, the young women opted to explore the issue of menstruation and spent time discussing and debating outdated stigma and discrimination surrounding menstruation in their communities.

Sadly, menstruation is often seen as unclean or even harmful to others. This results in girls and women being confined to their homes, excluded from public spaces and shamed during their period. It can also have a devastating impact on the lives and opportunities of girls and women - for example, many girls miss an entire week of school each month because of it. The session concluded with the young women creating short films and drama stints to capture their discussions. We have started to publish some of these videos on our social media platforms - do check them out!

Nurturing friendships and connections

A big part of the AdAmi Project is helping to facilitate opportunities for the young mothers to come together in safe spaces where they can share stories and experiences, and offer encouragement to one another as well as celebrate their successes. Through these meetups, the young mothers often build new and lasting friendships, and a vibrant peer support network. The local AdAmi Project team have recently created a new activity known as the ‘Circle of Confidence’ event. This brings different young mothers together to play sports and participate in other team building exercises. Feedback from the events has been extremely positive, with the girls enjoying the opportunity to share their successes, build confidence and meet new people.

Our lead social worker Andreta awarding a young mother a certificate for completing her life skills education

Life skills graduation event

In May we celebrated the graduation of a cohort of wonderful young mothers from our life skills education programme. For the past 18 months, these young mothers have attended weekly life skills sessions at our offices in Bo, where they have explored a whole range of topics from family planning to confidence building.

These sessions have proven vital in equipping the young mothers with the skills and knowledge needed to make more positive and informed life choices. While many girls began the course shy or nervous, by the end of the 18 months the sessions were alive with discussion and laughter. The young mothers will continue their education within the AdAmi programme and come together monthly to share experiences and maintain their support network.

Business grants helping to build healthier and more stable lives

Did you know that we provide small non-refundable business grants to parents and caregivers of the young mothers to help them start or grow small petty trading businesses? This gives them an opportunity to generate desperately needed new income, so they can purchase essential items like food and medicine. With this additional support and stability, the young mothers can focus on what matters most for their development.

Nancy and her elderly grandmother, also her primary caregiver, were two of those who benefited from the initiative. Living in extreme poverty, they often went to bed hungry and struggled to make ends meet. This was especially hard for Nancy, who was breastfeeding at the time whilst trying to study for her final school exams.

With a business grant, Nancy’s grandmother was able to buy more goods to sell at the market and expand her small business. This has provided enough finance and fresh food for a healthy diet for Nancy, her grandmother and her young baby. We are so proud of the work that Nancy has done, and pleased that the business has provided more control and sustenance for her family.

Voting took place across Sierra Leone on Saturday 24th June

Elections in Sierra Leone

The work of the AdAmi Project took a short break at the end of June as voting took place on Saturday 24 June for the general elections. This is a large undertaking for the whole country with many Sierra Leoneans travelling home to cast their votes, and will be the first time that some of the young mothers have had the opportunity to vote, and have their say on who represents them in government. The results have now been announced.

Become a padi (friend) to the AdAmi Project

Launch of AdAmi Padi programme

In May we launched our exciting ‘AdAmi Padi’ programme to give those who regularly donate a closer look at the work of the project, and further insight into the stories of the young mothers we support. In case you are wondering, ‘padi’ affectionately means friend in Krio!

We are always on the hunt for new padis so please do consider signing up if you can! Examples of how your gift can make a difference:

£5 a month provides a small grant to help a young mother set up a business, generating much needed new income for her family.

£15 a month covers the cost of a skilled facilitator to deliver vital weekly life skills and confidence building sessions to the young mothers.

£20 a month pays for a young mother’s schooling for one year, including the cost of her uniform and stationary

If you feel inspired by the work the AdAmi Project is doing, we urge you to please consider becoming a padi to the project. With your support, we will be able to support even more young mothers in need over the coming academic year and beyond. Thank you!

Summer 2023 newsletter