DigitalHER: Empowering Girls Through Health, Technology, and Entrepreneurship
Advancing Adolescent Health, Digital Inclusion, and Economic Empowerment in Sierra Leone
Sponsored By: UNFPA Freetown | Aion Health SL
Date of Implementation: February 18 – March 17, 2025
The DigitalHER Program: Empowering Girls Through Health, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, implemented by Aion Health SL on February 18, 2025, addresses the interconnected challenges of limited access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education, digital illiteracy, and economic vulnerability among adolescent girls and young women in Sierra Leone (problem). Supported by UNFPA Freetown, the program equips participants aged 15–24 with essential knowledge and skills in SRH, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and leadership to enable informed decision-making and economic independence (solution). Its theory of change is that when girls are provided with accurate health information, digital competencies, and entrepreneurial skills within safe and supportive environments, they are more likely to delay early pregnancy, pursue education or livelihoods, and become leaders in their communities.
Using a methodology based on a 4-week intensive training model in Bo—combining interactive workshops, mentorship, peer learning, and community engagement—the program integrates SRH education (menstrual health, family planning, GBV prevention), digital skills (Microsoft Office, Google tools, basic AI), and business development training. The program’s impact includes training 27 adolescent girls, achieving 100% completion rates, supporting 10+ business ideas, enabling 5+ micro-enterprises (such as soap-making and catering), and reaching 300+ community members through sensitization efforts. Resources provided through sponsorship included training materials, digital tools, facilitation by expert trainers, safe learning spaces, mentorship, and community outreach support. As one participant shared, “Now, I run my own small business and help teach other girls in my village.” Overall, DigitalHER demonstrates how integrated, youth-led, and partnership-driven approaches can advance gender equality, improve health outcomes, and foster economic empowerment for girls in Sierra Leone.
Together, We Build Healthier Communities
Every health outreach, every volunteer hour, every shared knowledge brings us closer to healthier, stronger communities.
Aion Health is a Sierra Leonean non-profit focused on improving health, education, and research to reduce maternal and infant deaths. It delivers free healthcare, medications, and education through mobile clinics to underserved communities, while prioritizing maternal health, disease prevention, WASH, and community awareness.
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KonFam Garage, 33 New Koribondo Highway, Bo District, Southern Province, Sierra Leone, 0000