Sierra Leone

Daindemben Federation

Daindemben Federation was established in 2005, when ChildFund decided to transfer management of its child sponsorship program to local partners. The community formed the organization as a federation, with a structure that starts with Village Development Committees (VDC), which consists of 10 elected leaders, including 2 youth and 2 children, responsible for coordinating village level activities. Currently there are 105 Villages that have structures. Daindemben uses a life-cycle lens to structure its programs, with a focus on children 0 – 5, 6 – 14, and 15 – 24. Program areas include health, early childhood development, education, youth livelihoods, and child protection. Sixty percent of beneficiaries are girls, which reflects their recognition of the vulnerability of girls, who are selected by the community guided by a set of criteria. They currently serve 6,500 children. Daindemben is leading the Girls’ Circles program in Falaba district.