Impact
Measurable change,
real lives
Over a decade of community work — numbers that represent real women, real families, real change.
Key Achievements
Project Track Record
Promoting Security & Access to Justice for Women and Girls — Waterloo
Combat impunity around human rights abuses and promote women and girls' access to fair and timely justice in the Waterloo community, under the OSF Legal Empowerment Shared Framework initiative.
- —Recruited and trained 6 community paralegals, mentored by a retained lawyer
- —5,000+ residents legally empowered; 813 women and girls completed direct legal education
- —296 cases admitted; 247 resolved — 172 brokered through mediation
- —Established a 30-member Community Oversight Committee to sustain the service
Human Rights of Persons with Albinism
Protect and promote the human rights of persons with albinism in Sierra Leone through advocacy, research, and community sensitization.
- —Published research report: "Harassed, Misunderstood and Forgotten"
- —Established Sierra Leone Albinism Foundation
- —Sensitized 1,000+ community members
- —Advocated for policy protections at national level
Building the Capacity of Women Petty Traders — Integrated Legal & Economic Empowerment
Overcome barriers to women's full participation in sustainable development in the Western Urban and Rural Areas, by combining legal education with economic empowerment.
- —1,300 women petty traders completed specialized legal education in 5 areas of the law
- —5 women-owned SMEs established and registered — each owned by 40 women shareholders
- —20 women positioned as frontline Community-Based Justice Advocates (CBJAs)
- —CBJA advocacy with HRC, LAB & WARD C — followed by passage of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2019
Capacity Building Grant
Strengthen LEWAF's institutional capacity, governance, financial management, and program delivery systems.
- —Upgraded financial management systems
- —Trained all staff in safeguarding and accountability
- —Developed 5-year strategic plan
- —Established M&E framework across all programs
Expanding Easy Access to Financial & Justice Services for Women Survivors of SGBV
Overcome barriers to women's full participation in sustainable development in Western Area Urban and Rural districts — through a Service Level Agreement with the Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs.
- —1,009 women enrolled in 20 savings-and-loaning groups across 13 communities — exceeding the 1,000 target
- —NLe 3,056,673 (≈$132,898) generated by the women's groups; 1,005 women benefited from loans
- —129 cases admitted at the paralegal offices; 84 resolved and closed through alternative dispute resolution
- —42 women upgraded from petty trading to owning shops; 31-man "Sengbe Pieh" MenCare group formed
2024 — Present
Growing partnerships, growing reach
LEWAF is an accredited Legal Aid service provider, a core member of the Grassroots Justice Network — Africa, and works in partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs, the Sierra Leone Police, and World Hope International.
- —1,009 more women enrolled in savings groups through a 2024–25 Service Level Agreement with the Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs
- —101 women's savings and loaning groups active across Sierra Leone — most now formed by communities themselves
- —84 of 129 admitted cases resolved through alternative dispute resolution in 2024–25
- —MenCare men's groups formed to prevent violence in homes and communities
Reports & Publications
Download our research reports and annual publications.