Our Impact at a Glance
100+
Children and Young People Supported
13
University Students
7
Graduates
Since 2015
Creating Opportunities
Australian
DGR Registered Charity
Local Team
Based in
Sierra Leone
How You Can Help
Sponsor a Child
Support a child’s education, health and daily needs while building a meaningful connection.
Become an Ambassador
Help us spread the word, connect us with opportunities, and be part of growing our impact.
Shop With Purpose
Purchase beautiful products from our social enterprise and help fund the charity.
Our Mission
To empower vulnerable children and young people in Sierra Leone through education, care and opportunity, supporting them to reach their potential and build independent, fulfilling futures.
Our Vision
A future where every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to learn, thrive and realise their full potential.
Our Values
The principles that guide our work, shape our relationships and inspire our commitment to the children and young people we support.
Equity & Opportunity
Every child deserves a fair chance to learn, grow and succeed.
Dignity & Respect
We treat every individual with kindness, compassion and respect.
Empowerment & Independence
We help young people develop the skills and confidence to shape their own futures.
Collaboration & Partnership
We believe lasting change happens when communities and organisations work together.
Integrity & Accountability
We act with honesty, transparency and responsibility in everything we do.
Compassion & Commitment
We care deeply about every child and remain committed to their wellbeing and future.
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’s story began in February 2006, when founder Jane Shakespeare travelled to Sierra Leone to explore the impact of microcredit initiatives on women’s lives. What she witnessed during that visit left a lasting impression.
Although the country’s devastating ten-year civil war had ended in 2002, its effects were still deeply felt. Many children had been orphaned or displaced, with young people living on the streets, lacking the care, support and opportunities they deserved.
Inspired to make a difference, Jane established The Fig Tree Children in Brisbane in 2015 to help vulnerable children and young people build brighter futures through education and opportunity.
Today, working alongside a dedicated local team and trusted partners in Sierra Leone, The Fig Tree Children continues that commitment, supporting young people throughout their educational journeys and helping them build independent futures. At the heart of everything we do is a simple belief: every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.
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 the 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 $40 AUD ($22 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 donated $553,745 as of October 2026
85% of funds raised directly benefit the children in the Fig Tree programme. We pay school fees directly to the school each child 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
The children and young people we support live across Sierra Leone, including Allentown, Freetown, Bo, Makeni, Newton, Waterloo and Kenema. Our hope is to extend our reach to children in more remote and underserved communities, where access to education and support can be particularly challenging. While our resources currently limit how far we can extend our programme, we remain committed to growing our reach and creating opportunities for more children in need.
Photo ©️ The Fig Tree Children: one of our beneficiaries in school
Our blog
Research and experiences from our work in Sierra Leone
The Fig Tree Giving Guide 2026
Make gift-giving meaningful: With gifts that show you care Introducing our 2026 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...
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...
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...
World Children’s Day
Encourage Change this World Children’s Day: November 20, 2020November 20 is a significant historical date for children, their wellbeing and safety worldwide. With the UN General Assembly adopting both the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and...
Partners
Corporate Sponsors
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.