The story of Grima is not just about the building clinic; it's about a community that came together, identified its needs, and took charge of its future.

Rooted in the principles of communities driving their own development, our approach focuses on creating lasting impacts that transcend generations. One of the communities that perfectly embodies this vision is Jokibu.

Massah Morie tells her own story of becoming a successful business owner through the NOW Program. This Most Significant Change Story is featured in our 2023 Annual Report.

As Mother's Day approaches, we celebrate the remarkable journey of Musu Kebah, a proud graduate of our Nurturing Opportunities for Women (NOW) program. Through NOW, Musu embarked on a transformative path, not just in managing her finances and boosting her business, but also in discovering her inner leadership potential.

Mamie and Gbeka exemplify just how life-changing water and sanitation projects are in rural communities.

Watta Moriba is a 46-year-old single mother of five who lives in Gbeka. Like many mothers, Watta wanted to educate her children and save for the future. The family’s sole bread winner was her husband. Crisis hit in 2016 when Watta’s husband died, leaving her to fend for herself and her children.

On March 13th, we hosted a town hall with an expert on gender equity and women’s empowerment in Sierra Leone, Bernadette Mustapha, NOW Program Manager

As February draws to a close, we at OneVillage Partners are filled with gratitude and reflection on the incredible journey we've embarked upon this Love Month. Throughout these past weeks, we've celebrated not just romantic love but the profound connections we share with our partners, supporters, and the communities we serve.

In Magbema, Jenny, a 65-year-old woman, is working with three other younger women to promote fairness and reduce the inequities of women. Jenny is breaking molds, standing up to men in her community, and paving the way for younger women to have a voice.

2023 was a significant year for OneVillage Partners, as we focused on implementing our Strategic Initiative and expanding our reach into 3 new communities.

This year, our communities proved to us the power in partnership.

We met Ms. Hawa in 2022, in Nyandehun, a small community in rural Sierra Leone. By the time we arrived in this community, the women were already eager to learn and grow because in this community, families were broken, women were deep in debt and for Ms. Hawa, it seemed too late ever dream of change. When you meet Ms. Hawa for the first time, you will instantly fall in love with her. She is witty, sharp and so insightful.

Zainab Musa, a participant in the NOW (Nurturing Opportunities for Women) program, lives in the rural community of Bandajuma, Kailahun district of eastern Sierra Leone. With 1410 people, Zainab recalled that the community lacked unity and that its members were unaware of the advantages of saving money and planning

One of our most impactful pillars at OneVillage Partners is Inclusive Leadership. We know that when challenges affect a community, it is not a one-man job to bring solution, rather it takes a collective of like-minded and equally passionate individuals to bring about that change – and who better than the community members themselves?

We have exciting news! The Stanford Social Innovation Review recently published a profile on OneVillage Partners that is now available online and in their Summer 2023 printed issue. Titled “The Nonprofit Decolonizing Itself”

Baindu Amara, a 40-old farmer lives in Magbema, a community situated in Eastern Sierra Leone with more than 900 inhabitants. Agriculture, especially upland and swampland rice farming, is the main economic activity of the people of Magbema. This is Baindu's story.

“When I first entered Bunumbu for the first time, I went to visit my best friend’s relative. Without knowing what I would encounter, nothing prepared me for the biggest hug I would ever receive. Very quickly, I realized everything I was told about people in rural Sierra Leone was wide of the mark. My grandma, as she insisted I call her, greeted me with a dance, with fresh pineapples, fresh mangoes to the point that I had to kindly deny the rest.”

The Participatory Land Use Mapping Project empowers communities to understand their land and their land rights, understand conservation better, and be a part of national policy and dialogue. Using a community led approach, community members are placed in the driver’s seat on their land management.

Men as leaders largely excluded women from attending community meetings, and decision-making processes, which forced the women to take the back seat. Women became dependent on men and were largely discriminated against, which made them less confident to use their voices.