Our Impact

Rural Community Development

• CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION UPGRADE IN KONIA

  • Replaced 6 unsanitary latrines with 6 new ventilation latrines and hand wash stations;

  • repaired 4 water well pumps and tested water to ensure it was safe;

  • installed 3, 5000L rainwater catch systems; and

  • provided each household (220) with a 40L water collection bucket and SawyerPoint One clean water filter.

• CLEAN WATER: Installed multiple rainwater catch systems with clean water filters in 4 other villages:

  • Konia - 3

  • Golu - 3

  • Mbundurbu - 1

  • Gerihun - 2

• RURAL HEALTH:

  • Improved conditions in the rural health clinic in the village of Golu, which serves 6 surrounding villages (approx. 15,000 people) with solar power, lighting, new beds, mosquito nets & non perishable medical supplies;

  • Community health and hygiene education programs in partnership with local health care workers across 4 rural communities;

  • Partnered with Marie Stopes International Sierra Leone to extend family planning, contraceptive delivery and female health into Baoma Chiefdom.

RURAL Education

• COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER: TVL rehabilitated a building in Gerihun to become a model Community Resource Center which includes 3 spaces:

  • LIBRARY: 3000+ books, access to the internet through tablets; and a projector to share more dynamic educational content— free and utilized by 6+ rural schools;

  • PRESCHOOL: a dedicated preschool classroom with daily classes for children aged 3 - 5 equipped with a smaller library, teaching materials, and a curriculum that includes basic education, health/hygiene/nutrition, and Social-Emotional Education. Children are fed a nutritious meal daily to aid their improved long-term learning outcomes.

  • COMPUTER LAB: This solar-powered lab was built by TVL. Our partners at TpISENT, utilize the equipment to provide rural students with access to technology and custom software technology to study for their WASSCE exams and improve digital literacy skills amongst rural youth.

• FEMALE EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS:

  • TVL currently sponsors 4 females in education ranging from primary to post-secondary education.

• REMOTE RURAL EDUCATION:

  • From 2016 - 2018 TVL introduced 2500+ students to digital literacy and computer technology through its rural education program. Teachers traveled between communities with laptops to teach students in rural schools about computers and we provided formal digital literacy classes at our centers in Golu and Gerihun.

  • Program participants include: primary and secondary children, female farmers, females who have dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy, people with disabilities and unemployed youth.

Early Childhood Development

• 3 participating villages;

• 1500+ children participated since 2015;

• 1st early childhood program in Baoma Chiefdom;

• Teacher training offered to schools not yet certified by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Education;

• Parents with children in our program are more likely to prioritize primary education as a necessity for their children.

Vocational Training

• Njala University Teacher Certificate Sponsorships - currently sponsoring two female students.

• Agricultural workshops for subsistence farmers - 200+ rural farmers participated in a University of Illinois conducted a series of workshops to teach rural farmers environmentally friendly methods to store produce and seeds longer and to yield a larger harvest.

• 3 locally trained and employed youth to run the center:

  • Small business mentorship;

  • Entrepreneurial mentorship and micro-grants.

• Digital vocational courses offered to the public;

• Hosted and recruited rural farmers to participate in an agriculture extension workshop put on by Njala University and University of Illinois.

Economic Sustainability

• 2 solar powered community resource centers, internet connected, offering business services to local communities to support long-term development programs and supplement local operations - providing local jobs.

• Revenue sources: printing/scanning/photocopying, solar cell phone charging, top up (data), photo printing, internet cafe, data input, vocational training, mobile money, and DSTV sports streaming.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program

ECE program overview

To achieve a positive long-term impact, we believe it starts with children. This is why we have invested in a program that provides equitable access to quality early childhood education in rural Sierra Leone since 2016, with a focus on rural families unable to afford school. The goal of this program is to invest in the youngest generation by creating a safe and empowering environment for children and parents to learn about health and hygiene, basic education, nutrition, and social and emotional development. Children learn through a combination of fun educational games (online and offline) and structured classroom work. Lessons are taught in their native language, Mende, and in English.

program structure

1. PRESCHOOL: In September 2021 we launched our first physical preschool, an all-girls school at the Gerihun Resource Center. It is solar-powered and includes a community library and computer lab. Through a lottery conducted by the school committee, 30 girls from the most vulnerable families were selected to attend. Ages are between 3 and 5 and the teaching method is similar to a Montessori style. The school runs 5 days a week from 8am - 12pm. We provide food every day for each girl in attendance. Food includes a nutrient-infused coconut Gari product with fresh fruits alternating with home-cooked rice and local vegetable dishes. To encourage the long-term sustainability of the school we started a garden program that will eventually contribute to the nourishment of our students.

2. MOBILE ECE: This program is running in two villages—Konia and Mbundorbu—we travel to each village to provide teacher volunteers with ongoing training and monitor weekly classes. Classes are offered three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday) for two hours a session. We have over 500 children under the age of 10 registered in this program. 

Children are the future. Investing in children is our long-term approach to breaking through the cycle of poverty.

Past Initiatives

Economic Sustainability: social Impact business

We developed infrastructure, educational programs and multi-sector partnerships to develop a social impact business model at our center’s to generate income while creating job opportunities. In 2020, operations were handed off to TpISENT, a long-time partner and local Sierra Leonean company.

DIGITAL LITERACY programs

TVL ran rural digital literacy programs from 2016 - 2019. In 2020, this program was handed off to TpISENT, a long-time partner and local Sierra Leonean company. Leveraging modern technology rural youth are taught the basics of computing and beyond to stay competitive in today’s workforce.

Women's economic empowerment

UN Women says that when more women work, economies grow. By increasing the female labour force participation—or a reduction in the gap between women’s and men’s labour force participation—results in faster economic growth. 

HIGHLIGHTS & TIMELINE