Focus Area
Women's Empowerment
Location
Sierra Leone
Beneficiaries
One Girl
Safavi's Role
Partner-funded initiative
Key Impact
Helped scale an entrepreneurship and life-skills training program for adolescent girls in Sierra Leone, including the establishment of Girls Clubs to reach youth outside the formal school system
Project Overview
Business Brains Program – Sierra Leone
The Business Brains initiative was created to address the intersection of poverty, gender, and limited employment opportunities facing adolescent girls in Sierra Leone. Launched in 2012 by One Girl and expanded through partnership with Restless Development, the program equips girls with entrepreneurial and life skills aimed at building financial independence while still in school.
Originally piloted with 16 girls who each received a $40 grant to launch small businesses, the program expanded in 2014 to 23 schools and communities across the country. Training includes modules on financial literacy, business planning, customer service, and reproductive health. To date, the program has reached over 3,200 girls.
Beneficiary Profile
The program supports adolescent girls enrolled in secondary school, as well as out-of-school youth through dedicated Girls Clubs. Many participants are from extremely low-income households, and some have experienced early marriage or teen pregnancy. The initiative also trains local youth—many of them women—to serve as Community Educators, delivering the program and gaining leadership experience.
Safavi's Role
The Safavi Philanthropic Initiative provided direct support toward the delivery and expansion of the Business Brains program. This included funding contributions used to:
Scale program delivery across multiple rural communities
Support the creation and facilitation of Girls Clubs for out-of-school youth
Help train local Community Educators in Sierra Leone to deliver business and health curriculum
Safavi’s contribution was part of a broader coalition of partners working with One Girl to expand access to youth-driven, locally-led educational interventions.
Media
Project Gallery
Photo Credit: One GIrl
Impact Achieved
With support from partners including Safavi:
3,200+ adolescent girls across Sierra Leone have received business and life-skills training
Girls launched small enterprises (e.g., selling rice, kerosene, goods) to support their education
Financial literacy and reproductive health education reached both girls and boys in co-educational sessions
Local youth were trained as educators, enhancing peer leadership and community engagement
Out-of-school girls were reached via Girls Clubs, offering safe spaces and tailored training
Purpose & Signifigance
The initiative reflects Safavi’s commitment to supporting grassroots efforts that address the structural barriers preventing girls from completing their education. By funding a program that equips girls with practical, income-generating skills—and by extending access to youth outside the formal school system—Safavi’s support contributed to long-term capacity building and self-sufficiency among vulnerable populations.
Future Outlook
Business Brains continues to operate under the leadership of One Girl and Restless Development. Future program iterations aim to deepen youth-led delivery, expand into additional regions, and evolve training materials to respond to the changing economic and social conditions in Sierra Leone. Continued partnership opportunities remain open for organizations committed to youth empowerment, gender equity, and locally-rooted education models.
