Sierra Leone

The Edmund Rice Mission began work in Sierra Leone in 1985. Actively involved in education and community development, it continues to try and improve the damaging effects of the war on the children of Sierra Leone. A decade on from the civil war, the country has made progress towards reconciliation, but it still faces many challenges including high levels of poverty and unemployment. More recently the outbreak of Ebola in the country caused a devastating effect.

Population: 5 Million
Life Expectancy: 56 years
Infant Mortality Rate: 74 per 1000
Public expenditure on health: 13.1% of GDP
HIV/AIDS: 49,000 or 1.6% of the population
Public Expenditure on Education: 3.6% of GDP
% of children primary school age not in school: 50%
Unemployment of youth 15-24 years: 5.2%