Children in Sierra Leone at Risk.

By Abdul Rahman Bah In Sierra Leone, child labor and weak child protection systems remain deeply entrenched problems shaped by chronic poverty, limited economic opportunities, and institutional gaps that leave millions of children vulnerable to exploitation, hazardous work, and rights violations. Despite legal frameworks and international commitments, economic hardship continues to push children into labour, street trading, mining, and other dangerous activities, impeding their education, development, and well-being. Poverty in Sierra Leone is widespread and deeply entrenched. A UNICEF-supported analysis revealed that around 70 % of Sierra Leonean children live in poverty, with many families struggling to afford basic needs such as food, shelter, and education. Limited social protection coverage means that less than one in ten children receive any form of safety net support, making children de facto economic assets for households trying to survive. This harsh economic reality drives families to involve children in income generating activities or subsistence work, often at the expense of schooling and safety. Child labour in the country is extensive and varied. Research and assessments show that a large proportion of children aged 5–17 are engaged in labour, including hazardous work. One baseline assessment indicated that over 45 % of children in this age group are engaged in child labour, with more than 20 % performing dangerous tasks. Children find themselves in agriculture, street trading, quarrying and stone crushing, small-scale mining, domestic work, and informal sectors where protections are almost nonexistent. Work in mining and quarrying communities is especially perilous, exposing children to serious physical harm and long-term health risks. Despite Sierra Leone’s ratification of key international conventions on child labour and the existence of national laws such as the Child Rights Act of 2007, enforcement remains weak. Significant gaps in policy and implementation mean children continue to work in harmful conditions. For instance, the legal definitions of acceptable work are inconsistent, and child labour laws are poorly enforced due to inadequate labor inspectors and weak monitoring of workplaces across rural and urban areas. Furthermore, many children are sent to work through informal arrangements like “men pikin”, where children are placed with relatives or guardians under the promise of education or care but instead are put to work or exploited. Child trafficking and exploitation are also significant concerns. Sierra Leone serves as a source, transit, and destination country for the trafficking of children, both for labour exploitation and commercial sexual exploitation. In some regions, around one-third of children have experienced forms of trafficking, with many ending up in situations of forced labour or hazardous informal work. These dynamics highlight how weak protections interact with socio-economic pressures to produce layered vulnerabilities. Compounding these issues are gaps in the child protection system itself. Although the government has adopted laws and participates in international frameworks, systems for identifying, responding to, and supporting at-risk children are under-resourced, fragmented, and heavily dependent on donor support. Coordination among agencies is limited, and monitoring, reporting, and prosecuting perpetrators of child labour and trafficking are insufficient. ([GOAL Global][3]) In many areas, there are no local shelters or care facilities for children rescued from exploitation, forcing police and social workers to transport victims long distances or return them to unsafe environments. The consequences of child labour and protection gaps in Sierra Leone are far-reaching. Children involved in labour often miss out on schooling or drop out entirely, undermining their future earning potential and reinforcing cycles of poverty. Hazardous work exposes them to injury, chronic illness, psychological trauma, and exploitation that can have lifelong effects. Without robust social protection and economic opportunities for families, children remain the most vulnerable safety net for households facing hardship. Efforts by NGOs, international agencies like UNICEF, and the government aim to strengthen protections, expand education access, and raise community awareness about the risks of child labour. Initiatives include community engagement, training of law enforcement and social workers, and national action plans against trafficking. However, sustained investment in social safety nets, education quality, enforcement of labour laws, and child protection infrastructure is critical to closing the persistent gaps that allow child labour and exploitation to persist in Sierra Leone. In summary, child labour in Sierra Leone is both a consequence and a driver of poverty, rooted in economic hardship and compounded by weak child protection systems. Until structural inequalities, enforcement limitations, and gaps in social support are meaningfully addressed, millions of children will continue to be denied their right to a safe and fulfilling childhood