Area assessment underway in Sierra Leone

February 18, 2014

At a certain time in every project, growth dictates that we confirm that our work is on target and addressing real need in a way that empowers people to provide for themselves. In Sierra Leone, where we are looking to expand into a broader community, that time is now.

Early this month, a team of American professionals skilled in working in developing nations arrived in Sierra Leone to embark on a four-month assessment of Kongbora, the chiefdom where our Hope Town project is located. The Americans will work with professors and students from the Njala campus of Njala University. The Njala team will conduct surveys of 300 randomly selected Kongbora households and facilitate community meetings over the next four months, with detailed reporting to be delivered in late May. The main goals of the assessment are to identify additional economic development opportunities and achieve a deeper understanding of the people and their needs and wants.

Among the data to be gathered by the household survey are family size, education level, literacy level, marital status, community assets, access to health care, dietary status, employment status and dozens of other topics. The survey will produce a base of information that will help Just Hope maximize effectiveness and efficiency for current and future projects.