Young Life in Freetown | The Lady With The Power

The Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation works to empower women and girls.

Their mission is to help communities live free from violence, to value and respect people in their households and in areas where they live and feel at home.

Mohammed Jalloh is the founding director of the Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation. 

He said the organization is named in memory of his friend, Ellen, who loved helping women and girls in Sierra Leone. Ellen was born in Norway in Scandinavia. She died in 2009 from complications with cancer. Mohammed said it was Ellen, who first came up with the idea of an organization set up to help vulnerable women and girls.

Lady Ellen Women’s Aid ensures that, alongside women and girls, they sensitize men and boys on bullying and the penalties of crimes against the person.

“Our vision is based on the premise that everyone has a right to live free from fear or intimidation,” Mohammed said.

The organization also helps women and girls do savings and loans.

Mrs. Fatmata Conteh
Each week, the women get together in their chapters and save anything from 5, 000 Leones to 25, 000 Leones. At the end of every year, they share out the profits. Women and girls usually receive more than what is expected because of interest on loans, fines, and contributions. This helps women boost their businesses.

Mrs. Fatmata Conteh is chairlady of a Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation (LEWAF) chapter called the Gbotima group.  Gbotima is in Moyamba, a neighboring district to the Western Rural Area, where you find Calaba Town and Waterloo.  

Fatmata said that LEWAF is heaven-sent. She also said that boosted by the savings and loans from the LEWAF group, women in her neighborhood are now engaged in progressive businesses that generate income. The girls now go to school and are able to buy all their school materials.

Mariama Sankoh said she now has a business of her own, which generates income.

Nancy Cole, who’s in school, commended the organization. With her savings and loans, she has been able to see herself through school. 

Nancy also said there used to be a lot of violence in her community and women and girls were being left behind. Since LEWAF started operations, women now have a support group. LEWAF is there whenever women and girls need a friend or somebody to lean on. The organization also advocates for women and girls in courts, state affairs, and community endeavors.

Years ago, women especially in Calaba Town and Waterloo were voiceless because they were poor or didn’t have a support group. Now, women in Calaba Town, Waterloo, and Moyamba are happy about the support they get from LEWAF.

Nine years ago the Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation was founded to tackle violence against women. They provided access to a refuge for women and girls fleeing violence, access to services including medical, counseling, and legal support for survivors of domestic violence including rape and sexual assault.
During the war in Sierra Leone, child combatants raped women old enough to be their grandmothers, rebels raped pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and fathers were forced to watch their daughters being raped. Sexual violence was widespread in war, according to human rights organizations.

According to one report by Aisha Fofana Ibrahim, violence against women in Sierra Leone is a persistent problem that can limit the ability of women to contribute to society and development.


 LEWAF is working to challenge attitudes, beliefs and practices that oppress women and girls. They facilitate women’s access to, and control over economic resources, and enhance their decision-making power in their households and their communities. LEWAF works with communities, organizations and government agencies to address the concerns and needs of the most vulnerable women and girls in communities.


For Young Life in Freetown, I'm Inyilla Borteh Conteh reporting.


***Lady Ellen Women’s Foundation is located at:
48 Sanda Street, Lower Mayenkineh
Bottlefield, Calaba Town, Freetown
Tel: (232) 078 926802 (232) 07697 1418

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