Our Mission
To support children and young people in Sierra Leone in building brighter futures through opportunities for growth and development.
Our Vision
A world where every child, regardless of background or financial status, has equal access to the resources and support needed to realise their full potential. We believe education is the foundation for a brighter future, and we are dedicated to turning this vision into reality. Through our work, we aim to create a more equitable, sustainable world where all children have the chance to succeed and thrive.
What We Do
The Fig Tree Children has been making a positive impact on the lives of children and youth in Sierra Leone since September 2015. Our efforts provide resources that allow carers to support and educate their children.
The devastating Ebola outbreak compounded the already dire situation faced by the country, which had already been ravaged by a decade-long civil war. The epidemic left an estimated 12,000 children orphaned, with many of them facing exploitation, discrimination, and the threat of human trafficking.
Our efforts are focused on Sierra Leone where we provide support to the sponsored child’s carer and pay school fees directly to the schools their children attend. We believe in providing these young ones with the best possible education and support so that they may overcome their difficult circumstances and reach their full potential.
photo © The Fig Tree Children – a Christmas day trip to River No.2 Beach
Our Story
The Fig Tree Children is a non-profit organisation based in Brisbane, started by Jane Shakespeare in 2015 with the goal of supporting orphaned and vulnerable children and youth in Sierra Leone. Jane’s journey with TFTC began with a trip to Sierra Leone in February 2006, where she sought to understand the impact of microcredit initiatives on women’s lives.
The impact of the ten-year civil war, which ended in 2002, was very apparent. There were many orphans and young people displaced, living on the streets and in need of care and support.
Many of these children were taken in by extended family members, friends, or members of their communities who opened their homes and hearts to these displaced children, despite the challenges these carers faced in providing for their own families.
With Fr. Peter Konteh’s support, Jane established The Fig Tree Children, with a focus on supporting these carers and providing the children in their care with access to education and a brighter future. The organisation continues to work towards this goal, striving to give children the opportunity to succeed and thrive.
Photo ©️ The Fig Tree Children: Jane in Funkia Town, Sierra Leone at a workshop run by Dr Greg Mews from University of the Sunshine Coast, Dreamtown and Youth Dream Centre, Nov 2022
Different ways you can help
Give an opportunity today
Become a supporter of an orphaned or vulnerable child or young person in Sierra Leone today. For just AUD$ 53 per month, you can provide a world of opportunity and support. Your contribution will cover their school fees and provide them with all the necessary materials, including a uniform, backpack, books, writing utensils, shoes, and more. Additionally, your support will also provide a monthly allowance to the child’s carer. This replaces what a child could earn by being sent out to work.
Beyond the classroom, these children also benefit from opportunities to socialise and play with their peers through organised outings and activities. Our programs also extend a helping hand by providing essential items, such as comfortable bedding, insecticide-treated mosquito nets, necessary medical supplies, food, clothing, hygiene kits, radios for remote learning, sanitary products, Veronika buckets, etc.
Buy one girl a year's supply of Sanitary Pads
Help us provide a girl in Sierra Leone with a year's worth of sanitary pads, either reusable or disposable depending on her preference and situation, for just $30 AUD ($17 GBP).
Unfortunately, many girls in Sierra Leone can't afford sanitary pads and have to resort to using scraps of cloth, called "pieces", which can lead to unreliable and unsanitary conditions during their menstrual cycles.
The Fig Tree Ambassador Programme
Become a Fig Tree Ambassador by making a regular donation. Monthly donations are so important to us – and so deeply appreciated. Those crucial regular contributions, no matter how small, allow us to plan our work with greater certainty. Our three Ambassador levels are:
$10 AUD per month – Bronze
$15 AUD per month – Silver
$25 AUD per month – Gold
Our Target: 100 Ambassadors!
Emergency Medical Fund
When illness strikes children or their guardians, we aim to offer support. Our goal is to ensure they receive proper medical attention from a qualified healthcare professional, covering the costs of any necessary treatments or medications. A recent example of this support was when a child was burned in a pot of boiling water. Our in-country program manager worked with Fig Tree Children Funding to secure the medical attention the child needed and they are now recovering well. Another case involved a boy who required an appendix removal surgery, which was funded by donors of The Fig Tree Children.
Become a Volunteer Today
Have you ever wanted to directly make a difference and give an opportunity to a child living in one of the poorest countries in the world but can’t commit to donating financially? Volunteering your time to help The Fig Tree Children is another way you can make a real difference. Contact us to find out more.
We’ve Raised Over $435,000
85% of funds raised are for the direct benefit of the children in the Fig Tree programme. We pay school fees directly to the school each of the children attends, buy school materials (uniform, shoes, bag, books, pens, pencils, etc) and give the child’s carer a monthly allowance to help them provide for the child in their care. See all of our financial reports here.
No donation is too small
We are currently providing opportunities for 85 children and youth in Sierra Leone
These children are located in Allentown, Freetown, Bo, Makeni, Newton, Waterloo and Kenema. We want to be able to reach out to children who are living even more remotely. Unfortunately, at this time, our resources do not allow us to travel further afield than we already do.
Photo ©️ The Fig Tree Children: one of our beneficiaries in school
Our blog
Research and experiences from our work in Sierra Leone
Menstrual Hygiene in Sierra Leone: A Silent Struggle
Let's Talk Periods: Breaking the Silence and Supporting Girls in Sierra Leone For millions of girls and women in Sierra Leone, managing menstrual hygiene is a silent struggle that impacts their daily lives. Many lack access to affordable menstrual...
The Fig Tree Giving Guide 2024
Make gift-giving meaningful: With gifts that show you careIntroducing our 2024 Giving Guide! Finding the perfect gift can be challenging, especially for those who seem to have everything. That's where The Giving Guide comes in. Discover a selection...
The Giving Guide 2021
Make gift-giving meaningful: With gifts that show you careIt can be so hard to think of good present ideas – especially for someone that seems to have it all! That’s why we’ve put together The Giving Guide. The Giving Guide highlights just a few of...
Capabilities Approach
Work from development economists can be difficult for any layman to remember, particularly because there is still so much unnecessary poverty and suffering in this world. There is, however, the theory entitled The Capabilities Approach that,...
Freetown Landslide
A lot can happen in three years, especially in the eyes of a child. In Freetown, this is an understatement. On the 14 of August 2017 the citizens of Freetown had experienced the impacts of a devastating landslide that left over 1,000 people dead or...
A day in the life of Christiana
Christiana*Let’s spend a day with Christiana. Christiana lives with her father and brother, Peter. Her father had to stay at home to care for Peter after his son got sick, and as a result, he lost his job as a driver. His wife (the children’s...
Partners
Corporate Sponsors
🌼 Meet Mary 🌼
Mary is just two years old. She lives with her disabled grandmother in Sierra Leone, who cannot walk and struggles to care for her. Mary’s young mother, caught in the grips of kush addiction, is unable to provide for her and has distanced herself from her child. At one point, when Mary was only six months old, there was even talk of selling her for a small amount of money, a heartbreaking measure of desperation! 💔
Despite all this, Mary is full of life. She is bright, bold, and energetic, a little girl with promise, surviving against the odds thanks to the kindness of neighbours and the occasional support of relatives. Her grandmother does her best, but daily life is a struggle, and food is not always guaranteed.
Mary will turn three this October, which means it’s time for her to start kindergarten. Now we have support, that opportunity, the chance to learn, to belong, and to build a brighter future, is all within this little girl’s reach.
At The Fig Tree Children, we believe every child deserves the dignity of education, care, and hope. Mary is no exception. Now she’s part of the Fig Tree programme, this little poppet can now take her first steps into school, and towards the life every child deserves. 🧡
And all for just the cost of two cups of coffee a week:
https://thefigtreechildren.org/give-an-opportunity/
As the new school year begins in Sierra Leone, 83 children in our program are preparing to walk into their classrooms with pride, purpose, and the tools they need to succeed.
However, this year has been a challenge. School fees and materials for all 83 children total more than $12,000, and this year we’ve had no choice but to prioritise those who are most in need. When all of the kids in our programme are in need, that is not an easy task.
Every child deserves the dignity of showing up to school with shoes, a bag, a uniform, books, and pens. That’s what a gift of $85 provides for one child. Even a smaller contribution makes a real difference when added together.
We are still working towards making up the shortfall, as we don’t want to let these children down. With your help, we won’t.
🙏 Will you help us close the gap today?
https://chuffed.org/project/142842
Together, we can ensure every one of these 83 children starts school this year with hope and dignity.
Earlier this year, a container packed with love, learning, and life-changing supplies made its way from Brisbane to Freetown, Sierra Leone. 📦✨
With the help of incredible partners and supporters, we filled it with:
📚 Books and learning materials
🧩 Toys, puzzles, and games
💡 SolarBuddy lights for safe night study
💻 Digital education tools
🧼 24,000 bars of soap from Soap Aid
🩺 Medical supplies from Save Our Supplies
Each item is now in the hands of children and families who need them most—because of YOU.
We’ve already raised $2,500 of the $3,500 shipping cost—but we’re still $1,000 short.
Will you help us close the gap? Your donation directly supports the safe delivery of these essential resources.
🔗 Donate today: https://thefigtreechildren.org/shipping-container-relief-fund/
#TheFigTreeChildren #SierraLeone #EveryChildMatters #GlobalGiving #NonprofitSupport #MakeADifference #HopeInAction #HumanitarianAid #TogetherForChange
Meeting the children we support through The Fig Tree Children is always deeply moving. It reminds us that real change doesn’t come from grand gestures alone — it comes from consistent, compassionate action. It comes from choosing to show up, even from across the world.
Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive. To be seen. To be supported.
If you believe in the power of education, care, and opportunity — we invite you to stand with us. Sponsor a child. Become part of their story.
https://thefigtreechildren.org/give-an-opportunity/
#TheFigTreeChildren #SponsorshipMatters #ChangeALife #HopeInAction #SocialImpact #SierraLeone
Throwback to one of the most heartwarming moments 💛
These photos were taken eight years ago...
These books—many donated by our amazing community—were sent to schools in Sierra Leone after the Civil War left classrooms empty. Some of the children reading them today are our very own Fig Tree Children 🧡
Huge thanks to everyone who donated books and to bikes4life for helping us get them there along with 440 bikes 🚲
You can still donate today and be the reason 82 Children in Sierra Leone go to school prepared: https://chuffed.org/project/142842
#TheFigTreeChildren #EducationForAll #Bikes4Life #BooksChangeLives #OneChildAtATime #ImpactfulGiving
Meet one of the incredible children currently being supported by The Fig Tree Children. 💛
Her journey is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a child receives the care, resources, and belief they deserve. From education to empowerment — your support is changing lives.
But there are still 83 children waiting.
Let’s keep the hope going.
📚✨ $85 can provide:
✔️ School uniform
✔️ Shoes
✔️ Bag
✔️ Books & stationery
Be part of a future worth fighting for.
Tap the link in bio to donate or go through this link: https://chuffed.org/project/142842
#TheFigTreeChildren #BackToSchool #ChangeAMindsetChangeAFuture
In Sierra Leone, thousands of children face life-threatening challenges every day—from poverty and human trafficking to child marriage and early pregnancy.
But you can help change that. A one-time donation, no matter how small, can offer a child safety, education, and the chance to dream again.
Together, let’s build brighter futures. One act of kindness at a time.
🔗 Tap the link in bio to donate or through this link: https://chuffed.org/project/142842
#TheFigTreeChildren #DonateNow #GiveHope #BrighterFutures #ChildRights #ImpactfulGiving #EndPoverty #OneChildAtATime
Real faces. Real impact.
Meet one of the 83 incredible children in Sierra Leone who are ready to start school — with your help.
A donation of $85 gives a child the tools they need to learn: a school uniform, shoes, books, a bag, and stationery. But even a small amount makes a big difference.
🎒 Be the reason they walk into school with pride.
Tap the link in our bio to donate today or go through this link: https://chuffed.org/project/142842
#BackToSchool #TheFigTreeChildren #DonateNow #GiveHope #EducationMatters #SierraLeone
The new school year in Sierra Leone is fast approaching, and 83 children need our support.
Due to the rising cost of living, providing school materials like uniforms, shoes, bags, books, and stationery has become more difficult than ever.
📚 Just $85 can give one child everything they need to walk into school feeling confident and equipped — but every dollar counts, no matter the amount.
Let’s show these children they’re not forgotten. 💛
Donate today through the link in bio or go through this link: https://chuffed.org/project/142842
#TheFigTreeChildren #BackToSchool #SupportEducation #MakeADifference #ChuffedOrg #GiveBack #NonprofitSupport #SierraLeone
Be the reason a child in Sierra Leone starts the school year with confidence.
The new academic year is fast approaching, and 83 children supported by The Fig Tree Children need help. Due to rising living costs in Sierra Leone, the cost of school materials like uniforms, bags, and books has increased by 50%.
For just $85, you can give one child the tools they need to succeed — but every dollar helps. No amount is too small.
Let’s rally together and make sure no child is left behind this school year.
Tap the link in bio to donate or through this link: https://chuffed.org/project/142842 💛
#BackToSchool #TheFigTreeChildren #EducationForAll #NonProfit #MakeADifference #SchoolSuppliesDrive #SupportSierraLeone #CharityCampaign
We received our first donation today 🥰
Each year, we run this campaign because the $53 per month a sponsor contributes to support a child in Sierra Leone covers a lot, but not everything.
Sponsorship helps pay a monthly allowance to the child’s carer and annual school fees. We also then need to cover the salaries of our small in-country team who keep the program running, and we also cover essential transport and communication costs in Sierra Leone.
But school materials: bags, shoes, books, pens, pencils are an additional cost, and those prices have risen by 50% in the last two years.
This year, it’s $85 per child. Without them, a child simply can’t attend school.
Right now, we’re looking for:
82 more people willing to donate $85 each to provide school materials for 82 children.
Please donate by clicking the link in our bio or through this link: https://chuffed.org/project/142842
#thefigtreechildren #backtoschool #opportunityforall
Get in Touch. Get Involved.
Please contact us using the contact methods below. Thank you
PO Box 736, Paddington Queensland 4064
Call Us: +61 431 895 733
REGISTERED CHARITY
SECURE SITE
We acknowledge the First Nations People of Australia as the custodians and traditional owners of the land from which we advocate for improving access to quality education for and providing opportunities for orphaned and vulnerable children and youths (male and female) in Sierra Leone. We pay our respect to Indigenous Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge and uphold their continuing relationship to this land. This is, was and always will be Aboriginal land.