Inspiration for Human Development is a Sierra Leonean nonprofit advancing disability inclusion, ending gender-based violence and FGM, and equipping women and girls with the skills, confidence, and voice to lead.
Founded in 2019 and based in Freetown, Inspiration for Human Development (IHD-SL) works at the intersection of disability rights and gender equality. We were built on a simple belief: that the people closest to a problem are closest to its solution.
Through community advocacy, training, and partnership with government and civil society, we are challenging stigma, changing policy, and opening doors for those too often left behind — one community at a time.
Our Mission
To promote the rights, dignity, and full participation of marginalized groups — especially women, girls, and people with disabilities — in every part of Sierra Leonean society.
Our Vision
A Sierra Leone where every person, regardless of ability or gender, can access opportunity, live free from violence, and shape their own future.
Our Values
Inclusion, dignity, accountability, and community. We center the voices of those we serve and lead by lived experience.
What we do
Our programmes
Four connected areas of work, all built around inclusion, dignity, and the leadership of those we serve.
Disability Inclusion
Rights & Inclusion for People with Disabilities
From White Cane Day awareness with the Sierra Leone Association of the Blind to accessibility advocacy, we champion the dignity and full participation of people with disabilities.
Girls & Youth
She Leads: Girls’ Leadership & Voice
Partnering on initiatives like the National Girls Summit, we equip adolescent girls and young women with disabilities with the confidence, skills, and platforms to lead in their schools and communities.
Ending Violence
Ending SGBV & Female Genital Mutilation
We run community sensitization and advocacy to prevent sexual and gender-based violence and to end female genital mutilation, working alongside the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs.
Economic Empowerment
Financial Literacy & Reusable Pad Production
Through hands-on training, we help women with disabilities build financial skills, budgeting, and pad-making craft to achieve economic independence and health dignity.
News & events
Latest from the field
Stories and highlights from our recent work across Sierra Leone.
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She Leads Legal Empowerment · Plan InternationalGrafton Community, Sierra Leone
Igniting a movement: Three-day legal empowerment training with girls and women with disabilities in Grafton
This week, under the She Leads project with Plan International, the Inspiration for Human Development (IHD) ignited a powerful movement in the Grafton community, conducting a deeply meaningful three-day legal empowerment training with about 30 incredible participants with disabilities.
Through open dialogue, real-life storytelling, and collective learning, we illuminated Sierra Leone's landmark gender laws — the Devolution of Estates Act (2007), Domestic Violence Act (2007), Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act (2022), and the Child Rights Act.
Our unwavering objective: To ensure girls and women with disabilities are no longer excluded from conversations about justice. This training forged a safe space where they could understand their inherent rights, ask fearless questions, and connect in profound sisterhood and strength.
Voices from participants
"Before this training, I was worried about what would happen to my home after my parents passed. Now I know I have the right to inherit my parents' property."
"I used to think that only physical violence was wrong. I didn't know emotional abuse was a crime — now I do, and I feel stronger knowing that."
🗣"Sometimes people ignore me because of my disability. But I learned that even with a disability, I have the right to go to school and be heard. My voice matters!"
🗣"If someone tries to hurt me, talk less of hurting me, I now know where to go and what to do to stay safe."
Their recommendations
"We need more time to really understand these laws deeply." — Advocating for longer sessions
"Change needs to start at home. Let's involve our parents and community leaders." — Highlighting the need for community engagement
"It's hard for us to report abuse sometimes. Can we make it easier?" — Emphasizing the need for accessible reporting mechanisms
"We don't want this to end. We need mentors and each other to keep this strength growing." — Underlining the importance of sustained support
For us at IHD, this was more than a training. It was the spark of a movement. A powerful reminder that knowledge is not just power — it is liberation. When people, girls in particular, are equipped with understanding, they rise, and they lift others with them.
To our invaluable partners, especially Plan International, and to every courageous and curious young woman who participated, thank you for being the driving force of this change. The inclusive future we are building is real, and it's only just begun.
At IHD, our commitment remains steadfast: a future where every girl, regardless of her ability, lives with the dignity, freedom, and voice she deserves.
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Financial literacy & pad-making skillsBo, Sierra Leone
Building financial confidence and practical income skills with women with disabilities
IHD just completed a 3-day training with women with disabilities in Bo. Together, we learned about financial literacy — how to budget, save, and manage money wisely.
We also had practical sessions on making reusable sanitary pads 🩸 — a skill that helps women take care of their health with dignity, while also creating new opportunities for income.
The energy, courage and determination of the participants were inspiring. ❤ This training was about skills, building confidence and reminding every woman that her voice and future truly matter.
Thank you to everyone who supported and made this possible. We are working for a more inclusive and empowered Sierra Leone. 🌍✨
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White Cane Day & gender-law advocacyFreetown & Bo, Sierra Leone
Three days celebrating independence and defending the rights of women with disabilities
We concluded three days of serious advocacy focused on celebrating White Cane Day and the laws that protect women in Sierra Leone — especially those as vulnerable as women with disabilities.
We joined hands with the Paul School for the Blind and the Sierra Leone Association of the Blind to commemorate White Cane Day, a day that celebrates independence and equal access for persons who are blind or visually impaired.
The following two days were largely focused on educating women with disabilities in Bo on how to use the main gender laws in Sierra Leone.
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Monica Yeanie Ghaliwa
Founder & Country Director
A visually impaired advocate and communicator, Monica founded IHD to change how society sees ability, gender, and worth. Her leadership is grounded in lived experience and an unshakable commitment to inclusion.
Our leadership
Led by lived experience
“We are not asking for sympathy. We are demanding inclusion, dignity, and the chance to lead. When you change the narrative, you change what is possible.”
Monica Yeanie Ghaliwa, Founder
In collaboration with
Partners & collaborators
We work hand-in-hand with government, international organizations, and local institutions to create lasting change.
Ministry of Gender & Children’s Affairs
Plan International Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone Association of the Blind
Paul School for the Blind
Join us in changing the narrative
There are many ways to stand with the women, girls, and people with disabilities we serve. Reach out and let’s build a more inclusive Sierra Leone together.
