By By George M.O. Williams
Freetown, June 19, 2025 — BRAC Sierra Leone has launched the next phase of its flagship Accelerating Impact for Young Women and Girls (AIM) project, aiming to reach over 1.2 million adolescent girls with skills training, education, and empowerment initiatives across targeted districts in the country.
The inception workshop, held at Hotel Barmoi in Freetown, brought together key government officials, development partners, and stakeholders to assess the project’s progress and reaffirm commitments to youth empowerment. Attendees included Deputy Minister 1 of Agriculture and Food Security Dr. Theresa Dick, representatives from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs, and the National Coordinator of BAN.
The AIM project, implemented in Sierra Leone and five other African nations—Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya—focuses on equipping adolescent girls with life skills through structured AIM Clubs. Participants progress from social empowerment to economic pathways such as entrepreneurship and livelihood training.
BRAC Sierra Leone Country Director Alphonso Doe emphasized the importance of partnerships and information-sharing in driving long-term impact. He also announced the extension of the AIM initiative through 2030, citing growing demand and measurable success.
Program Manager Habibur Rahman Khan revealed that since its inception, AIM has directly reached over 41,000 adolescent girls and young mothers in districts including Waterloo, Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Kono, and Makeni. The broader community impact now totals over 250,000 beneficiaries. Khan noted that more than 75% of participants benefited from school attendance support and livelihood training, fostering resilience and contributing to local economic growth.
In her keynote remarks, Deputy Minister Dick praised BRAC’s efforts, saying they align strongly with national development priorities. She called for continued collaboration to ensure women’s empowerment and youth development remain central to Sierra Leone’s growth strategy.