unlimited partnership e.V.

Telu is one of the chiefdoms situated in the southern province of Sierra Leone with approximate population of 2500 of which 55 percent are women, 15 percent are children and 30 percent are men.

When all development programs were initiated in the 1970s Telu village was  chosen as the chiefdoms head quarter because of its geographical location and attractive. For many years the inhabitants of the villages  in this chiefdom were mostly engaged in swamp and dry land farming. Some were simple gardeners that produced cassava, grand-nut, potatoes, pepper, okra, garden eggs, and cucumber.

Telu lost its glory at the end of the 10 year rebel war. Prior to the war Telu was classed as the most peaceful chiefdom head quarter with activities  like cultural exhibition, traditional dancing festivals, trade fares, etc, that attracted surrounding towns and villages. All these became history during the war when on the 30th June 1994 the Revolutionary  United Front rebels (RUF) suspecting that Telu had become a training  ground for Civil Militias headed by late Corporal Sam Hinga Norman, was brutally attacked. It was dubbed, "The Telu Bongor Massacre", and was  put on video and sold widely.

Since that invasion many things have gone wrong. The scar is still a trauma affecting many women who got raped, humiliated, amputated and became outcast. Due to their marginalization in the entire re-integration  process the situation nowadays is even worth. In spite of the  selflessness and all desperate efforts to bring back the good time  glories, Telu still remains almost a ghost town with progress out of  sight.

Several reports have shown that most Sierra Leoneans live below one dollar a day. Up to now not much has not been done to improve the economic situation. Telu on the same vein has won the attention of no NGO since the end of the war in 2001. The women form a group that is suffering the most, and are the most disadvantaged in the community. All that  the women of Telu need is some financial support to upgrade their agricultural productions, and to engage in various viable income  generating activities.