As requested by Government of Sierra Leone, India will provide funding support of US Dollar 990,000 from the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for the project, “enabling economic independence for specially abled persons in Sierra Leone (persons with disabilities)”.

This project is one of Sierra Leone Government’s top national development priorities as it will promote sustainable livelihoods for persons with disabilities through training and work cooperatives in rural areas which would encourage them to stay close to their home communities while at the same time having means for economic independence. The project aims to refurbish dedicated centres for persons with disabilities, develop training curriculum for priority skill areas, adopt technology to enhance mobility and access to social services, promote access to markets for products and services offered by businesses led by persons with disabilities, establish a loan progamme to purchase tools, etc. The project will contribute to achieving SDG 1, 2, 3 and 8.

India and Sierra Leone enjoy warm and cordial relations. India’s developmental cooperation with Sierra Leone through Lines of Credit and through ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development aggregates to US$ 250 million covering a range of sectors. More than 450 Sierra Leone nationas have enrolled themselves under the Pan-African Tele-Education and Tele-Medicine initiative (e-VBAB) so far and have received online education in various courses from Indian Universities. Sierra Leone is also one of the beneficiaries of ITEC scholarships and is provided 50 seats every year in different programmes in various institutes in India. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations also provides 15 slots to Sierra Leone for various academic courses in India from 2021.

The India-UN Development Partnership Fund, established by Government of India in June 2017, provides support to projects in developing countries that aim to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Fund adheres to the principles of South-South cooperation and places a priority on national ownership and leadership, equality, sustainability, development of local capacity and mutual benefit. A total of US$ 150 million over the next decade has been committed by Government of India for the Fund which is managed by the UN Office for South-South Cooperation.

19 June 2024

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