Journey of Hope: The Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross support the LILOMA Project in Sierra Leone
In Upper Malen Chiefdom in Sierra Leone’s Pujehun District, many women continue to live with the lasting effects of conflict and land disputes that disrupted livelihoods, displaced families, and strained community relationships. Loss of access to farmland and stable income has made it difficult for women to provide consistently for their families, leaving households economically vulnerable and exposed to ongoing uncertainty.
The LILOMA Project, ‘hope’ in the local language, implemented by the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) with the support of the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, is designed to respond to these challenges by strengthening women’s livelihoods while supporting peace and social cohesion within communities.
Supporting Women Beyond Survival
LILOMA builds on earlier work that supported women through savings groups and small trading activities. While these efforts helped families meet basic needs, experience showed that savings and petty trading alone were not enough to create stable or sustainable incomes. Many women continued to rely on lowreturn activities, remaining vulnerable to economic shocks, such as rising food prices, poor harvests, illness, or unexpected household expenses, that could quickly push their families back into poverty.
LILOMA takes a deeper, more structured approach. Existing women’s savings groups are strengthened and upgraded into women led enterprise clusters, with training in basic business skills, recordkeeping, governance, and market engagement. By working collectively, women are better able to plan, invest, negotiate fair prices, and build more reliable income streams.
The project also supports livelihood diversification, including small enterprise development and alternative income activities for displaced women. Through this approach, women gain greater control over resources, improved economic security, and the ability to provide food, education, and stability for their families.
Income, Dignity, and Peace
Economic pressure at household level can fuel stress and tension within families and communities. By increasing and stabilising women’s incomes, LILOMA helps reduce these pressures, reinforcing dignity and supporting peaceful coexistence. As women become more economically secure, they also gain confidence and a stronger voice in household and community decisionmaking.
Education is a key priority for participants. Income generated through women’s enterprises is used to pay school fees and support children’s learning, helping to ensure that the next generation has greater opportunities than the last.
Why We Are Walking
The fundraising walk begins during the Christian Aid Week, on Thursday 14th of May, and will take participants through all 22 parishes in the Church of Ireland Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross in support of the lifechanging work of the LILOMA Project. By taking part, supporters are walking with Parishioners in solidarity with women who are working every day to rebuild livelihoods, care for their families, and strengthen their communities after conflict. The walks will continue Throughout May and June concluding in the most Westerly church in the diocese in St Brendan’s Crookhaven.
Funds raised through the walk will help strengthen women’s enterprise clusters, expand livelihood opportunities, and support women to build stable, dignified incomes. Every step taken help turn community effort into lasting impact—supporting women not just to survive, but to plan, grow, and hope for the future.
By standing with these women, we are helping to build stronger families, more resilient communities, and a more peaceful future in Upper Malen Chiefdom.