Activities
Institute for Development Conference (February 24 – 28 2025)
Recipe for Recovery and Preparedness in Sierra Leone
Preparation Time: Ongoing
Serves: Communities, researchers, development partners, policy makers
What does it take to build recovery and preparedness in Sierra Leone? This question has been at the heart of the Institute for Development’s (IfD) work – producing high quality research to inform decision making by key stakeholders across the nation. To further explore this issue, IfD recently held a conference that brought together several government ministries, research networks, NGOs, creatives who document crises happenings and individuals who live them. The conference shared insights from multiple research projects aimed at strengthening Sierra Leone’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises, creating a space for dialogue and learning.
These projects included:
- ReBUILD for Resilience – Strengthening health systems to withstand future shocks in fragile and crisis prone areas.
- After the End – Exploring lived experiences ‘after the end’ of crises.
- African Cities Research Consortium Kush Transition Fund – Addressing the Kush crisis through community initiatives.
- ALIGN – Examining how perspectives of Muslim religious leaders can shape adolescent health education in response to rising teenage pregnancy.
Ingredients:
- An Interdisciplinary Approach to Recovery
Recovery cannot be built through a single lens. This was best exemplified by the After the End project, drawing from history, sociology, modern literature, global health law and more, to explore different ways of thinking about crises and their so-called ‘endings’.
Daddy Hassan Kamara, national spokesperson for the Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors, questioned whether we can truly say the Ebola crisis has ended when survivors still suffer from 23 long-term health complications? Further, who has the authority to declare a crisis over—UN agencies, governments, or those still living with its consequences? What kind of temporality is created when an ‘end’ is declared, yet suffering persists? What would true justice look like for survivors?
The conference sought to reflect this complexity not only through presentations from diverse disciplines but also through poems by Omar Farouk Sesay and Professor Osman Sankoh, alongside a skit by the University of Sierra Leone Theatre, which explored the pervasiveness and persistence of crises. These contributions acted as living archives, offering different ways of thinking about, remembering, and narrating crises. They reinforced the idea that how we tell the story of an ‘ending’—whether through creative expression or policy—directly shapes the experiences of those still living through its aftermath. Understanding these multiple perspectives is essential to ensuring that recovery efforts take different conceptions of endings seriously.
- Participatory Engagement
Ensuring preparedness and recovery is not about researchers collecting data in isolation or policymakers making decisions based solely on reports. It requires the active engagement of key stakeholders throughout the entire process. This principle was reflected in all four research projects presented at the conference. The ReBUILD for Resilience project in Sierra Leone for instance, fosters a collaborative approach to health system strengthening by supporting monthly meetings between key health stakeholders. These meetings provide a platform to discuss pressing health issues and develop practical solutions, ensuring that initiatives are informed by those directly involved.
The conference itself was an embodiment of this participatory approach. IfD brought together individuals who had directly experienced crises, as well as those working to build resilience in Sierra Leone, ensuring that a wide range of voices were heard. One particularly impactful example was the participation of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN). Fatim Kargbo, Public Relations Officer, highlighted the unique vulnerabilities children face during crises. By sharing their experiences and needs, they emphasized why children must be central to recovery efforts. Ultimately, the goal was to foster better coordination and collaboration among participants—government ministries, NGOs, researchers, and affected communities alike.
Serving Up a Stronger Future
Building long-term preparedness and recovery is an ongoing process that requires continuous collaboration, learning, and adaptation. The IfD conference highlighted the power of interdisciplinary thinking and participatory engagement, bringing together diverse voices to shape solutions for Sierra Leone.
We sincerely thank all those who attended—government ministries, university representatives, research networks, NGOs, CSOs, creatives, and individuals with lived experiences. Your insights and commitment are essential to strengthening preparedness and recovery efforts.
As we move forward, we invite you to explore some of IfD’s other initiatives:
- Beyond Borders – Supporting young Sierra Leoneans in securing scholarships abroad.
- Sabi AI – A digital repository of Sierra Leone’s policies and laws.
- National Development Award – Recognizing government ministries for their contributions to national progress (visit our website for award criteria).
This year, the award was won by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS).
Together, we can continue building a stronger, more prepared Sierra Leone.
Anaïs Bash-Taqi
Researcher and Communications Officer
Institute for Development (IfD)
Register for the National Evidence Summit here.