About Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is a West African country bordered by Guinea and Liberia approximately the size of South Carolina. Its population is over 6 million of which nearly half live in Freetown the nation's capital.
Sierra Leone's decade of fighting was violent. Rebels amputated the limbs of many thousands of innocent civilians. Many did not survive. Sierra Leone never conducted a census, but it is believed a few thousand amputated civilians still live. During the war, there was a refugee camp for amputated civilians. After the UN disarmament ended in 2002, most Sierra Leoneans started rebuilding their lives, but amputated civilians, a most vulnerable population, needed more assistance.
Norwegian Refugee Council built those refugees (a minority of amputated civilians) 42 housing communities on the outskirts of towns nationwide. Amputated civilians were resettled and reintegrated into their prior communities while receiving support from the international community during that post-conflict period. Shortly thereafter, international agencies moved to another conflict zone, leaving many of these amputated civilians before they were able to regain their self-reliance. Some amputated civilians begged to afford their basic human rights. In 2006, Dan and Bailor enountered amputated civilians living in poor health and without access to health care.
Although Sierra Leone ranks last on the Human Development Index and seventh lowest on the Human Poverty Index, the country is developing, and many Sierra Leonean are hopeful of the country's bright future.
