Christian Aid’s work prioritises four broad themes – climate, conflict, governance and gender – with projects often addressing several related problems at once. Enterprise is a key driver of prosperity, so enabling entrepreneurship is a common feature of many projects.
In Sierra Leone, our local partners teamed up with private companies to bring mobile money services to remote areas of Sierra Leone for the first time ever, with a particular focus on empowering rural women.
Sierra Leone has one of the lowest levels of access to and availability of financial services in Sub-Saharan Africa, making it harder for rural communities to recover from economic shocks and to maximise their productive and entrepreneurial potential. This project increased the availability of financial services in remote rural areas through Orange Money and Orange Mobile Network, replacing traditional financial transactions.
The project developed 40 financial access stations in 40 villages, serving a total of 144,000 people both directly and indirectly. Orange Money services enabled community members to send and receive money from family and friends around the country. This then meant that women could secure bank loans to expand their activities or enterprises as needed.
To support mobile money transactions, Orange Mobile provided a total of 40 mobile phones and solar chargers. Each of these devices was assigned to 40 villages, ensuring that the financial access points functioned properly. The project contributed to women's social and political empowerment while boosting their economic wellbeing and transforming their lives.
‘I am happy for the introduction of the Orange Money service because we used to travel long distances to transact money. With the help of Orange Money, we can easily transact money and take care of the needs of our children and save our profit in the bank. Before I had no idea about business but through the help of the training, I have established a cattle-rearing business.’ Gladys Selu, project participant
Women constitute the majority of the agricultural labour force and play an important role in subsistence farming. However, they had little expectation of ever using banking services prior to the introduction of this project. Mobile money changed this picture. 97% of female respondents in the project evaluation confirmed that they now had access to their own income or financial resources independent of male spouses or relatives. There is now a general awareness that women in these rural areas have the right to open and manage their own bank accounts.
‘Thanks to the project, we can now support our children’s education. We are also at the forefront in decision making in our communities. Some women aspired for political positions. It’s helped to put women in front. We are extremely grateful to this project because they have empowered women and we can now move side-by side with men, women are no longer left behind’. Judith Lassie, secretary for one of the village savings groups
How can I get involved?
All of Christian Aid’s work is delivered through trusted local partner organisations, embedded in the communities they serve. We connect local initiatives that need funding with philanthropists keen to help solve those same problems. This distinctive approach lets you invest in projects that reflect your values while also addressing genuine community needs and priorities – so you can feel confident that your gift will make a lasting impact.
This project is just the tip of the iceberg of how we are creating impact through strategic engagement with private sector actors. To learn more about current work in this area get in touch at philanthropy@christian-aid.org
Biography
For 80 years, Christian Aid has been working as a global movement to:
Our vision is for a world where global resources are equitably shared and sustainably used.
Locally led and globally connected, we have the experience, expertise and reach to help you make change happen. We are active in over 25 countries, and our work covers a range of themes, from climate and conflict to governance and gender.
To find out more about our work go to: Christian Aid - UK charity fighting global poverty - Christian Aid