Daru, Kailahun district Eastern Sierra Leone is located in West Africa. I was raised and brought up in this village. During my early childhood, I witnessed child abuse amongst children in the village. This forms of child abuse included, child labor, teenage pregnancy, child marriage, child trafficking and child exploitation.
Other forms included psychological abuse and also included raping and defilement where young girls are being forced into sex.
Some children have been burnt due to stealing of sugar, money and food among incidences of defilement cases that occurred in the area.
Central in Freetown and rural communities, It is one of the areas in which child abuse is common. Beating of children especially children raised by a step mother, to a worst extent.
Although there is continuous sensitisation on different radio programs about children’s rights by the government and division leaders, the above and many physical, psychological social abuse cases have been observed.

Hence there is a need to evaluate and assess the role that the media can play to eradicate this scourge. Our organisation, Foundation For Children, Youth and Women’s empowerment Sierra Leone, thought it necessary to organise a child centre education platform by forming a group among school going children called “AMBASSADORS”

Foundation for Children, Youths and Women’s’ Empowerment Sierra Leone (FOYWE-SL) is a registered non-governmental and Non-profit making organisation that operates in Sierra Leone. Our aims is to advocate on behalf of the less privileged children, Youths, and Women in the society, eliminating poverty cycle and ignorance; enhancing the quality of life through a structural approach and advocacy programmes that can offer opportunities for children and young people’s development. One of our objectives as an organisation is education. We believe education is the most lasting and effective way we can help children, young people and their families to escape from the cycle of poverty. Education also represents a double investment in the children but, also an investment in the future of our great nation Sierra Leone.

Our purpose as an organisation is to promote the welfare of education for children in the society and also to assist the disadvantaged or marginalised in connection with issues affecting their wellbeing, social service support, advocacy, self-reliance, human resource capacity building, and gender based violence prevention, quality education service delivery or other areas of need when necessary.

Our mission is to reach out to the most vulnerably marginalised, abused, and exploited and disadvantaged; children and young people, for their emancipation and sustained integral development through enabling, participatory and rights-based approach programs. We uphold the equal respect for human rights, freedoms and human dignity in our communities.

PURPOSE OF THE AMBASSADORS. The motive of our Ambassadors is to reach out to the less privileged, advocate on behalf of the voiceless children who are abused and exploited in the society through street to street sensitisation, community sensitisation, school sensitisation and radio discussions in the fight against the above forms of child abuse and to maintain child protection policy among children in the society.

The Radio discussion programs done by our ambassadors have helped to minimise the rapid rape cases and child abuse in the country and especially the dilapidated areas in Sierra Leone. The Radio discussion programs have helped improve the speaking ability of school going children and have added more value and confidence in the educational system.

Our Radio teaching programs has also helped in sensitising children about their rights and responsibilities and has brought more light in street children to return to school through the sensitisation program offered by the organisation and the Ambassadors.

WHAT IS OUR RADIO TEACHING PROGRAM ABOUT?

• The importance of girls’ education and retention in school,
• Protection of children against abuse.
• Behaviours leading to teenage pregnancy and positive change
• messages about how girls can support their younger female peers

There is also a series of programmes that discusses violence against girls, which is an increasing problem across the country. A fundamental element in the design of the programme is that children often identify the theme to be explored in a programme. With the organisation staff and Ambassador’s input, the broadcasts equip children with the life skills required to make safe choices and lead healthy lifestyles.

They also promote skills for coping with difficult circumstances related to care and support, including loss, which are important in a post-emergency context. The broadcasts feature a variety of participatory elements such as games, role-play, debates, brainstorming, drama, story telling, group learning and case studies to ensure they are engaging and age-group rate.

Our radio teaching program has changed the narrative and rapid child marriage, child abuse, child exploitation, sexual penetration and child trafficking in our operational areas in Sierra Leone.

We started the program with three Secondary schools in Bo city with 12 school going pupils and due to the successful running of the activities, it has yielded good dividends and we have partnered with 42 secondary schools across the country. We believe we can do well and reach out to every child with support from well wishers and partners across the world to help this activities and in the fight against issues affecting the well being of children in Sierra Leone.