Community Engagements on Disability
Building Inclusive Communities for Persons with Disabilities in Sierra Leone.
In late 2025, AHEADSL held consultative meetings in Adonkia and other Western Area communities to discuss challenges faced by persons with disabilities.
The sessions highlighted issues such as autism, hearing and vision impairments, and inadequate access to health and education facilities. Partnerships were strengthened with the Peninsula Disable Organisation (PDO), which has over 160 members, and community members expressed readiness to collaborate on advocacy and inclusion.
Additional meetings with women living with disabilities in Hastings and Grafton revealed pressing concerns including sexual violence, poverty, school dropouts, and lack of livelihood opportunities.
These engagements underscored the urgent need for stronger advocacy, improved services, and empowerment initiatives for people with disabilities.
Pilot Survey on Learning Disabilities
In developing nations, individuals with learning difficulties encounter numerous compounding challenges. This encompasses insufficient public awareness, inadequate diagnostic and evaluation services, a scarcity of qualified special education workers, and deficient policy frameworks. Stigma and misinformation frequently lead to social isolation, bullying, and discrimination, which adversely impact self-esteem and mental health.
AHEADSL conducted a pilot survey on learning disabilities in Western Area and Bo city. The pilot survey covered communities & institutions. This study emphasises the imperative of a multi-sectoral and rights-based strategy for the inclusion of learning disabilities in Sierra Leone.
The report of the pilot survey will be disseminated later paving the way for national and districtlevel policy forums, , followed by a policy forum and dialogue with key stakeholders to inform inclusive strategies and strengthen advocacy.
The study calls for a nationwide survey and a multisectoral, rights based approach to disability inclusion. Partnership calls were initiated with Handicap International, the National Commission on Disability, and SLUDI to build synergy and expand outreach, reinforcing AHEADSL’s commitment to creating inclusive and supportive environments for all.
Drug Free Youth
Awareness raising in selected schools on drug abuse
The engagement significantly enhanced students’ knowledge and empowered them with essential tools to avoid harmful substances.
- Over 1,000 pupils in Bo City reached! AHEADSL’s awareness campaign is helping students resist drugs and build brighter futures.
- Safer schools, stronger communities! Six Bo secondary schools joined forces with AHEADSL to fight substance abuse.
- Pupils in Bo now better understand the dangers of kush, tramadol, and other harmful substances.
- Teachers and schools welcomed AHEADSL’s timely campaign against rising drug misuse among youth.
- From awareness to empowerment! Students are learning to resist peer pressure and promote positive role models.
Awareness raising on drugs and substance abuse in Schools & Communities continues across the Bo City & Freetown in Sierra Leone.
Safer Schools
AHEADSL carried out an awareness campaign in November–December 2025 across six secondary schools in Bo City (Bo Commercial Senior Secondary, Saint Andrew Senior Secondary, Sierra Leone Muslim Brotherhood Secondary, Kakua Community Secondary, Abdel Nasser Secondary, Methodist Secondary), reaching over 1,000 pupils.
The sessions focused on the dangers of drugs such as marijuana, kush, tramadol, alcohol, ecstasy, and tobacco, highlighting their impact on health, academic performance, and future opportunities.
Students gained a stronger understanding of the physical, mental, social, and legal consequences of substance misuse and were equipped with strategies to resist peer pressure and promote positive role models. Teachers welcomed the initiative, noting its timeliness given rising cases of kush use among youth.
The campaign also strengthened partnerships between AHEADSL and participating schools, laying the foundation for future collaboration.
Building Stronger Communities
Freetown! AHEADSL has launched working groups in Adonkai and Mambo.
Nyadehun Town
Community awareness on health and disability
Engagement with community stakeholders on disability inclusion in Nyadehun Town, Kakua Chiefdom, Bo District, Sierra Leone