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Who it serves
Vulnerable communities at the centre
Vulnerable young people and adolescents, vulnerable women and girls, street children, orphans, sex workers, widows and widowers, people living with disabilities, and people living with HIV/AIDS.
About WHI-SL
Who We Are
A Bo-based organisation helping vulnerable young people make smart choices and decisions for sustainable development through health, advocacy, research, and community action.
Our Story
Born from community, built for community.
Women Health Initiative began in Bo City in 2010 with a group of 15 young volunteers from different student organisations.
The organisation was founded to respond to social and health community issues, especially the social determinants of health for vulnerable youth, women, girls, and men living in Bo District and the Southern Province of Sierra Leone.
Registered by Bo Council in 2018, WHI has grown into a community-based organisation with 15 staff, 25 volunteers, and a 35-member General Assembly.
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Purpose
Mission and Vision
Our Mission
Women Health Initiative is dedicated to empower vulnerable people in Sierra Leone to make smart choices and decisions in their lives for sustainable development.
WHI is dedicated to improve knowledge, confidence, and services for vulnerable people in Sierra Leone in order to make the best choices for their lives.
Our Vision
WHI strives for equal and equitable rights and opportunities for vulnerable people in Sierra Leone by addressing social determinants of health.
We need Sierra Leone free of inequalities, inequities, injustices, and social discrimination.
Values
What guides us
Accountability, transparency, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and equality shape every decision we make and every program we deliver.
Accountability
We take responsibility for our actions, resources, and impact on communities.
Transparency
We operate openly and honestly with all stakeholders and partners.
Effectiveness
We pursue approaches that create meaningful and practical change.
Efficiency
We make the best use of every resource in service of our mission.
Equity
We recognise and address the unequal barriers people face in Sierra Leone.
Equality
We believe every person deserves equal rights and opportunities.
The Context
Challenges we
respond to.
Sierra Leone's communities face a range of connected health and social pressures. WHI works with the people most affected, turning complex challenges into focused community action.
Instead of treating these issues as separate problems, we address the conditions around them so people can access safety, dignity, and better opportunities.
Sports and entertainmentCapacity buildingCommunity servicesEvidence-based innovation
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What it addresses
Connected social and health issues
Unsafe sexual practices, alcoholism and drug abuse, mental health, unwanted pregnancies, youth unemployment, poverty, gender-based violence, human trafficking, and social discrimination.
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Why it matters
Innovation for community change
WHI-SL responds to the social determinants of health through sports, entertainments, capacity building, community-based services, and evidence-based innovation.
Governance
Organisational Structure
WHI-SL is governed by a General Assembly, a Board of Directors, an Executive Board, and a Supervising Council.
Assembly
General Assembly
35 members forming the highest governing body of WHI-SL.
Directors
Board of Directors
Five members including the chair, co-chair, secretary, and two board members representing the organisation, partners, local leaders, beneficiaries, trustees, or alumni.
Leadership
Executive Board
Executive Director, CEO, General Secretary, Accountant or Treasurer, Directors of programs, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Internal Auditor, Procurement Officer, and Director of Fundraising and Resource Mobilization.
Coordination
Supervising Council
Provides oversight, accountability, and support for the organisation's work.
Operations
Staff and Volunteers
Project coordinators, logistics support, and the wider staff and volunteer team delivering the work.