Community Innovation Hub

The Community Innovation Hub is LEAD Sierra Leone's flagship skills training initiative, established in 2024 to address barriers facing marginalized youth in Makeni. The Hub provides free vocational training in ICT, Tailoring, Cake Making, and Makeup Artistry—prioritizing young women, teenage mothers, persons with disabilities, and youth from low-income households. Through hands-on, cohort-based learning integrated with entrepreneurship and life skills, participants gain employable skills, build confidence, and pursue sustainable livelihoods. Since launch, the program has trained over 150 youth, with graduates starting businesses, securing employment, and becoming role models in their communities

The Career Connect Forum is a structured, cohort-based learning and mentorship program by LEAD Sierra Leone that equips emerging professionals with practical skills, networks, and resources to access meaningful opportunities. What began as a monthly digital learning series has evolved into a comprehensive pathway that helps young people build confidence, develop professional competencies, and compete effectively at national and international levels. Through two progressive tracks—Career Development and Project Management & Advocacy—participants complete hands-on sessions, receive mentorship, access opportunity resources, and graduate with a certificate of completion. The program empowers youth to move from learning to practice, from practice to connection, and from connection to leadership.

Career Connect Forum

Igniting Community Action to End SGBV & FGM is a community-based protection and livelihoods project by LEAD Sierra Leone addressing the root causes of sexual and gender-based violence and female genital mutilation in Bombali District. Through intercultural dialogue, stakeholder engagement, and alternative livelihood training for vulnerable women, the program challenges harmful norms, reduces economic dependence on harmful practices, and builds community-wide commitment to ending violence against women and girls. In 2025, the initiative mobilized communities across five chiefdoms, engaged 250 stakeholders, and empowered women with skills for economic independence—creating an enabling environment for sustained behavior change and women's protection

End FGM & SGBV Project

The Environmental Rescue Project is LEAD Sierra Leone's flagship climate resilience initiative, restoring 500 acres of mining-degraded land in Kono District. Launched in 2025 with support from the UNDP Youth4Climate Award, the project combines ecosystem restoration, community engagement, and sustainable livelihoods to address environmental devastation caused by mining activities. Through tree planting, soil conservation, and youth-led restoration efforts, the ERP is rebuilding ecosystems, empowering local communities, and creating a sustainable future for Eastern Sierra Leone. The initiative positions young people as central actors in climate action, equipping them with skills in restoration, advocacy, and sustainable resource management.

Environmental Rescue Project

OUR PROJECTS