Sierra Leone, one of the world’s poorest nations, has seen a decade of collaboration between Tzu Chi and three nonprofit partners to aid the poor and vulnerable. Now, the focus is shifting toward self-sufficiency.
Passengers made their way to immigration after their plane touched down at Freetown International Airport in Sierra Leone. Among them was Tzu Chi USA volunteer Debra Boudreaux (曾慈慧), who noted the airport’s fully computerized systems, electric baggage carousels, and jet bridges. Such features are standard at most modern airports but a clear sign of progress compared to what she had seen on earlier visits.
She recalled that during her first trip in 2016, the airport had no jet bridges and luggage was handled manually. Conditions beyond the airport also appeared underdeveloped. What struck her most on this visit, in February 2025, six years after her last in 2019, were the visible signs of development. “Many new buildings were going up,” she said. “Nights were no longer pitch black but lit with lights, and local markets bustled with diverse activity. There has been progress in every aspect of daily life—food, clothing, housing, transportation, agriculture, and commerce. It may be slow, but it is real and visible.”
Tzu Chi began its work in Sierra Leone in March 2015, responding to the Ebola outbreak by providing support to orphans, women, and people with disabilities. That effort sparked a decade-long partnership with local charitable organizations and sustained aid to various institutions. Today, Tzu Chi maintains an office in the country, with staff representing the foundation in government meetings and emergency relief efforts.
In February 2025, Johan Alwall (歐友涵) and Chu Yu-jia (褚于嘉) from Tzu Chi’s headquarters in Taiwan traveled over 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) to join Debra Boudreaux for a 15-day visit. Together, they met with local organizations and partners to reflect on the past ten years’ work and plan for future collaboration.
Koindu
Tzu Chi’s connection to Sierra Leone can be traced back to Koindu, an agricultural town in the eastern part of the country, near the Liberian and Guinean borders. Koindu was one of the first areas in the nation affected by the 2013 Ebola outbreak, which ultimately claimed more than 10,000 lives across the three countries.
The virus spread rapidly in Sierra Leone, exacerbated by a weak public health system, the practice of family members caring for the sick, and traditional customs such as washing the deceased. The country recorded the highest number of infections among the three nations. Thousands of children lost their parents, and fear of the highly lethal disease led to the stigmatization and rejection of survivors and victims’ families by their own communities.
In 2015, Tzu Chi began working with Caritas Freetown and the Healey International Relief Foundation to distribute food, tableware, beds, blankets, and other supplies. The Lanyi Foundation joined in 2016. Each year, Tzu Chi applies to Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture (formerly the Council of Agriculture) for humanitarian rice aid. Some of the rice is shipped to Sierra Leone for distribution, along with multigrain powder provided by the monastics at the Jing Si Abode, the Buddhist convent founded by Master Cheng Yen that also serves as the headquarters of Tzu Chi.
Koindu is about a five-hour drive from Freetown, including 52 kilometers (32 miles) of rough dirt roads that are difficult to navigate, even with a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and especially during the rainy season. In September 2024, when a Caritas team delivered aid there, their truck became stuck, stranding them there for three days. They ended up relying on motorcycles from nearby villages to transport the supplies.
During their drive to Koindu on this trip, the visiting Tzu Chi team noted clear signs of change. Infrastructure improvements tied to China’s Belt and Road Initiative were helping connect villages with better roads. Roadside vendors remained a familiar sight as they reached the outskirts of Koindu, but new additions included a police station and a mosque. Solar panels of various sizes dotted the landscape, providing electricity.
It was a Saturday, so children were not in school. Some played outside their thatched homes, while others helped their parents with chores. Goats roamed freely along dirt paths. Women gathered to weave crafts or mix sand and soil to make bricks, preparing to expand their homes. Nearby, a group of mechanics repaired motorcycles—the community’s primary mode of transport. These scenes reflected signs of economic recovery in the impoverished village.
Although Koindu has nine public schools, many children orphaned by Ebola still face discrimination and are denied access to education. “What moved me most was Auntie Mary [Mary Sesay],” said Debra Boudreaux. “She founded an orphanage and a primary school to help these children rejoin society. Tzu Chi has supported the school since 2016 with rice and multigrain powder. The children are much healthier now.”
Johan Alwall added that many orphans had been abandoned on the streets. Auntie Mary took it upon herself to find and care for them, ensuring they were fed and clothed, and placing them with foster families. Later, she even provided land for the construction of a school, which was named Smile With Us Primary School. During the team’s visit, lessons written on the blackboard showed the students were receiving a solid education. One or two students were even pursuing university admission.
Victoria, a teacher at the school, is an Ebola survivor. Though she recovered physically, the trauma remains. Grateful for Tzu Chi’s years of support, she became a volunteer. In 2018, she traveled to Taiwan and met Master Cheng Yen in person. She continues to carry the Master’s words in her heart and does her best to serve her community. She hopes the villagers will cherish and make good use of the support they’ve received from Taiwan.
