Children's World-After School Activities Center

About us

Since 2006 ASAC is registered as a community-based, voluntary charity in Sierra Leone. It aims at promoting an educational concept unknown in Sierra Leone: after-school youth programmes for orphaned and neglected children.

Sierra Leone belongs to the poorest countries in the world. The expenditures of poor families are 37% less than the amount required to meet their basic needs. Therefore children have to contribute to the family income. 78% of all children work in one form or another. For most poor families, it is a choice between putting food on the table or sending a child to school.
The government has committed itself to achieving the MDGs and abolished school fees for primary education. A special challenge for a post-conflict society after a decade of civil war since primary education comprises six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary school. Although education is free, families cannot afford additional expenses for uniforms, learning materials and meals. Also schools are left on their own to find alternative sources of funds for teachers’ salaries and payment for unqualified staff. Many children are orphaned and depend on the financial support of relatives. Children of bush wives and ex-combatants have very limited opportunities to receive support. Girls are most badly affected. Untimely pregnancies, assumption of domestic duties, sexual harassment by teachers and male class mates interrupt their schooling. Currently only 70% of all children attend school.
Our aims:
- To alleviate schools’ efforts and to improve children’s life skills, talents and cultural values
- To empower needy children to compete with peers from different backgrounds in educational, social, cultural and sport activities within and outside their community
- To strengthen puerile self-confidence by carrying out child-appropriate programmes
- To contribute at improving students’ performance in the National Primary School Examination.