Our Work
At CHOWCHIN, we believe true charity is rooted in action. We work directly with communities across Sierra Leone to relieve suffering, support vulnerable women and children, and provide essential services in areas where the state has fallen short.
Our work spans education, health, food, livelihoods, water, housing and faith—always with compassion, dignity and care at the centre.
Health Care
Sierra Leone faces some of the world’s most dire health outcomes, especially for women. A woman’s lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth here is 1 in 17.
We work with underserved communities to promote access to basic health services—supporting mothers, children and families who are often left behind due to extreme poverty.
Education & Schools
Shining Light Preparatory – Goderich, Freetown
Up a rugged hill in Goderich lies Shining Light Preparatory School, which serves as a lifeline for local families. With no nearby state school and rough roads, this small school is vital.
We sponsor over 80 of the 120 students, many of whom would be out of school otherwise. We’ve helped the school by:
Repainting and refurbishing classrooms
Providing books, stationery, and basic supplies
Beginning work on a small playground to replace the rocky, unsafe terrain
Furniture & Supplies for Kambia School
In Kambia District, we donated school furniture and supplies to a local school where children were previously sitting on old tyres in their main hall. We provided:
Benches and desks
Chalk, stationery, and exercise books
Support for a cleaner, more dignified learning space
Supporting the School in Madeh – Port Loko District
In the forgotten village of Madeh, we’ve taken over a community-run school supporting 480 students across 8 villages. With no formal support, only two farmers were acting as teachers.
We’ve:
Provided 100 scholarships through a raffle system
Supplied learning materials
Committed to expanding access, especially for girls
Begun plans to hire teachers and train students in English
Empowering Women
Many of the women we serve were living in extreme poverty, with no income and dangerous work. Some were breaking rocks to make gravel for concrete—exposed to toxic fumes and health risks.
We’ve supported them by:
Giving 30 women business grants to start petty trade: selling rice, vegetables, charcoal
Teaching skills like soap making, dyeing, sewing, and small-scale agriculture
Helping them move into entrepreneurship and self-reliance
We also provide low-cost housing for homeless women, giving them space to rebuild their lives.
Community Farming & Climate-Smart Agriculture
We’ve trained 31 women-led farming groups in Kambia District in climate-smart techniques, donated seedlings, and supported them with "Food-for-Work" under the Feed Salone Initiative.
This work not only helps families grow food but empowers women as producers and providers.
Water & Sanitation
Clean water remains a challenge across many rural areas. Our water and sanitation work includes:
Installing rainwater harvesting systems
Donating water filters for home use
Supporting well construction and safe drinking water access
Feeding Families
We run a food bank and hot meals programme for vulnerable families in Freetown and surrounding communities.
Our regular outreach includes distributing:
Bags of rice and basic dry goods
Cooked meals for women, children, and the elderly
Support during holidays and emergencies
Faith at the Heart of All We Do
As a Christian charity, our mission is rooted in love, grace, and service. We believe that kindness, practical support and the word of God can change lives—and we live that belief every day.
