The Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation, popularly known as LEWAF, has conducted their annual capacity building training for its entire staff within the Economic and Social Empowerment Department across the country.

The training focused on staff within the EASE department. It was based on providing beneficiary centered support and actualizing LEWAF’s mission to reach one hundred thousand women with easy access to finance before 2030.

Currently, the organisation can boast of reaching over 15,000 beneficiaries across the country, including Moyamba, Western Rural and Western Urban.

The core principles of LEWAF for beneficiary centered support were reviewed, which emphasizes humanitarian transformation and respecting the dignity of women in all aspects of life.

This project is focused on the empowerment of Sierra Leonean women especially grassroot women who are involved in business to be able to have easy access to loan opportunities there by facilitating their businesses and also have the opportunity to save.

Most women are engaged in businesses for daily survival which often affects the growth of the business and may even cause the business to depreciate. The CWSLA project implemented by LEWAF, teaches financial discipline to over 15,000 women by supporting them to save for 48 weeks with the expected outcome of saving not only their capital but also save interest stimulated from the loan, weekly profit, and more. It’s a community own project that is fully run and administered by the community women themselves.

The savings and loan process is just one aspect of the meetings, as women are given the opportunity to learn and share personal issues relating to human rights abuse or violation.

At this point, if they disclose any issues in that regard, they will be directed to the ACCESS TO JUSTICE department where necessary processes and procedures will be implemented up to the level of litigation at ZERO cost to the beneficiary.

LEWAF wishes to thank OSIWA, a trusted long term partner, and welcome new partners to help transform the lives of women in Sierra Leone, in line with GOALS 15 and 16 of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and government’s

Medium Term National Development plans.

LEWAF remains committed to ensuring that women and girls live in every community in Sierra Leone free from all forms of violence and inequality and are valued, dignified and respected in their households and communities where they live and refer to as a home.

LEWAF say “WE ALL NA WAN.”