63 BRAVE is one of Shine On Sierra Leone’s unique community based programs that oversees the support of children orphaned by the Ebola epidemic in Kono.
Between 2014 and 2015, Ebola spread through Sierra Leone, devastating communities and taking lives from far too many. It is estimated that 12,000 children in Sierra Leone lost both parents to the virus during those 5 months. Unequipped with the tools and resources to process the unimaginable horrors they had endured, many of these children were abandoned and homeless, and left with no alternative than to focus solely on surviving. Something needed to be done.
Since its start, the 63 BRAVE program has welcomed and nurtured the lives of 63 orphaned children, ranging from 6 years old to 18 years old. Under the support and umbrella of Shine On Sierra Leone, these children live within the safety of community based, appointed caregivers, while moving under the guidance of three local Social Workers. Provided with schooling, a safe place to live, monthly meetings, supported connection, and a sense of community, these children have started down a vital path of growth and have been given an opportunity to reshape their reality.