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.

Survivors Solidarity Group Training in Bo District.

On Tuesday, November 25, 2025,  Rainbo Initiative, a leading anti-Gender-Based Violence (GBV) organization in Sierra Leone, marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a global moment of solidarity, reflection, and renewed commitment to ending all forms of gender and sexuality-based violence. This day marks the beginning of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (November 25 – December 10), a global campaign that amplifies the voices of women and girls and advocates for their safety, dignity, and rights.

This year’s theme, “UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” highlights a critical and growing reality: as digital spaces expand, so too does the threat of online abuse, harassment, exploitation, and violence targeting women and girls.

The Dual Threat: Offline Violence Meets Digital Abuse

Rainbo Initiative is using this pivotal moment to draw urgent attention of governments, our development partners,  technology companies, civil society groups, and communities to the rising incidents of digital violence, an often overlooked but deeply harmful form of abuse that affects survivors’ mental health, personal safety, and freedom of expression.

According to UN Women, one in every three women worldwide has experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime, most often at the hands of a current or former intimate partner. In 2024 alone, Rainbo Initiative recorded more than 2,700 cases of GBV across Sierra Leone. These incidents range from sexual and physical assaults to psychological and digital abuse, all of which continue to endanger the lives and well-being of women and girls in our communities.

“At Rainbo, every form of violence, whether physical, sexual, psychological, or digital, is unacceptable. Our mandate is clear: the moment violence is perpetrated against an individual, a crime has been committed. That is why we have strengthened our safeguarding measures, expanded our 599 toll-free lines, and through the EU/UN Spotlight Initiative, we are launching the first mobile clinic ambulances to ensure survivors across Sierra Leone can receive counselling and support wherever they are,” said Daniel F.H. Kettor, Executive Director, Rainbo Initiative Sierra Leone.

A Proven Commitment to Survivors

Counselling session with one of our survivors.

Over the past five years, Rainbo Initiative has reached more than 500,000 individuals through awareness and prevention programs. Crucially, we have supported over 50,000 victims and survivors from vulnerable communities with essential economic and psychosocial services, restoring hope and strengthening their journeys of healing and resilience. This year, Rainbo Initiative is enhancing its support by launching a mobile clinic dedicated to survivors and introducing “Real Story, Silent Voice,” a new podcast series that provides a platform for survivors to share their experiences.

For survivors, digital platforms are often vital spaces for sharing their stories, accessing resources, and building supportive networks. However, for these platforms to truly serve as safe havens, the digital threat must be addressed.

“Social media spaces, don’t forget, we need to be mindful of the words and messages that we share on these platforms, so we don’t hurt others,” said Bilkish Kabia, Survivor Solidarity Group, Kambia.

Call for Collective Action and Accountability

The 2025 16 Days of Activism Launch in Freetown.

Achieving a truly GBV-free Sierra Leone requires stronger coordination and collaboration across all sectors. While the government’s enactment of laws, such as the Cyber Security and Crime Act of 2021, is significant, the scale of the challenge demands unity.

Rainbo Initiative joins global voices in calling for urgent action from:

• Government: To enforce existing laws and strengthen the justice system’s capacity to prosecute online and offline violence.
• Technology Companies: To make digital platforms safer, more accountable, and more inclusive.
• Communities: To challenge harmful norms and become active protectors against all forms of violence.

“Ending gender-based violence requires all of us. Rainbo works hand-in-hand with government institutions, justice systems, community leaders, and development partners because GBV cannot be addressed in isolation. By embracing locally driven solutions and challenging harmful norms, both online and offline, we can build a Sierra Leone where everyone is free from violence and protected with dignity,” Daniel F.H. Kettor, Executive Director, Rainbo Initiative Sierra Leone.

Join the National Movement: Sponsored Walk Against GBV

Participant of the 2024 sponsored walk against SGBV in Freetown.

As part of this year’s nationwide call to action, Rainbo Initiative invites all citizens, partners, activists, and survivors to join the Sponsored Walk Against GBV on December 6th. This walk symbolizes collective strength, shared responsibility, and a national resolve to end all forms of gender-based violence.

We call on every Sierra Leonean man, woman, young person, community leader, and institution to stand together and reject all forms of violence. Ending GBV is a national duty that requires unity, courage, and compassion. Together, online and offline, we must defend the dignity, rights, and dreams of women and girls everywhere.