Hope Academy for Girls, Sierra Leone

About Hope Academy

New Mona Partner in 2022

Founded in 2017, Hope Academy is the only Junior and Senior Secondary School for girls in the Western Area of Sierra Leone. Offering a formal six-year program, the school provides high quality, holistic education in a clean, spacious, and supportive environment to engage, educate and empower girls who are at risk of dropping out due to financial constraints, suspected abuse, or exploitation.

In 2023, Hope Academy educated and empowered 76 students from five communities and celebrated its very first graduating class of ten students! One graduate is now pursuing a Higher Teachers’ Certificate and intends to return to Hope Academy as a teacher.

The Challenge

Past and present events have created overwhelming obstacles for access to education in Sierra Leone. Most of Sierra Leone’s infrastructure was destroyed during its civil war (1991- 2002) and rebuilding has been slow. Access to education for girls in rural areas continues to be a challenge. While significant progress has been made over the last ten years in decreasing the gender gap in education, girls are still more likely to drop-out of school (particularly post-primary). Many girls are on the verge of dropping out of school due to underachieved grades, financial constraints, abuse and/or exploitation. These risk factors form part of the criteria and selection process for new intakes to Hope Academy.

The Solution: Secondary Education for Girls

Hope Academy for Girls provides its students with six years of tuition-free, high quality, and holistic Junior and Senior Secondary education, giving them the tools to achieve their highest potential.

The school follows the Sierra Leone National Curriculum with recognized text books and provides a clean, spacious environment conducive to learning.

Homemade, healthy lunches are also provided for all students and staff.

Hope Academy students taking the Basic Education Certification Examination have a 100% pass rate.

How we help

Mona's partnership with Hope Academy will support the school's operations, including staff salaries, the construction of needed staff housing, and teacher training to continue providing high quality education and ensure sustainability.