Neneh goes back to school
Neneh’s dream of a better future.
Sierra Leone, rich in natural resources, hides a dark reality: unofficial mines exploited to exhaustion by large companies. Here, finding a diamond takes hours of grueling labour, often with no reward.
Neneh, 16 years old, experienced this harsh reality firsthand. Every day, under the sun or in the rain, she worked in the mines to help her family. “I wasn’t happy going to the mines,” says Neneh. “There was never enough food, and after hours of work, the hunger became unbearable.”
Neneh’s life changed when she met ActionAid. Thanks to the support she received, she was able to leave the mine and return to school. Today, she participates in the girls’ club in her village, where they fight against gender-based violence and child marriage. Neneh has found a safe place to grow and learn, with hope for a better future.
Sadly, many girls her age still work in the mines or are forced into early marriage. In Sierra Leone, 30% of girls are married before the age of 18, and 21% have already experienced pregnancy. ActionAid is working to ensure that more and more girls can escape poverty and exploitation, and build lives full of freedom and hope.
