The Context
Sierra Leone, a country of around 8.8 million people, continues to work towards strengthening its education system. In 2024, the country had 13,033 schools, including 10,592 officially approved public and private institutions. Among them, 8,020 government and government-assisted schools received public support.
Despite this progress, significant challenges remain. Many schools, especially in rural and underserved areas, still lack adequate infrastructure, equipment and learning materials. Shortages of qualified teachers, uneven access to professional training and low completion rates continue to affect the quality of education.
The Sierra Leone Education Sector Plan 2022–2026: Transforming Learning for All remains the main framework guiding education reform. It focuses on foundational learning, teacher development, gender equality and inclusion.
In recent years, the country has also placed greater emphasis on digital learning and skills development. A national strategy supports the gradual integration of technology into education, while technical and vocational training is progressively being aligned with employment opportunities and the needs of the digital economy. Working with international organizations and development partners, Sierra Leone continues to move towards a more accessible, inclusive and future-oriented education system.
ST Foundation’s Presence
Activities started in 2009, developing a long-term program focused on digital inclusion, skills development and local capacity building. What began with four DU Labs in Freetown has gradually grown into a nationwide network reaching cities, towns and remote communities.
The main stages of this evolution are outlined below.
2009 – Launch of the Digital Unify Program: the first DU centers were established in Freetown, laying the foundation for the progressive expansion of digital literacy training across the country.
2018 – Introduction of Tablet for Kids: the course was introduced to create new opportunities for younger learners and support the development of digital skills from an early age.
In the same year, the ICBVI was also launched to reinforce the program’s inclusive approach.
2022 – Partnership with UNICEF: the collaboration supported digital literacy and employability training for 10,000 adolescent girls, combining access to technology with opportunities for personal and professional development.
2024 – Coding and innovation: a Train-the-Trainer session led by master trainer Sada Kane equipped local trainers with practical skills to deliver hands-on coding and STEM activities.
2024 – Digital Transformation Centers Initiative: BDD Sierra Leone joined the ITU-led Digital Transformation Centers Initiative, strengthening institutional cooperation and opening new opportunities for the program’s future development.
Since its launch, more than 409,000 beneficiaries have been reached, making Sierra Leone one of the Foundation’s longest-standing and most impactful country programs.
