Created in 2012, GESSL was launched by two Sierra Leonean female leaders who felt that there wasn’t a space where young girls were being developed and nurtured as leaders to ultimately serve as community-changing leaders of the next generation.  GESSL partners with 5 schools in Sierra Leone andexecutes year-round workshops and programming for girls ages 12-17 who are vulnerable to various things such as teenage pregnancy, abuse, and dropping out of school, and nurtures them through the program, while creating a peer network of young Sierra Leonean leaders for the next generation.

GESSL’s programs include an annual summit which is once-a-year 3-day program to bring young sierra Leonean girls together to participate in leadership development workshops,year round mentorship program with series of workshops lead and facilitated by Sierra Leonean females to enhance the learning of our girls in the areas of leadership, health, technology and community development. The mentors also provide year round support to our girls.

Community Development Project which is a yearlong project lead by the girls within their school communities to solve a particular problem in their school community and emergency assistance to families a program set up to support the needs of families in times of crisis also forms part GESSL’s programs.

December’s annual three-day summit will connect young Sierra Leonean girls to professional female mentors from within Sierra Leone and abroad, encouraging leadership, community development,relationship-building and peer networks.

GESSL wishes to thank Afrigas for their continued support, as well as St. Joseph’s Convent school.