Background Information on Sierra Leone and the Village of Newton

 

 



Sierra Leone    Source: CIA World Factbook

  



Source: CIA World Factbook



• Sierra Leone - West Africa
• Borders Guinea, Liberia and the Atlantic
• Land Area - 71,740 sq km
• Slightly smaller than the state of South Carolina
• Climate - Tropical; hot; humid
• Summer rainy season
• Winter dry season
• Population - 5.1 million
• Median Age: 19 years
• Life Expectancy: 55 years
• Civil War from 1991-2002
• GDP per capita - $900
• One of the 10 poorest countries in the world





Newton - Located Slightly East of Waterloo on the Map Above






• Newton - Located near the capital of Freetown
• Approximately 1,300 inhabitants
• Primary sources of income
• Farming/gardening
• Cutting firewood
• Tapping palm wine
• Burning/mining Coal
• No access to pipeborne water in village - can lead to illness and disease
• Bacterial and protozoal diarrhea
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid Fever
• Schistosomiasis (snail fever)