Made possible through support from the European Union under the EU/UN Spotlight Initiative, this Safe Home marks another significant step in strengthening survivor-centred services across Sierra Leone, ensuring that adolescent girls and other survivors affected by violence have access to protection, care, and support when they need it most.

The need is especially urgent in Kono. As one of the country’s major mining districts, Kono continues to face significant SGBV challenges affecting women, children, and vulnerable populations.

With this new Safe Home, survivors in Kono now have access to a safe space where they can heal, regain confidence, reclaim their dignity, and begin their journey toward recovery and reintegration.

Beyond providing temporary accommodation, the Safe Home offers a comprehensive package of support services designed to help survivors recover and rebuild their lives. Residents will have access to protection services, psychosocial counselling, case management, health screening and referrals, legal and protection referrals, child protection support where required, and individualized reintegration planning. By combining safety with professional support, the Safe Home aims to help survivors regain stability, strengthen their resilience, and transition safely back into their families and communities when appropriate.

The launch event brought together key stakeholders from across the district, including the Mayor of Koidu City, government officials, partners, health professionals, police officers, community representatives and religious leaders. For many residents, the launch represented a long-awaited milestone in strengthening protection and support services for survivors in the district.

For years, survivors treated at Rainbo’s centres faced the same troubling reality: once immediate medical and psychosocial support ended, many survivors still faced significant protection risks and limited safe accommodation options. Speaking at the official launch, Rebecca Khalil, Programme Manager at Rainbo Initiative, highlighted the importance of providing survivors with access to safe shelter and protection services:

“This Safe Home is our answer: a space of their own, away from the people who hurt them. Because if they go back, they can be harmed again,” she said.

For more than two decades, Rainbo Initiative has been at the forefront of Sierra Leone’s response to sexual and gender-based violence. What began with the establishment of its first Rainbo Centre in Kenema more than two decades ago has grown into a network of Rainbo Centres across Sierra Leone, with services extending across the border into Liberia and Guinea. Along the way, the organisation has built a model of care that goes beyond crisis response alone, combining medical treatment, psychosocial care, and reintegration support to help survivors not just recover, but rebuild their lives.

The launch also demonstrated the commitment of local leadership and stakeholders to strengthening protection and support for survivors across Kono District. As guest of honour, the Mayor of Koidu City, Komba Matthew Sam, took the podium to reflect on what it means for his community:

“Thank you to Rainbo Initiative and our donors for making this Safe Home possible. Survivors already carry enough stigma and shame; now they have somewhere to heal, somewhere to say: yes, this happened to me, but it is not the end of it all. As leaders, we pledge our continued support to make sure this Safe Home stands the test of time,” he said.

Rainbo Initiative’s impact has only grown in recent years. Beyond its survivor response services, Rainbo Initiative has expanded programming to support women’s empowerment and economic resilience through Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs). 133 groups spanning all 16 districts, which have given survivors and other women a path to financial independence.

Partnerships with the EU, Irish Aid, Trócaire, Purposeful, and other goodwill organisations such as Partners in Health have strengthened SGBV response services nationwide and made this Safe Home possible. The opening of Safe Homes in Kenema and Kono marks an important milestone in Rainbo Initiative’s commitment to providing comprehensive protection, recovery, and reintegration support for survivors. It reflects the recognition that survivors need more than immediate services alone; they need safe spaces where they can recover, rebuild, and move forward with dignity.