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Sierra Leone   Why children in Sierra Leone need your helpSierra Leone is one of the world's poorest countries. Years of civil war have resulted in thousands of lives lost, as well as the displacement of over two million people. During this time, many children were forcibly recruited as child soldiers, while young girls were abducted and subject to violence and sexual abuse. Those children that have survived must not be reintegrated to home and community life. One in three children under the age of five is underweight for their age, and many children have missed out on an education during the years of civil war. Unemployment is high, and despite the country's rich source of natural resources, diamonds in particular, the majority of families survive on subsistence farming. Country factsSierra Leone achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1961 and while internal politics were far from stable, the country faced its darkest years during 1991-2002, when Foday Sankoh formed rebel group the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), and began its campaign against the government. The RUF gained notoriety for maiming opponents by hacking off hands and other limbs. As a result, thousands of people are now permanently disabled. With intervention from the United Nations, the war was finally brought to standstill, and the country is now led by president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who spent over two decades working for the UN Development Program.
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