AdvocAid is an incredible charity in Sierra Leone providing free legal advice to women and girls who have been arrested.

Fighting miscarriages of justice

Examples of AdvocAid's work include representing Aminata*, an illiterate orphan who was 17 years old when she stabbed and killed her abusive former boyfriend in self defence. During their relationship he had repeatedly physically abused her and, once they broke up, he harassed her to continue the relationship. One day, he was beating her with a rubber pipe and she stabbed him with a knife to protect herself. The judge stated that using a knife when being beaten by a rubber pipe was disproportionate use of force and Aminata was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.

Over half the people in Sierra Leone’s prisons have not been convicted of a crime, but languish behind bars for months or years awaiting trial. AdvocAid offers holistic legal services for female detainees who are particularly vulnerable in this weak system. With your support, we will raise awareness about legal rights through popular media, and our paralegals and lawyers will provide some of the country’s most marginalised women and girls with access to justice to ensure their rights are upheld.

We're doing a series of fundraising initiatives

All of the funds raised will be donated to the charity.

Holly is going to Sierra Leone in November for six months to volunteer as a lawyer for AdvocAid and will oversee the spending of the funds raised.

Where will our money go?

Amount £10.50 - Enables us to provide legal advice and assistance at police stations for five women and girls

Amount £60 - Is enough for our paralegals to run weekly legal education sessions for a month in three female correctional centres

Amount £150 - Is all it costs monthly for us to provide critical paralegal advice and assistance, usually reaching 20-30 women.

Amount £340 - Covers the costs of court representation for at least ten women every month

*name changed to protect identity