People have been asking about safety of school girls in Sierra Leone. Are they safe? Absolutely. Muslim and Christian parents alike want their girls going to school in Sierra Leone.

This country is one of the most religiously tolerant countries I have ever seen. People of all faiths live together in harmony as next door neighbors, send children to the same schools and intermarry. Religion is more of a non-issue in Sierra Leone than in most developed countries.

2012-13 Girl Scholarship awards – Bumpeh Academy (green) and Ahmaddiya Islamic School (white)

Sherbro Foundation is happy we have awarded scholarships to girls of all faiths.  This picture shows girls at last year’s scholarship award ceremony from the Islamic Ahmaddiya school in their uniform that includes white head scarves.  But girls from Muslim families may go to Rotifunk’s other secondary schools and don’t wear a head scarf with that school’s uniform.

In fact, I  seldom see a woman or girl in town with a head scarf. I usually have no idea who in town is Muslim or Christian – man or woman.

Abduction of girls and women is a sore issue in Sierra Leone after years of sexual violence in their rebel war. Here’s a story of Sierra Leone women demonstrating at the Nigerian embassy in support of the abducted Nigerian girls.
http://awoko.org/2014/05/14/sierra-leone-news-sierra-leone-women-call-for-release-abducted-girls-in-nigeria/

Arlene Golembiewski
Sherbro Foundation Executive Director