Children cannot achieve their developmental potential without robust physical health. For children born in Sierra Leone, the barriers to achieving good health and surviving to successful, productive adulthood are immense. Although Sierra Leone has been politically stable since 2017, it remains one of the most perilous countries in the world to be a young child and, after the standard immunization schedule concludes at 23 months, two-to-six-year-old children typically have limited contact with the health system until they start school.

Project SHINE! Supporting Healthy Interaction, Nurturing, and Enrichment for Preschool Children was implemented in Sierra Leone by ICAP at the Mailman School of Public Health, the Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation and ICAP Sierra Leone, in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone.

From January 2023 through September 2024, project partners developed and piloted “wraparound health services” for preschool children at an early childhood development (ECD) center in the Port Loko district of Sierra Leone. These child-centered services included a ECD center-based health unit, household health visits conducted by Community Health Workers, community health days for students, their families and community members, and establishment of a nutritional teaching garden, as well as linkage to local health facilities and nutrition support.  The project aligns with the Government of Sierra Leone’s commitment to improving access to both early childhood development and health services for young children and their caregivers.