GTZ has been working in Sierra Leone since 1963 on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Work was interrupted in 1990 for several years because of the civil war, which lasted 10 years. Since 1996, GTZ has been on site again with two teams, one in the capital, Freetown, and the other in Kenema.

As a result of the civil war, children and young people in particular have become socially marginalised. Many suffer from war trauma, are estranged from their families and communities, have a low violence threshold, and are alienated from social norms and values. Their lack of prospects for the future makes them even more prone to violence, so that in the lives of these children and youths crime and drug abuse often play a major role. In addition, they are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Need and poverty often drive the children and youth into intolerable dependencies that effectively deprive them of any kind of civil life. There is a growing concern in the population at large that this neglected and marginalised generation poses a threat to the painstakingly won peace in the medium term. This is currently preventing their successful reintegration. Thus GTZ’s cooperation focuses on measures that nurture and preserve peace, such as basic education, vocational training and the creation of employment opportunities for population groups living on the fringes of society.

In the field of employment promotion for young people, GTZ works together with the KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW development bank) and supports local non-governmental organisations connected with the civil peace service. GTZ coordinates its activities closely with other international donors, such as Great Britain, the European Union (EU) and the World Bank.