By: Saidu Jalloh
In collaboration with UNICEF, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) spearheaded a one-day technical validation session for the 2023/2024 Child Poverty Draft Report at the Foreign Service Academy in Freetown. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of child poverty in Sierra Leone, focusing on seven critical dimensions: nutrition, health, education, water, sanitation, shelter/housing, and access to information.
The event marked a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to address child poverty in Sierra Leone. Building on previous studies conducted in 2016 and 2019, this latest report combines rigorous methodologies and expert contributions to evaluate child poverty trends, offering data-driven insights to inform policies and programs. The study, jointly funded by the Government of Sierra Leone and UNICEF, was led by international consultant Diloa Jacob Bailey Athias of the Development Pathways Research Institute, ensuring high-quality analysis.
In his welcome remarks, Mr. Joseph Samah, Acting Director of the Planning, Policy, and Research Department at MoPED, lauded UNICEF’s invaluable support in developing child poverty reports. He emphasized the report’s critical role in addressing the challenges faced by children nationwide and called on stakeholders to contribute their expertise to refine the findings.
Representing Statistics Sierra Leone, Mr. Mohamed Koblo Kamara highlighted the long-standing partnership between Statistics Sierra Leone and UNICEF. He expressed gratitude for the training and resources provided by UNICEF to enhance the institution’s data collection and analysis capacity. He reaffirmed Statistics Sierra Leone’s commitment to supporting data-driven policy-making to improve the lives of Sierra Leone’s children.
In her statement, UNICEF Deputy Representative Madam Liv Elon Indreiten underscored the organization’s unwavering dedication to addressing child poverty. “Living a life free of poverty is a fundamental right of every child,” she remarked. “This report goes beyond income-based assessments, exploring the multidimensional nature of child poverty and its far-reaching impacts on health, education, and well-being.”
She urged participants to collaborate in translating the report’s findings into actionable policies prioritizing investments in areas most needed, ensuring that no child is left behind.
Delivering the keynote address, the Honourable Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, described the validation session as a call to action. She highlighted alarming statistics from the report, which reveal that as of 2019, 68.4% of children in Sierra Leone experienced multidimensional poverty, with rural areas being disproportionately affected.
“The findings challenge us to think critically and collaborate effectively to address these issues,” she stated. “This report is not just an analysis; it is a tool for evidence-based policymaking that can transform our children’s lives.” She called on all stakeholders, including government ministries, academic institutions, civil society, and development partners, to contribute to finalizing the report and its implementation.
The consultant, Diloa Jacob Bailey Athias, provided a detailed technical presentation of the report via Zoom, explaining the methodology and key findings across the seven dimensions. Representatives from various sectors, including health, education, and water and sanitation, also presented specific insights into the challenges and progress within their respective fields.
As the validation session concluded, stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to using the report as a foundation for targeted interventions and sustainable solutions to child poverty in Sierra Leone. The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, alongside its partners, is set to finalize the report and develop strategies to address the pressing needs identified in the study.
With this validation, Sierra Leone takes another step forward in its mission to break the cycle of child poverty and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.