Where We Serve

Background of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone lies on the west coast of Africa bordered by Guinea, Liberia and the Atlantic Ocean.  There are about sixteen ethnic groups in Sierra Leone, each with its own language and custom. The two largest and most influential are the Temne and the Mende.  Although English is the language of instruction in schools and the official language in government administration, the Krio language (derived from English and several indigenous African languages) is the primary language of communication among Sierra Leone's different ethnic groups, and is spoken by 90% of the country's population.

The country achieved independence in 1961. Competition among rival groups finally opened into the Sierra Leone Civil War (1991 to 2002), which devastated the country. It left more than 50,000 people dead, much of the country's infrastructure destroyed, and over two million people displaced as refugees in neighboring countries.