Discover
The identity of the nation
Sierra Leone is a small country on the west coast of Africa, wedged between Guinea and Liberia, known for its beaches, its tropical forests and its warm, hospitable people. Its history is unique: in 1787, a group of freed former slaves founded there the “Province of Freedom,” the origin of the city of Freetown (which means “free town”). For decades, the port of Freetown received Africans rescued from slave ships by the British navy, forming a new people, of various ethnicities and languages, united by Krio (the language born from the mixture of English and African languages). To this day Sierra Leone is remembered as one of the most religiously tolerant places in the world: it is common to find the same family with Muslim and Christian members living together in peace.
It was this encounter of freed peoples that also brought the gospel to the country in a remarkable way. Freetown became home to Fourah Bay College, founded in 1827, the first Western-style college in sub-Saharan Africa, which trained generations of pastors, teachers and Christian leaders for the entire region. That is why the city earned the nickname “Athens of West Africa.” This Christian heritage, however, is stronger in the capital and among the Krio people than in the country’s interior, where most of the population follows Islam or the traditional religions of their ancestors.
In recent decades, Sierra Leone has gone through a period of deep suffering. Between 1991 and 2002, a civil war fueled by the fight over diamonds left tens of thousands dead and wounded an entire generation, including many children forced to fight. Years later, between 2014 and 2016, the country was one of the hardest hit by the Ebola epidemic, which killed thousands of people. In 2017, a landslide in Freetown, caused by extremely heavy rains, killed more than a thousand people in a few minutes. Despite so much pain, the Sierra Leonean people are known for their capacity to start over, and the local church has been an active part of rebuilding, caring for orphans, widows and survivors.
In the country’s interior, especially in the north and east, live peoples such as the Kuranko, the Fulbe (also called Fula), the Susu and others, mostly Muslim or tied to the religions of their ancestors, with very few followers of Jesus. There, community life is still strongly shaped by secret societies such as the Poro (for men) and the Bondo, also called Sande (for women), which conduct initiation rites and teach secrets considered sacred from childhood. Breaking away from these structures to follow Christ carries a high social cost, and it is one of the reasons why these peoples remain without their own sustainable church.
On the other hand, there are signs of hope: the evangelical movement is growing among peoples such as the Limba, and Sierra Leonean Christians trained in their own theological schools have the potential to reach their neighbors with respect and love, without depending on foreigners. A country that has already survived war, plague and mudslides has, in its enduring faith, one of its greatest treasures.
- 1787 A group of freed former slaves founds the "Province of Freedom," the origin of Freetown.
- 1808 Freetown becomes a British crown colony and a port for receiving Africans freed from slave ships.
- 1827 Founding of Fourah Bay College, the first Western-style college in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- 1961 Independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1991-2002 Civil war over control of diamond areas, involving child soldiers and tens of thousands of deaths.
- 2002 Official end of the civil war.
- 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic kills thousands of people and shakes the country's health system.
- 2017 Landslide in Freetown, after extremely heavy rains, kills more than a thousand people.
- Today The country is rebuilding its economy and maintains a reputation for tolerance between Christians and Muslims.
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EnglishThe official language, used in government, schools and the media, though few speak it as a mother tongue.
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KrioAn English-based creole created by the first freed settlers; today it is the lingua franca spoken by nearly the entire population.
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MendeLanguage of the Mende people, the majority in the south and east of the country.
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TemneLanguage of the Temne people, the majority in the north and in the capital area.
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Limba, Kono, Susu, Kuranko and othersLanguages of smaller peoples of the interior, many still without a complete Bible translation.
Sierra Leone lies on the west coast of Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia. The country is small but quite varied: a mountainous peninsula full of beaches around Freetown, mangroves and flooded plains along the coast, drier savannas in the north and dense tropical forests in the east and south, where the main diamond mining areas are also located.
Major cities
- FreetownCapital and largest city, a natural harbor on a hilly peninsula, blending historic Krio neighborhoods with communities built on the hillsides.
- BoThe country's second-largest city, a commercial hub in the south, on Mende land.
- KenemaCenter of the diamond trade in the eastern part of the country.
- MakeniThe main city of the north, in a Muslim-majority region of the Temne and Limba peoples.
- KoiduA city in the eastern diamond-mining region, attracting miners from across the country.
Climate and temperature
Arroz com plassas
The country's most traditional dish: rice served with a leaf sauce (cassava, sweet potato or other greens) cooked in red palm oil, with fish or meat.
Sopa de folha de mandioca
Well-pounded cassava leaves cooked with palm oil, dried fish and pepper; considered by many to be the national dish.
Peixe grelhado ou defumado
Fresh Atlantic fish, grilled over coals or smoked, sold at street stalls near the beaches.
Ensopado de amendoim
A creamy stew made with peanut paste, tomato and meat or fish, served over rice.
Fufu
A dough made from pounded cassava or yam, used to accompany sauces and soups.
Tropical fruits
Mango, pineapple and banana are common and sold fresh in the streets and markets.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Fourah Bay College
Founded in 1827, it was the first Western-style college in Sub-Saharan Africa, training pastors and teachers for the entire region; that is why Freetown earned the nickname "Athens of West Africa."
Cotton Tree
Tree that symbolizes Freetown, in the center of the city, where the first freed settlers gathered to pray in thanksgiving upon arriving in 1792.
Masks and carvings of the Mende people
Wood works used in traditional ceremonies, today also valued as art.
Gumbe music
Drum rhythm and dance brought by the freed settlers, still played at popular parties and celebrations.
Country cloth
Traditional fabric handmade from narrow woven strips sewn together, used in ceremonial clothing.
- Photographing people without asking permission Many consider it invasive to be photographed by surprise, especially in poorer neighborhoods.
- Asking carelessly about the civil war The conflict from 1991 to 2002 left deep scars on many families; avoid direct questions about violence they experienced.
- Using the left hand to greet or hand something over As in much of West Africa, the left hand is seen as improper for these gestures.
- Openly criticizing the secret societies Groups such as the Poro and the Bondo (also called Sande) are highly respected locally, even when Christians disagree with their practices.
- Showing impatience with the pace of things Meetings and processes tend to be slower than foreign visitors expect; patience is a sign of respect.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
The Poro and the Bondo shape the identity of boys and girls from an early age, binding entire communities to oaths and initiation rituals.
Belief in witchcraft is used to explain illness and misfortune, generating accusations that wound entire families.
Followed by the majority of the population, often mixed with local spiritist practices.
The worship of ancestors and nature spirits still guides day-to-day decisions among several ethnic groups in the interior.
Mineral wealth generated decades of dispute, corruption and war over control of the stones.
Unresolved trauma from ten years of civil conflict still weighs on families and communities.
The 2014 to 2016 epidemic left marks of grief and distrust toward institutions, including religious ones.
Many call themselves Christian out of family tradition, without a living personal faith.
Young people leave the interior in search of opportunities in Freetown, weakening the social fabric of villages.
Common practice in Muslim and traditional families, especially outside the major cities.
Sierra Leone is known as one of the most religiously tolerant countries in the world. It is common to see the same family with Muslim and Christian relatives, celebrating the holidays of both faiths together, and the law guarantees freedom to change religion without state interference. Open, violent persecution, the kind seen in other countries, is not the reality in Sierra Leone.
Even so, there are quieter pressures. In families and peoples of Muslim majority, especially in the north of the country, those who decide to follow Jesus may face rejection from relatives and social isolation, even without physical violence. Many young people, men and women, also feel the social obligation to take part in the Poro and Bondo secret societies; refusing because of Christian faith can generate strong pressure from the community. These are real but discreet challenges, within a country that generally treats religious diversity with respect.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Sierra Leone has around 27 different ethnic groups. Near the coast and in Freetown, the heritage of the freed settlers left a stronger Christian presence, especially among the Krio people. But moving north and east, the picture changes: peoples such as the Kuranko, the Fulbe (Fula) and the Susu are mostly Muslim or followers of the religions of their ancestors, with very few Christians among them. In all, 12 of the country's 27 peoples are still considered unreached by the gospel, most of them concentrated in these interior regions.
- 1.7M Unreached 19%
- 1.1M Minimally reached 12,3%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 5.9M Partially reached 67,6%
- 92K Significantly reached 1%
- 12 Unreached 44,4%
- 3 Minimally reached 11,1%
- 0 Superficially reached 0%
- 10 Partially reached 37%
- 2 Significantly reached 7,4%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Fulani krio
Fula Jalon Frontier
Kuranko
Maninka oriental Frontier
Loko, Landogo
Susu
Gola
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
Approximate price of a daily special in Freetown.
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Bring cash: cards are rarely accepted outside the larger hotels in Freetown.
- Use insect repellent and malaria protection, present in the country year round.
- Wear light, rain-resistant clothing during the rainy season, from May to October.
- Prefer bottled water instead of tap water.
- Learn a few words of Krio, the language that opens doors in any conversation.
- Be patient with the unstable electricity supply; power outages are common even in Freetown.
- Arrange transportation with trusted local contacts to travel outside the capital.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.