Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, a special annual event that celebrates the achievements of women worldwide and highlights the ongoing efforts to achieve gender equality.

This year's theme, 'Accelerate Action,' resonates deeply as we reflect on the transformative impact of our work in Sierra Leone. Each day, we strive to drive progress for young mothers, empowering them to overcome barriers, seize new opportunities, and spark positive change within their communities.

In this special newsletter to mark the day, we highlight just a few of the ways our project is making a difference. We hope it inspires you to take action today!

*Young mothers learning hairdressing skills together*

Forging young mother's economic empowerment

Economic empowerment enables women to gain control over their lives, make decisions for themselves and their families, and break free from traditional gender roles, fostering broader empowerment across all areas.

The AdAmi Project is aiding young mother's economic empowerment by:

Providing vocational training scholarships and facilitating formal work placements
Delivering business training and coaching
Providing business start-up kits and grants
Helping young mothers to access local work opportunities

*Safiatu assisting with reception duties at the hotel where she works*

I went from hero to zero!

With the support of the AdAmi Project, Safiatu completed an 18-month full-time course in hospitality and catering last year. As part of her course, she participated in a work placement at a local hotel, gaining valuable hands-on experience in hotel management. Her dedication impressed the hotel managers, and she was offered a full-time position in exchange for a small stipend.

After completing her course, Safiatu was also given a start-up kit to help her launch a small petty trading business. The kit included cooking utensils and food supplies, which she now uses to fry and sell cakes - a popular street food in Sierra Leone. 'I've used the kit to set up my own business. I fry cakes and sell them in my community,' she says proudly. 'I earn a good profit, and now I can care for my son and buy him clothes and food. I'm a good mama now.'

Looking ahead, Safiatu is filled with optimism. 'I will keep rising. I'm going to make it. I went from hero to zero!

*Aminata is now a proud college student*

Helping young mothers to access quality education and training

Studies overwhelmingly show that securing a quality education is life-changing for girls worldwide. It empowers them to improve their economic opportunities, make informed decisions about their health and families, and break cycles of poverty and disadvantage.

The AdAmi Project is ensuring young mothers are able to access quality education by:

Providing practical and financial support to enable them to return to and complete their education. This includes covering the costs of uniforms, stationary, textbooks and other materials and providing childcare and transport where needed.
Delivering weekly life skills training and mentoring to ensure young mothers have the confidence, support and skills they need to remain in school and reach their potential.
We also now offer college scholarships to some of our top performing students!

I have become someone I feel proud of!

Many of our AdAmi supporters know Aminata by now. The huge struggles and injustices she faced as a 15-year-old pregnant girl inspired the establishment of our project in 2018.

Fast forward to today, and Aminata's life looks very different. With the support of the AdAmi Project, Aminata returned to school in 2018, graduating from senior secondary school in 2022. With a further scholarship from the AdAmi Project, Aminata is now at college studying for a degree in Early Childhood Development. 'I hope to one day become a nursery teacher,' she says.

She tells us about the difference her education has made: 'When I became pregnant, I thought my education was over. People saw me as a dropout. But now I have become someone. I am at college, and I have become someone. I feel proud!

*Young mothers in Bo ready for their football game!*

Elevating young mothers voice and participation in society

Elevating the voices and participation of young mothers within their communities empowers them to advocate for their rights, challenge gender inequalities, and build a more fair and just society.

We are supporting this mission by delivering a range of complimentary activities, including:

Supporting the activities of our local partner, MEANS Community Girls Network. This vibrant, girls-led network is creating huge change in their communities!
Engaging families and wider community members to ensure their buy-in and support for our mission. This includes arranging regular family meals and building strong, productive working relationships with the government, civil society, and local leaders.

Using football as a tool for change!

Did you know that many of the young mothers on our project are football mad? The different communities within the Community Girls Network have created their own football teams and meet weekly to hone their skills. The different teams also like to meet when they can to play a game or two!

As well as serving as an excellent tool for young mothers to come together to stay fit, have fun and build new friendships, football is proving a powerful tool for amplifying the voices and visibilities of young mothers in their communities.

'We love football!' One young mother told us. 'Lots of people come and watch us play. They see us and admire us. We are no longer invisible.’

*Young mothers and staff outside our new tailoring social enterprise in Bo*

Are you inspired to Accelerate Action today? Please consider making a donation towards our work or signing up as an AdAmi Padi.

Together, we can create lasting change in the lives of the young mothers we support, and accelerate positive change for girls and women globally.

Thank you and Happy International Women’s Day!

Happy International Women's Day!