In 2011 Children in Crisis launched a survey to explore and document the alarming truth about children with disabilities in Sierra Leone. Instances of children being hidden away, abused and denied their basic human rights have been reported although the full extent is not known. What we do know is that there are a significant number of children with disabilities and access to education for them is a big problem. The early results from our survey make a powerful case for something more to be done.

To carry out this survey, Children in Crisis partnered up with three reputable organisations - Powerful Information, Vision for the Blind and the Welfare Society for the Disabled. The initial results have proved quite shocking:

• 60% of the disabled children interviewed do not go to school
• 40% of the children we interviewed reported that they were left alone in the house all day.

You can read more about the survey's findings here.

Our colleagues from Powerful Information have nearly finished writing a full report from the survey. We'll provide this report as soon as it's published.

Jonathan Conteh, a researcher for Vision for the Blind gave some interesting thoughts on the situation for disabled children in Sierra Leone in a recent interview with Children in Crisis:

Why conduct this survey?

Children with disabilities in Sierra Leone are amongst the most vulnerable, marginalised and abused. They are missing from schools, missing from society and missing from their communities. While some organisations do provide some services for disabled children, they are commonly ignored in the design and implementation of development projects. Limited resources mean they do what they can for those they are able to reach.

The worrying lack of reliable statistics plus the widespread stigma and discrimination makes this situation extremely complex. But we do need to find them. Children in Crisis started our survey in the remote region of Kambia, talking to everyone from parents and teachers to community leaders and traditional birth attendants. It’s the first time anything like this has ever been done in Kambia.

The results?

The full report will be completed very soon however early findings are alarming, proving that there is a real need and urgency to address this shocking situation. More importantly, it means we can do something about it and put the same energy and focus on disabled children that we do with other excluded groups.

What Next?

To begin raising awareness, Children in Crisis wants to initiate a project with a particular focus on children with serious physical disabilities such as disfigurement, damaged limbs and sight impairment.

We will promote the findings of our report through active advocacy, creative campaigning and community outreach. It is time that disabled children’s voices are heard and brought to attention at community and government level.

Interest is such that we already have a series of broadcasts planned on national and local radio stations. We will also be running seminars and workshops in Kambia and Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital.

Initiatives like this have given us highly convincing reasons to continue reaching out to the most vulnerable and marginalised children. It helps us to find those who have fallen through the gap. 

Photo from left to right, Matthew Jabatti (Children in Crisis Programme Manager Sierra Leone), Abu Bakarr Koroma (Vision for the Blind), Jonathan Conteh (Vision for the Blind), Mike Flood (Powerful Information), Charlotte Cashman (Powerful Information)