United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged child victims of war, disasters, extreme poverty, all forms of violence and exploitation, and those with disabilities as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The goal is to protect these children’s rights, help meet their basic needs, and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

During emergencies, UNICEF responds by protecting the rights of children. In coordination with UN partners and humanitarian agencies, UNICEF makes its unique facilities for rapid response available to its partners to relieve the suffering of children and those who provide for their care. As a non-partisan organization, UNICEF gives priority to the most disadvantaged children and to the countries in greatest need. UNICEF aims to promote the equal rights of women and girls through its country programs, and to support their full participation in the political, social and economic development of their communities. UNICEF works with all partners towards the attainment of the sustainable human development goals adopted by the world community and the realization of the vision of peace and social progress enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations

UNICEF in Sierra Leone

UNICEF is in the process of implementing a four-year program, from 2004-2007, in cooperation with the government of Sierra Leone, to contribute to the protection and fulfillment of the rights of child and women. The 2004-2007 Country Program is geared towards supporting Sierra Leone in its post-war rehabilitation and transition to development, with an emphasis on disparity reduction and child rights promotion. The program supports services and initiatives nationwide for interventions such as immunization and reintegration specifically geared toward former child soldiers, Complementary Rapid Education for Primary Schools (CREPS) for children who have missed schooling, improving teacher training and supervision, and rebuilding of the juvenile justice system.

The 2004-2007 Country Program in Water, Sanitation, Health, Child Protection, HIV and AIDS and Education focuses on three districts in the Northern and Eastern Provinces namely Bombali, Koindadugu and Kono.

The health program will continue to improve immunization services throughout the country to reach an 80 percent coverage rate, reduce mortality due to measles and achieve polio-free status. An additional campaign against neonatal tetanus will target 80 per cent coverage rate. In addition, in the three focus districts, it will establish the integrated management of childhood illness approach and strengthen the entire PHC and referral system, combined with a community-based approach in communities within a three mile radius functioning PHUs to reduce malaria, ARI, diarrhea, malnutrition and anemia in pregnant women.

In the target communities, the program will also aim to reduce the malnutrition rate from 27 to 20 percent, halve the incidence of malaria and increase the rate of deliveries by trained staff. Each district will be self-sufficient in terms of drug supply through an initial one-year supply to the rehabilitated PHUs and a district pharmacy based on a cost-recovery system.

Primary Education Program

The education program will improve the quality of teaching and increase enrollment. The former will include the training of 5,000 teachers and development of quality assurance mechanisms. Focusing in three districts there will be quality improvement of teaching and learning in 400 schools and through the development of community schools, an additional 120,000 children will enroll in primary schools. The program will continue its commitment to provide educational opportunities through CREPS for children who have a break in their schooling due to the conflict. CREPS will expand to benefit 110,000 children in the districts with the highest concentration of over-aged children.

Child Protection Program

The child protection program is designed to address current major protection issues. It will complete the reintegration of up to 9,000 former child combatants and separated children and establish a sustainable, community-based support system for them.

District chiefdom Social Development Workers will be strengthened to support the community-based support systems. This in turn will require capacity enhancement in management, planning, supervision and evaluation at the national level. Protection services will be increased through the updating and revitalization of the juvenile justice system and expanding services for child victims of sexual and physical abuse. These will include a national reporting system and case management for cases of sexual exploitation. The birth registration system will be progressively revitalized starting in one district. The program will provide training, policy and implementation guidance, technical and financial supports and supplies.

The child welfare system will be strengthened in each district, and services for the survivors of sexual exploitation will be increased to cover the main provincial towns and the three focus districts. Information and awareness-raising materials will be disseminated nationally to change attitudes and practices concerning gender-based violence. In the initial years the program will work the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Special Court to ensure that the rights of children who will be involved will be protected.

Water and Sanitation Program

The water, sanitation and hygiene promotion program will support the revitalization of primary education and health in the focus districts. It aims to contribute to a 10 per cent decrease in the prevalence of hygiene-related diseases and prevent outbreaks of bloody diarrhea and cholera in the three districts. The program will support the provision of water and sanitation facilities in all the PHUs and primary schools in the three districts that will be supported by the Health and Education programs.

Adolescent HIV/AIDS Program

The adolescent HIV/AIDS program provides support in its areas of comparative advantage, i.e. information and behavioral change targeted at adolescents. The program will increase the percentage of adolescents who state a change in their protection practices. In three districts, it will support life-skills activities in 400 schools, working with centers for street children and child commercial sex workers in seven district towns and the capital city, in conjunction with the development of VCT services.