The Rainbo Initiative has announced a new partnership aimed at strengthening economic livelihoods for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Sierra Leone’s Western Area.
In a statement, the organisation said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Initiative for Young Women and Girls with Disability, with funding support from Irish Aid, under its Community-Based Organisation (CBO) capacitation programme.
According to Rainbo Initiative, the partnership supports the implementation of a project titled “Enhancing Economic Livelihoods for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Survivors and Strengthening Prevention and Referral Pathways on SGBV in the Western Area.”
The MoU covers a three-month implementation period from January to March and provides both financial and technical support to strengthen the institutional and programme capacity of the partner organisation.
The intervention targets 50 beneficiaries in the Western Area, including 25 women and girls with disabilities, 15 SGBV survivors, as well as women leaders, youth leaders, religious leaders, traditional chiefs and representatives of civil society organisations.
Rainbo Initiative said the programme is designed to improve economic livelihood opportunities for survivors while also strengthening community-level prevention mechanisms and referral pathways for SGBV cases.
By engaging survivors alongside community stakeholders such as traditional, religious and youth leaders, the initiative aims to promote inclusive participation, improve coordination among service providers and duty bearers, and support sustainable, community-led responses to SGBV.
The organisation said the partnership reflects its continued commitment to inclusive programming, survivor-centred approaches, and the integration of disability considerations in efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence.
