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← Laughter Africa

2025-03-31-accounts

REPORT FOR 2024/2025

Contents

A. Reference and Administrative Details of the charity Page 3
B. Structure, Governance and Management Page 6
C. Objective and Activities Page 11
D. Achievements and Performance Page 54 D. Achievements and Performance Page 54
E. Financial Review Page 72 E. Financial Review Page 72
F. Other Optional Information Page 82 F. Other Optional Information Page 82
G. Declaration Page 86 G. Declaration Page 86

A. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY

Charity Name: Laughter Africa

Other names charity is known by:

Registered charity number in UK: 1154712

Charity’s principal address in UK: 124 Princes Boulevard, Bebington, Wirral, CH63 5LP, UK

Charity’s Principal address in Sierra Leone: Laughter Africa, Adonkia, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity in Sierra Leone:

Trustee name Ofce (if any) Dates acted if not for whole
year		 Name of person (or body)
enttled to appoint trustee (if
any)
Aminata Sherif Chairperson of
Trustees
Amadu Alpha Bah Treasurer
James Tyrrell Secretary
Shellac Davies
Eric Massallay
Mira Koroma
Mariama Doe
Sinneh Bockarie
Alhaji Safeu Bah
Abubakarr B Sherif
Albert Daniel Gbow
Ansumana Konneh

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity in the UK

Trustee name Ofce (if any) Dates acted if not for
wholeyear		 Name of person (or body)
enttled to appoint trustee(if any)
James Tyrrell Chairperson of
Trustees
David Cartmell Treasurer
Mark Neal Secretary
Dr Anne-Marie Stead

Names and addresses of advisers

Type of Advisor Name Address
Bankers in the UK Royal Bank of Scotland 1 Dale Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L2 2PP
Bankers in Sierra
Leone
GTB		 12 Wilberforce Street, Freetown
Auditor in Sierra
Leone		 Peter Kamaray &Co 20 Wilberforce Street, Freetown

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Moses Sheriff (Director of Administration and Finance) (Sierra Leone)

Isata Samura (Director of the Interim Care Centre/ Director of Advocacy, Communications and Campaigns) (Sierra Leone)

Ansumana Tamba Lamin (Director of Family Tracing and Reunification) (Sierra Leone)

Abibatu Kamara (Director of Outreach) (Sierra Leone)

James Tyrrell (Country Director in the UK in a volunteer capacity)

B. STRUCTURE, GOVENANCE AND MANAGEMENT /ll/i i, FF 01git Plo7 - 4Tr1 ET AhlL Pa112013 *••r ' b•ip•7

Descripton of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document How the charity is constituted

Constitution adopted on 02/04/2013

Charitable Incorporated Organisation

Trustee selection Methods

The existing trustees are responsible for the recruitment of new trustees. Each new trustee must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of Laughter Africa.

Trustee training and inducton.

Once a new trustee has been appointed, they will be given all the necessary training in accordance with Laughter Africa’s ‘Trustee Induction Policy’ which outlines the induction, support and training programme involved. As well as training, the following documents will be given to a newly appointed trustee:

A number of publications from the Charity Commission are also provided including the guidance on Charity Law and Public Benefit, the new Charity Trustee Welcome Pack published by the Charity Commission in April 2018 and ‘The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do (CC3).’ This ensures that new trustees are aware of the scope of their responsibilities under the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities Act 2022 and to brief them on their legal

obligations.

Risk management

The Trustees in the UK have established a risk management policy for Laughter Africa. The key to Laughter Africa’s risk management policy is the ‘Corporate Risk Register and Assurance Framework’ which identifies the key risks pertinent to Laughter Africa in meeting its objectives and map out the key controls in place to manage them. The Risk Register is updated annually. The major risks to which Laughter Africa is exposed have been identified and reviewed: procedures have been established to mitigate those risks. The Trustees are confident that strong systems and procedures are in place to manage the risks that have been identified. The Risk Register is available for the Charity Commission to see upon request. Appropriate insurance cover is in place for Laughter Africa both in the UK and in Sierra Leone to cover every eventuality. Laughter Africa also insists that all staff and volunteers receive a DBS check (in the UK) or a Police Clearance certificate (in Sierra Leone) as part of the safeguarding policy and procedures. No safeguarding concerns were reported to Laughter Africa in 2024/25 due to the effective and robust safeguards that we have in place.

Trustee’s remuneraton

All of Laughter Africa trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefit for their work with Laughter Africa.

Laughter Africa’s organisatonal structure and how decisions are made

The principles of local ownership and local empowerment are at the heart of all Laughter Africa’s work. We have a local Trustee Board. It is important to everyone at Laughter Africa that only local Sierra Leonean staff are employed; thus supporting national capacity building and the long-term sustainability of our activities. The Trustees both in the UK and in Sierra Leone have delegated the running of Laughter Africa to the five Directors in Sierra Leone. The Directors are responsible for different departments:

All Directors are responsible for the day-to-day operation of Laughter Africa in Sierra Leone and managing the national staff and volunteers. The Directors report to the Trustees regularly and the Trustees delegate to the Directors accordingly. The Trustees are responsible for the overall direction and decision making of Laughter Africa. The Trustees are ultimately responsible in law for the charity, its assets and activities. They take responsibility in the following areas ensuring that:

Here is an Organogram of how decisions are made currently at Laughter Africa:

Laughter Africa’s Policies and procedures

The Trustees, staff and volunteers are also held accountable by the Laughter Africa constitution and all the internal policies which can be requested via the open information policy. The organisational policies include:

TreatngDonors FairlyPolicy Supporter Promise
Acceptance ofgifs and hospitality Environmental Policy
Data Protecton Policy (now updated to comply
with the GDPR ) and privacy policy.		 Evaluaton Policy
Dignity, Diversity and Equality Policy Complaints Handling Policy and Procedures
HIV Workplace Policy SafeguardingChildren Policy
Bullying and Harassment Policy Positon statement on vulnerability and
inequality
Health and Safety Risk Assessment Communicatons about children policy
Laughter Africa’s statement of Accountability Security policy
Laughter Africa’s safer recruitment statement Security manual
Laughter Africa’s human resources policy for all
staf working in Sierra Leone (This includes our
grievance policy, disciplinary policy, probaton
policy, redundancy policy, maternity leave,
paternity leave, annual leave policy, sick leave pol-
icies etc.. incompliance with Sierra Leonean law).		 Risk management policy
Laughter Africa’s vision, mission and values Trustee Inducton policy
Whistle blowingPolicy Register of Trustees
Staf Code of Behaviour CapabilityProcedures
Laughter Africa's serious incident reportng policy
and procedures		 Natonal staf job descriptons and
contracts
Confict of interestpolicy Trustee Declaraton Forms
Health and safety policy Volunteerpolicy
Security Manual version 2 Gender policy
Vehicle policy Laughter Africa’s volunteer handbook
Supply Chain Manual (procurement policy) Laughter Africa’s Open Informaton Policy
Security country plan for Sierra Leone Trustee Job Descriptons
Grievance Policy Disciplinary Policy
End of Contract Policy Redundancy Policy
Probaton Policy Working tme and ofce hours
Maternity Policy/ Paternity Policy Flexible working policy
Annual leave policy PSEAH policy
Adopton policy Sickness and Absence policy
Retrement Policy Time of for personal reasons policy
Laughter Africa's Social mediapolicy Trustee declaraton of interests forms

Please note that the financial policies are listed under the financial review (section E). Laughter Africa has every

applicable policy recommended by the Charity Commission.

C. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES 111,1 14

Summary of the Objects of Laughter Africa set out in its governing document The object of the CIO is the relief of poverty, particularly but not exclusively by the provision of housing, and the advancement of education for street children and other children or young people at risk in Africa. An explanation of Laughter Africa’s strategies for achieving the stated objectives Laughter Africa carries out a wide range of activities in pursuance of its charitable aims. The trustees consider that these activities provide benefit to street children aged 0 to 18. Laughter Africa works with street children in Freetown, Sierra Leone to fulfil their aspirations and to help them to bring about positive change in their lives. Laughter Africa delivers this objective through assisting children in leaving the streets, through the following three-phased approach:

  1. Outreach Work. This involves the social workers meeting the children living on the streets through day or night surveys. The first priority is dealing with the immediate needs of the street children. They may be hungry and need food. They may be ill or in need of medical care. They may be lonely or grieving and just need a listening ear. They may have been raped and need someone to talk to. They may be having legal trouble with the police or judiciary and need someone to advocate on their behalf. Whatever they need, Laughter Africa is willing to provide. Whilst Laughter Africa's trained social workers will try to encourage them to leave the streets, they are not forced to do so.

  2. The Interim Care Centre. The Laughter Africa Interim Care Centre is a safe place for street children to live while attempts are made to find their families. At the Interim Care Centre food, clothing, health care, education, counselling, support and other essentials are provided. Activities such as drama, music, sports, cultural dance, arts and crafts and cookery are also available. The Interim Care Centre is a place where the street children can be children and learn to laugh again.

  3. Home-tracing and family reunification work. This is an integral part of Laughter Africa's approach, through which social workers trace the street children’s families in the hope that the parties can be reunited. Reunification with their families is dependent on whether the family situation is safe and secure. If this is not the case, for instance if there is sexual or physical abuse known to have taken place, then an alternative long-term home will be found. Before reuniting a child with their family, we work with both parties to understand the reasons that led to the child turning to the streets in the first place. Our goal is to ensure that the child feels happier and the original issues that precipitated their move on to the streets are resolved. Once the children have returned home, Laughter Africa offers continued support and pays for their school fees and other school support until they finish their WASCE (the Sierra Leone equivalent of A-levels) or pays for vocational training - whichever option the child prefers. Social workers keep in touch with each child and their family to check on their progress and make sure that all is well. If any problems arise then the staff will intervene before the child is tempted to return to the streets again. Social workers visit the children at home at least once a quarter or more often if necessary.

Through its outreach work, establishment of a safe care centre and family reunification activities, Laughter Africa seeks to protect vulnerable children from the dangers of living on the streets, meet their basic health, education and nutrition needs, and ensure their long-term well being.

Activities

A summary of the main activities undertaken by Laughter Africa in order to carry out its charitable purposes for the public benefit:

The main premise of the work of Laughter Africa will never change: the outreach work; the Interim Care Centre and the Family Reunification work. As outlined in last years’ annual report, Laughter Africa is divided into five departments:

The Outreach department

Our new mobile project started in Tombo, a fishing community, on 10th February 2025 and finished at the end of June. Altogether we reached 315 street children (201 were girls; 114 were boys). It took about 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get back everyday from the Interim Care Centre as we don’t have a vehicle and used public transport. It would take three vehicles just to get there. The taxi would not leave until it had 6 passengers. Sometimes we could be waiting up to an hour for a taxi to leave.

Tombo in Sierra Leone is a coastal fishing town south-east of Freetown, primarily known for its vibrant fishing industry, which also serves as a major trade and transport hub. It is located on the southern coast of the Western Area Rural District, about 30 miles (49 km) southeast of Freetown.

Impact of the Covid riots

Tombo is famous because in 2020, there was a big riot over covid restrictions, and many people were killed. At least a quarter of the street children at mobile knew someone who died in the riots- either a family member or friend. For some this is the reason they turned to the streets in the first place. There have been other riots in Tombo as well since 2020. 17 year old Genevieve, one of the street champions said, “My mum died in the riots. The police shot her.” This story was repeated time and time again.

15 year old A also lost his dad in the riots. He said,

“I lived on the streets for about 5 years. I slept on the market tables at pepper wharf. I don’t know where my mum is or who she is—I have never met her. My dad was a fisherman. My dad and I moved from the village to Tombo to fish. He fought in the riots. He was shot by the police. I ran and hid up the hill. I spent three days hiding in the bush. When I returned to Tombo I saw his dead body.

The streets were not fine. I didn’t have a person that I could go to. The gangsters flogged me on the streets. The community boys would drive me when I wanted to play football with them. They said that I was dirty and smelled bad. I was always hungry unless I went to sea. I had no place to pull money. I would look for pan.

My friend Amara died while living on the streets. He died from kush. He was the same age as me. My other friend Sallay died on the streets after being caught stealing. They stabbed him in the neck with cutglass. I was arrested once as I stole money—400 leones.

A policeman gave me a choice from staying in a cell or letting him butterwaiss me so I chose butterwaiss (male sex). The gangsters would beat me and steal my fish.

To make money I would find pan with Abdulai or tote. Once I lay down with a man for money. I was hungry and crying at the wharf. A gangster came along and paid me for sex. He gave me 20 leones. On the streets, I would take tramadol. I would like to be a tailor.”

Impact of the fishing ban

The majority of the boys fish to make money, while the girls are heavily dependent on survival sex. Our mobile opened at exactly the right time as in February 2025 the government of Sierra Leone banned all fishing in Sierra Leone for the month of February. This meant that the street children who depend on fishing for their livelihoods were struggling even more than usual.

Positive impact of sports

We carried out our usual activities of sports, cultural dance and yoga as well as feeding over 100 street children per night. The sports they played included football, rounders, basketball, volleyball and badminton.

Every month, we held a sports tournament. We had four teams competing for victory; ‘Team Mobile’, ‘Team Africa’, ‘Team Laughter’ and ‘Team Tombo’. Team ‘mobile’ won the sports tournament for February and March while Team ‘Africa’ won the Tournament in April and May. All the players received medals. The captain of Team ‘Mobile’ was Solomon who is 16. He is amazing at every sport he plays. He has lived on the streets for three years, sleeping on the markets tables at Pepper Wharf. He went on the streets after the death of his mother. What I love about Solomon is that, even though he could just pick himself to represent his team all the time – he actually gives everyone a chance- no matter what their ability- even if it means they lose certain games.

Like most of the street children in Tombo, Solomon makes a living through fishing. He loves football and basketball and his favourite team is Barcelona. Previously Solomon took lots of different drugs- Kush, Tramadol and jamba. In fact, he was even arrested by the police and put in a cell for three days after they caught him smoking kush. He said,

“Football made me stop taking kush. My foot was swelling and it was affecting my ability to play. Football gave me the motivation to give up all of the drugs.”

It just shows the power of sport!

Solomon has been home for over six months. He has just started vocational school and he is studying electrical engineering!

Disease, illness, and providing medical assistance and awareness

The most common medical conditions that we see include sickle cell, malaria, typhoid. hepatitis, HIV, TB and different STIs. One of the most common conditions is rotting legs caused by kush addiction. From February 2025 until June 2025, we took all the young people at Tombo for different medical appointments including pre-natal checks, dentist appointments and hospital appointments. We wanted the young people to be in perfect health before they returned to their families at the end of June. Our nurse also carried out HIV and Hepatitis tests for all the young people at mobile so that they are aware of their statuses. We provided all the necessary counselling, medication and support necessary. 15 of the young people tested positive for Hepatitis and three tested positive for HIV.

We also provided medical treatment for a lot of the girls who gave birth from February to June 2025. If we were not there - they would have given birth on the streets, instead of a hospital. We also provided treatment to the babies/children of the young people as well. Three of the girls from mobile, S, S and M, needed emergency operations -one for hernia and two for problems with their appendix. Without us paying for the appendix operations, S and S would have died.

One girl M, 15, is epileptic and is constantly having fits. Her mum and dad are dead. Before she went on the streets she lived with her aunt. The reason she went on the streets is because her aunt rejected her because of her epilepsy. Her aunt thought her seizures were acts from the devil. M lived on the streets for 2 years. Sadly M is provoked a lot on the streets by the other young people who mock and make fun of her because of her condition. We took her to the hospital and she has started treatment to get her epilepsy under control. She said,

“You have given me my life back. Everyone used to look at me like I was a witch or a devil but now I can start to have a normal life.”

We reunified M with her family in June and since then we have paid for her to study tailoring!

Sierra Leone had a huge Mpox outbreak in 2025. As of the 28th November 2025, there were 5442 confirmed cases of mpox and 60 deaths as a result of mpox. Thankfully cases are now on the decline and the emergency has been declared over. During the height of the crisis, we decided to run an interactive training at our mobile project in Tombo in April about how to

recognise the symptoms and protecting yourself. We played ‘symptom charades,’ ‘protection Pictionary’ and ‘pass the virus’ among other activities such as quizzes and role play.

We are glad to say that our training worked - none of the street children in Tombo contracted mpox which is a huge achievement especially as street children were one of the most at-risk groups.

One of the boys who took part in the training was Kemoh. Kemoh is 18 years old. Before he went on the streets, he lived with his step-mum. His mother died of sick when he was young and he doesn’t know where his father lives. Kemoh lived on the streets for two years. Kemoh said,

“After the death of my mother, I went to live with my step mother. However, she beat me, she didn’t give me food, and she didn’t pay school for me. The violence and maltreatment I experienced is what led me to the streets.”

On the streets, Kemoh would take tramadol (also known as 225). To make money on the streets, Kemoh would sell fish at pepper wharf. Kemoh would carry a knife and he was a member of the gang RFM. One of his friends, Abu, died while living on the streets. He was killed in the riots at Mile 91. He was shot by the police. Kemoh was arrested once for fighting. He was in a cell for one night. He has since been reunified with his family and we are currently arranging school for him. He said,

“I loved the training about mpox especially all the different games like ‘Pictionary’ and ‘Guess the symptoms.’ I was one of the people who acted out the symptoms and people had to guess what the symptom was. I learned a lot from the training especially how one of the main ways that mpox spreads is through sex. It has made be a lot more careful as I definitely don't want mpox. I will tell my friends who weren’t here everything that I learned so that they don’t catch it either."

Supporting mothers and babies

Meanwhile in June 2025, we had a mother and baby training at mobile led by our staff Biba and Isata. Although we usually have the baby training in December in the ICC, we decided to have an earlier training in Tombo as so many of the girls had young children.

One girl who attended the training was Rosalind. She doesn’t know her age but we guess that she is around 20. Before she went on the streets, Rosalind lived with her aunt. Rosalind lived on the streets for 7 years. She said that the reason she

went on the streets is “my mum is crazy and my granny is dead and I don’t know who my father is.” She has a lot of

burns on her arms and chest from when she fell into hot water when she was younger. The streets were not an easy place for Rosalind. She experienced abuse and lost her best friend Isatu, who died from malaria. For her own safety Rosalind joined a gang- RFM – and would carry a knife for her protection.

She has given birth twice. Once to twins and another time to a baby girl called Nannah (who turned 2 at the end of November). Sadly the twins tragically died a few years ago. In her grief, Rosalind turned to tramadol and kush to numb the pain. Nannah gave Rosalind the strength and determination to leave drugs behind for good.

Rosalind is a fantastic mum, she really tries for her daughter and has sacrificed so much to be the best mum that she can be. She has a lovely way with Nannah. She is always patient which is not easy when you have an inquisitive and energetic two year old who is always getting up to mischief. The love she has for her daughter just radiates from her. Nannah is an enthusiastic bundle of joy who loves biscuits, baby shark and waving at people and she has already started saying quite a few words including ‘Five o.’ She also likes dancing and recently started singing the tune of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’ We recently bought her a few toys. Her favourite toys are her barbie doll and a Miss Piggy toy which plays the ‘Muppet Babies’ theme tune. She loves to pretend that her toys are her baby and she can be often seen carrying them on her back.

Nannah was very ill in August 2025 and nearly died. She also had a huge infected abscess. We paid the medical treatment for her and hospitalisation for two months. Rosalind stayed at her side the entire time, without complaint. Once she was released at the beginning of October, Nannah and Rosalind moved into the ICC where our nurse helped with her recovery. Rosalind said, “Being a mum is the only thing in life that I am a good at. I just want to provide for my daughter. She really is my everything. Thank you for saving her life. I don’t know what I would do if I had lost her too.”

Rosalind is pregnant again and we know that she will be a fantastic mum to her new baby too. Nannah was well enough to go home, so we reunited Rosalind with her family. We have already paid vocational school fees for Rosalind. She wants to be a tailor and we will do everything in our power to make sure that her dreams become a reality.

Offering valuable vocational training - hairdressing

Other activities we carried out at mobile included teaching the girls hairdressing throughout the month of May 2025, adding a valuable skill that they can use in the future. A lot of the girls discovered a passion for hairdressing during the sessions and many of them have now signed up to hairdressing courses at vocational schools. In fact for the academic year 2025/2026, 62 young people are learning hairdressing in different vocational schools.

One of them is our newest hairdressing student Kadiatu. She is 15 years old and we met her at our mobile project in Tombo earlier this year.

She said, “My mum died in 2020. After my mum died, I lived with my stepmother. My stepmum maltreated me. She made me sell bananas. She would beat me and didn’t pay school for me. I had no choice but to escape to the streets.” Kadiatu ended up living on the streets for two years. Kadiatu experienced a lot of suffering on the streets. She is still haunted by the death of her friend Fatmata. She said, “My friend Fatmata died while living on the streets. She was raped to death. She was only 16. The same men who killed her also chased after me but I ran away and left her. I felt so guilty that I didn’t stay and fight for her. But I have realised that I can’t blame myself. They would have killed me too. I did what I had to do to survive. I miss her everyday and I will never forget her. They never caught the men who killed her. They tossed her away like she was worth nothing, after they had finished. I have been sexually assaulted three times by different gangsters who smoked kush. I was the lucky one- I lived unlike Fatmata and so many other girls living on the streets. Because of what happened to Fatmata, I decided to carry a knife for protection while living on the streets.”

To make money on the streets, Kadiatu had to do whatever it took to survive. She would also pick plastic at the wharf. After all she experienced, Kadiatu turned to drugs to ease her pain including tramadol, jamba and Guinea snuff but she has stopped taking then since she returned home at the end of June. She said,

hairdressing so that I can provide for me and mi pikin [my child] I want to give my child the life that I never had. I am scared about the future but I know that I am not alone. Laughter will be there for me every step of the way.”

Sadly, Kadaitu lost her baby in December 2025.

We provide food at mobile for every young person. In fact, one of the most popular times for the children and young people at mobile is dinner time! This is especially true for Fatmata who loves her food! She said,

“My favourite part of mobile is the food. If it wasn’t for mobile, Mohamed (her 2 year old child) and I wouldn’t always eat. It takes a lot of my stress away knowing that every day I will be able to feed him at least one meal a day. It takes the pressure off me and the money I save on food, I can buy other things for him instead like pampers or medicine. Auntie Kadie is the best cook. My favourite food is casava leaf.”

Fatmata is 18 years old. She has scars over her body from an accident a few years ago. She was stealing from somebody and ran away but during her escape she was knocked down by a car.

Before she went on the streets, she lived with her aunty. Her mum is dead and she doesn’t know the whereabouts of her father. She’s lived on the streets for 5 years. Fatmata said,

“My papa left and then my mum died when I was 12. My aunt took me but she did not treat me fine. She paid school for my cousin but not for me. She made me sell and she beat me.”

On the streets, Fatmata experienced a lot.

“My friend Isha was raped to death. I was also attacked over five different times by different fishermen. I don’t know who the father of my son is. To make money, I had to do things that I never wanted to do. Be with people who I didn’t want to be with. Just to raise the money I needed to provide for Mohamed. The police arrested me for stealing once. I have been pregnant twice but I lost the first baby I carried. To look after my son, I carry a knife at all times. To cope with everything I have been through I would take tramadol. It just helped me relax for a bit and forget about my problems.”

Violence and murder

The violence from the street has never been more apparent than when talking to the boys, including multiple stories of horrific murders. One of the boys living on the streets was caught stealing so the people he was stealing from, nailed him to a tree and he died. He was literally crucified. Afterwards they threw his body in the sea to hide all the evidence. A lot of the boys had friends who were caught stealing. As a result they were thrown into the sea with their hands and feet tied together

and drowned.

Paying it forward - kindness and generosity from the community

My favourite moment from the whole mobile project in Tombo is the story about the local sports field. Usually you would have to pay to hire it. However, we got the field completely free. It turns out the caretaker of the field, Dominic, is the father of one of our old girls from Bomeh, Regina, and the grandfather of one of our old kids, Amidu. We reunified them both last year in Tombo and have paid school fees for them both. He knows that we are genuine so he didn't charge us a penny. He said. "The field is yours. Anytime you want to use it." I love the idea of paying it forward. And Dominic was true to his word: whenever we wanted the field- it was ours- free of charge. It was the perfect location for our sports tournament. Regina gave birth to Abdul in April and is happily attending vocational school. She graduated in December 2025 and received a business starter pack from Laughter which included a sewing machine and different lappa.

My other favourite moment is the kindness showed to us by the young people themselves. Saidu, one of the street champions, gave me a coconut to say thank you for everything we have done for him. He climbed up a tree and picked it himself. When we first met him - he couldn’t see properly. It turns out that he had loa loa worms in his eyes. Even when he closed his eyes, he could see them moving. Now thanks to the medicine we bought him, he can see perfectly again. Saidu also presented me with a bag of dead locusts for the boys in the Interim Care Centre to eat. It is a delicacy loved by the kids in Tombo. He just wanted the boys in the ICC to know that they weren’t forgotten. Saidu definitely paid it forward!

Similarly, Bio, the long lost nephew of the President of Sierra Leone who also lives on the street, gave me a coconut which he picked himself, to say thank you. Bio’s father was the older brother of the president, but after his father died, Bio and his mother lost touch with that side of the family. They even look alike. He’s actually named after the president.

Helping children with disabilities

This year at our mobile project in Tombo, we met three remarkable young people living with different disabilities. Two were blind in one eye while one girl, Isata, had severe learning difficulties. She’s not even able to talk. We believe that her mother was infected with zika virus while she was pregnant with Isata. We believe that she is around 16 years old. We reunified her with her family and she has just started to learn tailoring. She is always smiling and is always a delight to have a round.

There were also two boys who were blind in one eye, B and Ibrahim. Ibrahim, 17, lost his mother when she died in a motorcar accident and he has had no contact with his dad since he was born. Ibrahim had lived on the streets for 5 years. In the streets, Ibrahim took tramadol and smoked jamba. Ibrahim was arrested once for taking tramadol. To make money on the streets, Ibrahim would grind groundnut in the market and he would also dreg. Ibrahim carried a knife for protection. His friend Abdulai died while living on the streets. He drowned.

18 year old B lived on the streets for 3 and half years since he was 14 years old. His dad died years ago. He went on the streets after stealing from his uncle. To make money on the streets, Bio would pick plastic and rubber and collect cup cup (aluminium tin cans). He would take tramadol and jamba.

He was once arrested for smoking kush. For his protection, he would carry a weapon. He said,

“I feel scared. Being blind in one eye is very dangerous especially living on the streets. Lots of people have taken advantage of me and taken me by surprise. I was sexually assaulted by three gangsters once. They tied my hands so that I couldn’t fight back. I didn’t go to the police. It made me very sad. They wouldn’t have done it if I could see properly- I would have fought them back but they knew that I was vulnerable and weak especially at night when its dark and it’s even harder for me to see.”

This is why we were determined to try to improve their eyesight in some way. We took them to the eye hospital lots of times. B was delighted when we bought him some glasses on the recommendation of his doctors. B told us that the glasses made him feel a lot safer and protected on the streets. Thankfully both Ibrahim and B are back at home now and attending school.

Other stories of impact and change

At the end of June, we reunified 173 street children living in Tombo. One of the children we reunified is 15 year old Umuro. He is a complete cheeky chappie and always has a huge grin on his face. Every time we saw Umuro he was wearing the same T-shirt. A political T-shirt with President Bio on the front which he got free during the election. He never took it off. It was completely filthy. The only time he wore a new t-shirt was when he was paid 120 leones for fishing and he bought a new pair of shorts and a T-shirt which he proudly showed off. He would sleep on the fishing boats. His mum is dead and he doesn’t know where his father is so he lived with his grandmother, before turning to the streets. He doesn’t know how long he has lived on the streets but he thinks a few years. To make money on the streets, Umuro would fish and pick up iron and rubber. His friend, Yusif, died while living on the streets. He drowned. Umuro was arrested once by the police. A phone went missing where he was sleeping and the police arrested him and his friends. He was kept in a cell in Tombo for over a month from mid April until May 2025. According to Umuro, the police would beat him regularly– they would take him to the tent. We have never met anyone who loves their granny so much. He would constantly worry about her as she is sick and elderly. We were delighted to reunify the pair of them again- it was probably his happiest moment in a long time!

We still provide medical treatment for the street children who live on the streets in other areas where we have previously worked.

At the end of September 2025, one of our old young people Ramadan turned up with another old boy, O. He was literally carrying O on his back. We have known O for the last 10 years. O was living on the streets and was completely ravaged by HIV, TB and hepatitis. I have never seen somebody so near death. When he came he could hardly talk- he was breathing so shallow. I didn’t have much hope that he would survive! Ramadan said,

”I passed O on the street. He was coughing and looked so sick. I couldn’t abandon him. I knew that he was my Laughter brother so I decided to bring him to Laughter so that he could get the help he needed.”

Ramadan paid the transport for both himself and O which wasn’t cheap but he was determined to help O in anyway he could.

Sadly O lost his mum, S, in February 2025. He was completely devoted to his mother and we knew her very well. She was a good woman. After her death, he gave up all hope.

Thankfully after we admitted O to hospital, we saw a 360 degree turn in his condition. He has put on weight and he is talking

and walking like normal. He is now an outpatient and is attending hospital everyday to get his treatment. He turns up everyday without fail.

In even better news, O is back at home with his stepfather and once his health has improved, we will be paying vocational school for him, giving him a fresh start and a new focus. Its thanks to Ramadan that O is still alive and fighting fit. O said,

“I will never forget the kindness of Ramadan. He could have walked past and left me to die- like so many people did. You should have seen how people treated me. They called me names, they drove me away. They told me to just “Go and die in a corner.” They were scared of me in case they caught something. I was like a leper and rejected by everyone. But Ramadan didn’t. He picked me up and carried me on his back. He is my hero and I will never forget his kindness. I had given up all hope- now I know that this is just the beginning. I have a second chance!”

Interim Care Centre (ICC)

When children are ready to leave the streets, they stay with us, temporarily, at the Interim Care Centre in Adonkia, a coastal town about nine miles south-west of Freetown. It is the heartbeat of Laughter Africa – we couldn’t do our work without it. The ICC is refuge, a safe place for them to escape, to heal, to learn new skills and most of all let them be children again. It gives them a chance just to be.

Since the last annual report (published in December 2024) until the end of June 2025, we have welcomed 40 children and young people into the ICC - 12 were girls while 28 were boys. All the children lived on the streets of Tombo. They only stay at the ICC for a month.

The brutal realities of street life - stories from children at the ICC

“I don’t know my age but I think I am around 13. I lived on the streets for about three years. I slept on the table at Pepper Wharf. I went on the streets after my mum drove me. She discovered I was HIV positive. She said I was dead to her and I brought shame to our family. She told me that I disgusted her and she no longer had a son. I am her only child yet she still drove me. My dad died the day I was born so it has always just been the two of us against the world. I contracted HIV when was at home. I was late on the streets one night and two gangsters raped me. They were wearing facemasks. A few weeks after the attack, I was feeling sick so my mum took me to hospital where they diagnosed me being HIV positive. The streets were not fine. There are too many disadvantages on the streets. One of my friends was killed on the streets. Hs name was Bodor. He stole money but they caught him. They tied his hands and his feet and threw him into the sea. He drowned.

Sometimes the police would beat me. They said that we aren’t allowed to go to sea at night. They found me at sea and beat me. Sometimes they would take me to the tent and beat me. On the streets, I was raped twice by gangsters. To make money on the streets I would fish or help the fishermen at the wharf and hold the rope. I am a member of RFM— they used to send me to steal. On the streets I would take trama but I smoked Kush once. One day I would like to be a doctor. I want to help kids who have HIV+ like I do. I want to find a cure and stop their suffering. I want to show them that having HIV is not a death sentence and we can lead a normal life.” This story was shared with us in May 2025 by one of the boys who came to the Interim Care Centre. The day he shared his story, he didn’t stop crying for over an hour. He had been rejected by everyone he had ever loved and left alone on the streets, sick, rejected and scared. It was such a relief for him to share his story and be listened to without stigma and judgement. And that is what the ICC is for. A place of rest and recovery. A place to heal and feel accepted. He is now back home living happily with a family member and attending school. We also welcomed to the ICC, a cheeky chappie called A. He too doesn’t know his age but he thinks that he is 13 or 14 years old. He said, “ Before I went on the streets, I lived with my mum. Whenever I did something wrong, she wouldn’t give me food as a punishment. So I stole her expensive new shoes. I sold them for 400 leones. I bought food to eat, a bike and gambled so she drove me from the house. My dad died in the sea. He was a fishermen. I was small when he died. My mum would beat me and made me sell — banana and coal. Abubakarr looked after me and introduced me to street life. The policemen beat me on my first day on the streets. No one would go with me to beg my mama. The streets are not fine. I lived on the streets for 4 years. I slept by pepper wharf by the chains. There are lots of disadvantages. Unless you dreg (do odd jobs) — you don’t get money. When you tote (carry loads) for people - the money is small or they won’t pay us at all. One of my friends who lived on the street was Almammy. He stole fuel money from the boat men. The boat men found out. They tied him to a chain and a stone and dropped him in the water. He drowned. Another boy living on the street stole and he was caught. They nailed his hands and his feet to a tree. It happened at night and threw his body in the sea. I stole fish once so the policeman butterwaissed me. I felt really bad– I cried. To make money on the street, I would dreg and help the fishermen at the wharf. I am a member of RFM. I would steal phones for them. I would take 225 aka tramadol. In the future, I want to be a tailor.” Now A has been home nearly 6 months and is happily learning tailoring. For the first time in years he is optimistic about his future. We heard so many stories like the two above. We can’t include them all otherwise this annual report would be about a thousand pages long. But the sexual violence and torture experienced by these young people was excruciating. The female street children also suffered immeasurable pain and suffering. Here is a brief breakdown of their reasons for migrating to the streets and their experiences while living on the streets:

Reasons for migrating to the streets

Most of the young people in the ICC didn’t know where their mum and dad were so they lived with different family members. 25% of the boys lived with their uncles or aunts; 11% lived with a step-parent; 18% lived with their grandmothers while 11% lived with a sibling. Only 29% of the boys lived with their mums. Meanwhile 50% of the girls lived with their aunts or uncles; 25% of the girls lived with their grandmothers while 17% lived with a stepparent. Only 8% of the girls lived with their parent. Parental death was a major factor for the young people not living with their parents. For instance, 16 year old IS said,

“My mum died during an operation. She was pregnant. Her baby died as well. My dad died of a snake bite so I lived with my sister. “

Similarly, 14 year old A said,

“I lived on the streets for about 5 years. I slept on the streets in Pepper Wharf, under the chains. My mum died of Ebola while my dad drowned when I was small so I lived with my aunt. ”

14% of the boys had lost their mother while 29% of the boys had lost their father. A lot of the fathers of the young people we met had drowned showing how dangerous fishing can be in Sierra Leone. For the girls, 50% had lost their mothers. One girl, 17 year old G said,

“My mum died in the riots. The police shot her. I don’t know who my father is so I had nowhere to go.”

Meanwhile 8% of the girls had lost their fathers. A few girls mentioned that their fathers had died through their use of kush.

Probably the biggest reason for migration to the streets for both boys and girls is Men Pikin, which is where children are not brought up by their biological parents.

Another factor for migration to the streets involved physical violence against the young person. Usually this was interconnected with child labour. The young person usually lost money while engaged in selling and was therefore beaten as a consequence by their caregiver. 75% of the girls had been beaten at home while 57% of the boys had.

Child labour was another commonly cited reason for migration to the streets. 67% of the girls cited it as key factor while 54% of boys did. Child labour usually involved selling different items such as cold water, biscuits, mint, pepper among many more. This also involved being responsible for all the domestic work such as fetching water, washing clothes or cleaning the house.

46% of the boys cited the fact that they had solen something from the house as a key factor in migrating to the streets. This usually involved money although one boy admitted stealing a goat. None of the girls admitted to stealing as being a factor in migration.

The fact their care giver hadn’t paid school fees was a big factor in migration to the streets. 58% of the girls and 36% of the boys mentioned this as a reason. One complaint was that the caregiver paid school fees for their own biological children and not for them.

32% of boys and 67% of the girls mentioned maltreatment as a factor in migration. This involved lots of different things. However, the most common complaint in this category was that the young person was not given enough food to eat. This complaint was usually mentioned by those young people not living with their biological parents.

This was only a reason cited by the girls (8%). For instance, H said, “The reason I went on the streets is because my aunts’ son raped me. When I told my aunt she didn’t believe me and told me to f##k off.”

Other reasons cited for migration included parental drug addiction (8%), caregiver mental health issue (8%) and grandmothers being to old to look after her grandchildren properly (17%)

• Age

The ages of the boys in the Interim Care Centre were between 11 and 16. 36% didn’t know their ages. However the average age was 14. Meanwhile the ages of the girls in the Interim Care Centre ranged from 12 to 15. 33% of girls didn’t know their ages. Again the average age was 14.

For the boys in the Interim Care Centre, the length of time they lived on the streets varied from one year to five years; 32% had lived on the streets for 2 years, 25% had lived on the streets for 3 years and 21% had lived on the streets for 5 years. For the girls in the Interim Care Centre, the length of time they lived on the streets varied from five months to 4 years. 58% had lived on the streets for 2 years.

Experiences on the streets

Interestingly the most popular drug of choice by far for both the girls (42%) and boys (89%) was tramadol. This is probably an encouraging sign that more young people are now more aware of the risks of Kush. Some of the young people had seen the devastating effects of Kush on their families which had acted as a deterrent. For instance, a few mentioned that their fathers had died from kush while others mentioned that they had had seen friends die from kush while living on the streets. In fact

sensitisation needs to focus on others as well such as tramadol. Interestingly, one boy 19 year old A, said he gave up kush for two reasons, “I gave up kush as three of my friends died from kush. I didn’t want to die too. Another reason is because kush makes it hard to have an erection.”

79% of the boys had at least one friend who died while living on the streets. The most popular cause of death was being murdered as a result of being caught stealing (36%). At least three of the boys had friends who were crucified after being caught stealing. The bodies of their friends were then thrown into the ocean to destroy all the evidence. Another common way of killing the street children was by tying their hands and legs together and throwing them into the wharf. They would then drown. Another common method of killing street children was using a cutglass ( a bit like a sword) to stab them. For instance, M said,

“My friend, Abu, who lived on the streets died. He stole and the people who he was stealing from caught him. They used cutglass to chop off his hands.”

Meanwhile 14 year old A said,

“My friend Abdulai died after being beaten and chapped (stabbed) with a cutglass.”

The second cause of death was from drug use, particularly kush, although some did die from tramadol too (32%). The next cause of death was fishing related accidents such as drownings (18%). There were also one-off causes of death mentioned by the boys including tetanus, motorcar accidents and shootings. For instance, one boy K said,

“One of my friends, Abu, died while living on the streets. He was killed in the riots at Mile 91. He was shot by the police.”

Meanwhile among the girls, 100% of them had at least one friend who died while living on the streets. The most cause of death among the girls was sexual violence (67%). The most common heard phrase was “My friend was raped to death.” Some of their friends who had been ‘raped to death’ were just 11 years old. Some of their friends were beaten to death as they refused to have sex with men.

The next cause of death was kush related deaths (25%) while 17% of all deaths were a result of sicknesses such as cold, hepatitis, AIDS related illness or “belly hurts.” One girl had a friend who died after problems with her appendix while two other girls had friends who died in motorcar accidents. One girl R said,

“My friend Aminata died while living on the streets. She was shot dead by the police during the riots in Tombo.”

• Police Brutality

67% of girls admitted to being raped by the police while 7% of boys were sexually assaulted by the police. Usually the sexual assaults happened in the police station. The young people had been arrested for a crime, usually loitering, stealing or fighting and the only way they would be released was if they slept with the policemen. 96% of boys complained that the police would beat them whereas only 33% of the girls made the same complaint. What came to light during our interviews was that the police would take the boys to a special place called the “Tent.” One boy said,

“The police beat me boku. They would take me to the tent. They would beat me with a cable or rope.”

Another boy said,

“The police wicked me. The police beat me when they found me lying on the table. They would beat me and then take me to the tent for more beating.“

The justification given by the police to the boys were, “ no pikin should sleep on the street.”

• Rape

100% of the girls had been sexually assaulted on the streets either by fishermen, Kush men or local gangsters while 18% of the boys admitted to being raped by gangsters. One girl R had been raped 7 times by different local fishermen. One boy, M said,

“I was raped by a gangster. Afterwards I sat and cried. I had no place to complain - the poIice wouldn’t take it

seriously.”

While another boy S said,

“I was raped once on the streets by two gangsters. They ran after me. After they raped me, they threw 20 leones at me afterwards. I didn’t feel fine. I was bleeding heavily in my bottom.”

Another boy, A, who was addicted to kush at the time admitted that he had been raped by a gangster once when he was high

on kush, “I was nearly unconscious and I couldn’t fight back. This was another reason why I gave up kush.”

The boys (57%) were more likely to complain that the gangsters would beat them and steal their money.

• Income generation

To make money on the streets, the majority of boys would fish or help out the fishermen in other ways (57%). Usually they would be given money or fish in lieu of payment. They could sell some fish for 30 to 50 leones. The next popular activity to make money was carrying loads for people or “toting” (36%). Other ways of making money included:

Only three boys engaged in survival sex. For one boy, it was a one off. It was not a regular occurrence. The other boy was called S. He is 13 years old. Before he went on the streets, he lived with his aunt. His mum died in a motorcar accident while his father drowned while fishing. He has been living on the streets for three years. He said,

“After my mother died, I went to live with my granny but my granny sent me to my Aunt in the village. My aunt maltreated me, she made me sell plastic, she beat me and I’d only get food if I worked. On the streets, I lived by the kush den. I would smoke kush and take tramadol. To make money I would lay down with men, just so I would have enough money for kush. I would also dreg. I carried a weapon on the streets for protection—a blade. I was constantly beaten by the kush gangsters. On the streets, I was raped three times by the kush men. I was completely out of it on Kush- I couldn’t fight back . I am a member of the gang RFM.”

He said,

“Mobile was the one place that I knew I was safe. I knew that thanks to mobile I would be able to eat at least one meal per day, that I could drink water, receive medical treatment. No one hurt me at mobile or judged me. I wasn’t a kush bobo or drug addict at mobile – I was just S. No one looked down their nose at me. Kush took over my life and I made decisions that I wouldn’t normally make. All I could think about was where I was going to get my next fix. Its not easy giving up Kush but I did it. I am a survivor. I am a changed man. Laughter made me realise that I am a somebody and I do have a future. They gave me the strength to quit Kush. To believe in better for myself. If it wasn’t for mobile, I would be dead by now.”

Thankfully S has now been home for 6 months now and is happily attending school and the streets are a distant memory. Another boy, 17 year old U, was the only out member of the LGBTQ community in Tombo. He admitted to engaging in survival sex. He would receive 20 leones each time. This was his main way of survival on the streets. U lived on the streets for the last 3 years - since he was 14 years old. We first met him this year on the streets of Tombo. Despite the challenges he has faced in life, U is always infectiously happy and positive.

He said,

“My Dad was addicted to kush so my Mum and Dad separated. I went to live with my mum as at that time, my dad wasn’t able to look after me. Sadly my mum maltreated me and would beat me so I went to live with my aunty. However, she maltreated me too. She made me sell groundnut and beat me. She didn’t pay school for me and didn’t give me food. It got even worse after she found out that I was gay. She called me a witch and told me that I was bringing shame on my family. She called me disgusting and so many other hurtful words. She even took me to Dems (the young offenders centre in Freetown). I couldn’t stay in a house where I was treated with nothing but hate for just being who I am.”

On the streets, U went through a lot. His friend Sorie, 17, who lived on the streets with him died after complications from his kush addiction. To survive, U had no choice but to sell himself or to tote (carry heavy loads for people). As a coping mechanism, U would take tramadol and jamba which would numb the pain of what he’d been through. He was arrested once for fighting at the wharf but he ran away before he was put in a cell. For his own protection, he would carry a knife and a nail in case he was ever attacked. He was also a member of a gang- RFM- which he joined for extra protection. When U came to mobile, he found a safe space where he could stay without judgement, fear or discrimination. He could just be himself without pretending. He said,

“The cultural dance sessions are my favourite bit of mobile. I love dancing. It makes me forget about everything I have been through. For two hours, I just dance my worries away. Its great exercise and most of all I have a great laugh. I have learned so much from Uncle Joseph (the dance teacher).”

For now, U is living back with a supportive family member. We paid school for him in November 2025. For the future, U said,

“I haven’t told many people that I am gay. I have a nice boyfriend but we meet in secret. But I am scared if anybody finds out. Look at how my aunt treated me and she is meant to love me. I don’t want to be rejected by my friends, be discriminated against, end up in jail or worse. I didn’t choose to be gay. Just because I love men doesn’t mean that I should be treated differently from anybody else. I am exactly the same as anybody else- the only difference is who I love. I hope that one day in my lifetime, people like me will be accepted by everybody in Sierra Leone.”

Meanwhile the main source of income for girls was survival sex. 92% of the girls did so. They received anything between 5 and 25 leones each time. However, a lot of the men they had sex with did not pay them. Instead they would beat them. Sadly one girl B, once miscarried as she was beaten by a client when she was pregnant. Another girl, N, was beaten so badly by a client that he broke her arm. Picking plastic (50%) was another popular activity for the girls to raise money. Other ways of making money included:

75% of the boys slept at Pepper Wharf either under the fishing chains, on the market tables, or near where they smoke kush. Other places they slept in Tombo included:

There were two major gangs in Tombo: RFM and Black Leo. 54% of the boys were a member of a gang while 58% of girls were. For girls there was a sexual component to their membership. As one girl said, “To join I had to lay down with the different members.”

Meanwhile the boys had different roles within the gangs. Some would fight, others would be sent out to steal.

Activities and events at the ICC

Activities carried out in the ICC are the same as outlined in previous year’s annual reports and include:

One of the most popular events in the Interim Care Centre is the Annual Easter Egg hunt. This year, MJ, my godson, found 11 chocolate eggs while in second place was Abass who found 6 eggs. Abass has a very sweet tooth so was delighted with his victory!!! We first met Abass at our mobile project in Tombo in February and brought him to the centre in March. He’s

14 years old and lived on the streets for 5 years. He lived on the streets in Lumley and Tombo. In Tombo, he lived on the

streets in Pepper wharf, sleeping on the market tables. His father died when he was small. Abass went on the streets after he stole his mum’s money– 400 leones. He said,

“The streets are not nice! When you have money the bigger boys seize advantage of us. The police beat us and say “Go

back to your mother’s house.” To make money on the streets, I would wash pans and plates for people, I would tote or fish. I am a member of RFM (a local gang). They send us to steal slippers and clothes from the market. On the streets, I would take tramadol.

Now Abass is back home with his mum and attending school every day. He was elected as a street champion at the election in Tombo. He is a natural leader and has high hopes for his future - he wants to be a bank manager! I have no doubt that he will succeed! Abass said,

“I loved the Easter Egg hunt. I have never done one before and I loved the chocolate! It was really yummy. I shared my

eggs with all my friends who didn’t find any chocolate so that they could some too. We had to eat them all quickly before they melted though.”

Another boy who took part in the Easter Egg hunt was 13 year old Mohamed. Mohamed lived on the streets for two years before we met him at our mobile project in Tombo. He slept on the market table where they sell fish in Pepper Wharf. He has never been to school. Before he went on the streets, he lived with his mum. She would wake him early to make cake and then he would have to sell the cake. If he lost money, she would beat him. He wouldn’t get much food at home either. He said,

”I did not like the streets. There is sufferness in the street. To make money I would find iron to sell. I would take tramadol. One of my friends, Abu, died while living on the streets. He went to steal but they caught him so they tied him up and threw him in the sea and he drowned.”

Mohamed said, “I loved the chocolate. It was sweet. The Easter egg hunt was my favourite day in the centre.”

The amount of laughter I heard during the Easter egg hunt just proved to me how special the gift of sweets really is! I haven’t seen the kids that excited in years- it was like they were hunting for gold!

Our young people giving back to the ICC

What we love about the ICC is seeing so many of our old young people giving back in some way. For instance, one of the first kids we ever worked with was Sorie F, who is studying social work at university. In March, April and May 2025, he volunteered every Sunday in the ICC, just so he could get more practical experience. He is fantastic and had a real connection with the boys. Similarly, one of our old girls, Jenneh, who is about to graduate from vocational school, came to the ICC to teach the young people how to make carpets in March, April, May, June 2025. One of our young people Junior who we have known since 2017, came to teach the girls in June 2025 how to carry out pedicures and manicures! It’s so rewarding to see our old kids use their talents and become young leaders to inspire the next generation of street children.

This year the boys in the Interim Care Centre joined a local football league in Adonkia. They absolutely loved being part of the community in this way (especially when they won!). When the boys left, we saw them swapping phone numbers with one of the local teenagers who they were playing football against in the league every week. They said, “He's our coach - he is going to arrange some games for us.” They really did make life-long friends while staying in the Interim care Centre. The team captain for the boys was Almammy. He is football mad! He doesn’t know his age but we guess that he is 14 years old. He said,

“I lived on the streets for about 5 years. I slept on the streets in Pepper Wharf, under the chains. My mum died of Ebola while my dad drowned when I was small. I lived with my aunt. My aunt would make me sell puff cake and she would also beat me. She didn’t pay school for me. I was accused of stealing money from my aunt but it was her own son. But he lied and said that it was me so I ran away.”

Almammy said,

“ I love watching Barcelona and Real Madrid play. My favourite player is Lamine Yamal. I love playing football. I used to play football on the streets with my friends. The street kids would play against the community kids. It brought us together and for those 90 minutes- there was no difference between us- just lads playing together as a team. One day I want to be either a footballer or a lawyer.”

Almammy’s Laughter nickname is Mango Boy as once he came to mobile and gave the staff some mangoes to say thank you for all we had done for him! He was very appreciative and used what little money he had to buy the mangoes. He could have spent that money on anything else but he chose to spend it on us. We also allowed the boys to watch international football matches at the local cinemas. They particularly loved watching Barcelona and Real Madrid. There were a lot of Lamine Yamal fans!

Family Tracing and Reunifcaton Department (FTR)

• 173 children reunified with family members

The FTR department duties are still the same as outlined in last year’s annual report. The FTR department’s role is to trace the street children’s families and reunify them. Between 1st January 2025 and now, we reunified 173 street children with their families. One boy who was delighted to be reunified with his family was 14 year old Abdulrahman. He said,

“I lived on the streets for 3 years. I lived on the streets at Pepper wharf, sleeping on the market tables. I don’t know where my mama and papa are so I lived with my grandmother. When my grandmother died, I went on the streets. When I went to my aunt for help, she drove me saying that I was a ’streetna.’

Abdulrahman faced a lot on the streets including the death of his friend and horrific violence. He said,

“My friend Abubakarr died while living on the streets. He stole a chain. They caught him and took him to the sea and tied his legs and threw him into the water. He drowned. The gangsters were always beating me. They wanted to sleep in the

place where I was sleeping so they beat me so that I would move. Thats why I started taking tramadol- to stop the pain from the beatings.”

To survive Abdulrahman would fish. In 2025, Abdulrahman was reunified with his family. He said.

“Laughter took me home to family and gave me hope. Now I am going to school and I am about to sit my NPSE exam. In

the future want to be a pilot.”

School fees, educational support, and accessibility initiatives

This department is responsible for the payment of school and vocational school fees. Between 1st September 2024 and July 2025, we provided school supply to approximately 678 young people and paid university fees for 16 young people. We paid fees for new schools or new vocational schools for 355 young people. The rest were continuing students. Meanwhile we paid uniforms for 583 young people. We also provided text books for 135 young people who sat external exams in 2025 and paid extra lessons for 123 students. 19 year old Musa received text books for his WASCE earlier this year. We met him on the streets in Grafton in 2023. He said,

“I lived on the streets for three years. I don’t know anything about my mum and dad. No one in my family will ever tell me about them. Whenever I ask about them, they get vex. I lived with my granny. She treated me nicely but as she got older she couldn’t provide for me anymore so I went on the streets.”

Musa confirmed that the streets are not as easy place to live,

“The streets are not fine. All about the streets is pain and loss. The streets do not pay. One day enjoyment, one day loss. I

would bloom and blye, throw dirty and find iron and cup cup. I slept under market tables. The mosquitos would bite me too much.”

With no other way to make money on the streets, Musa turned to a life of crime, just to survive. He said,

“I was a thief man on the streets – I would thief the plasas from market sellers and sell it. I would also steal people’s phones and rice money. I would pretend in the market that the police were coming and sellers would leave their phones in a panic. I was stabbed in the leg and the neck. I was stabbed by the person who I tried to rob. I stabbed someone in the arm once when I was robbing their phone.”

To find a sense of belonging, Musa joined a local gang, “I was in a gang – diamond clique. To join the gang, they test you first. I had to have a trial. To join they had to slap me. My response to the slaps made them choose me. I grabbed a bench and I hit the person slapping me with a bench three times. They liked my speed. I was arrested 3 times on the streets. The first thing you notice when you go in a cell is the smell. Its so overwhelming. I have never smelt anything like it. I got into a lot of fights in the cell as the other prisoners beat me and I tried to fight back. But they were bigger than me. The cell is like the devil’s hole. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

He experienced a lot while on the street, “On the streets, I took panda, cocaine and Kush. During corona, two of my paddies died- Joshua and Governor. An ambulance came and took them. I don’t know what they died from.”

Since we took him home in 2023, Musa has impressed us by his determination and willingness to change and we can’t wait to see where he ends up in the future. He was so grateful for the text books,

“Thank you so much for the text books. They were a massive help in my exams. I did really well in my exams. If you had told me three years ago that I would have sat the WACSE- I would never have believed you. Now look at me.” One boy who was given text books for BECE was 16 year old Samuel. Samuel went on the streets after he lost money when he was involved in child labour. He was scared to go back home and face the wrath of his family. He lived on the streets in Bomeh for one year. He said,

“The streets were not nice. I used to sleep on a rubbish dump. The smell is something else. After a time you get used the smell but it takes a while…. We are suffering on the streets. We were cold, we had no shelter and no clothes. To survive I would pick plastic, rubber and iron. I would take tramadol and smoke jamba.”

Samuel had this message for Laughter Africa supporters,

“Thank you because I am now at home. I am a changed man. They made me realise that I am a somebody. I want to be lawyer in the future so the text books I got really helped me. I want God to provide for them for them to continue to support me.”

Meanwhile we gave Rasta a set of text books for his NPSE earlier this year. We first met Rasta living on the streets in 2018 when he was about 5 years old. He had never been to school when we met him. He ended up on the streets after his mother had issues with alcohol and was unable to care for him. However, we have been paying school for him ever since! He sat his NPSE exams in May and not only did pass- he smashed them. He started secondary school this September. He said, "Thank you so much for paying school for me over the last 7 years. When I was on the streets, I used to see other piken go to school and I used to cry as I couldn't go. But now I have finished primary school. I can't believe it. I can't wait to go to Junior secondary school. The text books helped me study for my exams and were a big help so thank you.”

The FTR team also give extra support to the most vulnerable children, which can include transportation costs, lunch, bikes, bags of rice, mattresses, ‘help a baby basket’ support kits, rental costs or wheelchairs. One example of those children who received a bike recently was 16 year old Gbassay who lives in a remote village in the middle of nowhere. Thanks to the gift of a bike he is now able to get to school every day.

He first went on the streets aged 10 after the death of his mum. After his mum died, he moved in with an aunt who maltreated him. She forced him into child labour and used to beat him whenever he lost money. He lived on the streets for 3 years until Laughter found him and reunified him with his grandparents. His grandparents are farmers who live in a village where they plant rice and groundnut.

On the streets, Gbessay went through a lot. He suffered abuse and he also watched two of his friends- Mohamed and Abdul die on the streets from different sicknesses. To make money he would help the blind beggars beg, tote (carry heavy loads) or collect plastic. He would be beaten by the local gangsters regularly and they would try and steal his money. He was raped by the police while living on the streets. He said,

“When I slept outside. They would butterwaiss me. If I didn’t do it - then they would arrest me. It happened once. There were two policemen. It made me angry and sad. My waiss was hurting.”

Gbassay has stayed home for the last three years and we were delighted to buy him a bike. He said,

“Every day I am beaten at school for being late. My village is an hour and a half away from my school. I tell you plenti tenki for my bike. May God bless you. I will take very good care of it. This bike is the best present I have ever had and means so much to me! Hopefully I won’t get beaten at school for being late anymore now I have this bike. Some of my friends already have bikes. I used to feel left out as they all go to schools on their bikes and I had to walk. But now I can feel like part of the gang again!” Another boy who recently received a bike was 16 year old Albert. We have been supporting Albert since 2020. He said, “My mum and dad died so my auntie took me from my granny and brought me to Freetown. She said that she would look after me and pay school for me. But instead she made me sell and she beat me.“ For Albert, his main challenge on the streets were the police, “The streets are not sweet because the police used to run after me every blessed day. They beat me and they put me in a cell. Usually I was just sleeping on a table and then they chased after me and started beating me.” Since being reunified with his granny, five years ago, Albert has stayed home. He lives in the middle of nowhere so he really struggles to get to school. He said, “This bike means the world to me. My granny doesn’t have much money so I couldn’t afford to get a vehicle to school.

Instead, I had to walk there and back every day. Now I have my own bike, I can spend more time helping my granny at

home, playing with my friends or even studying. Thank you so much Laughter for not forgetting me even though I live in the village.”

One example of those children who received a wheelchair in 2025 was Abdul. We first met Abdul living on the streets in 2016 when he was 10. We paid school for Abdul from class 1 until ss3 and he sat private WASCE in November 2025.

Helping young mums

One of the young mums we have helped recently is one of our old girls Fatmata who we met in 2016. At the end of November 2025, we were visited by Fatmata and her 8-week old baby Mohamed James. The T-shirt he was wearing said ‘Out of this world.’ And he truly was!

“He is my second chance, Five 0” said Fatmata. Fatmata tragically lost her first child Francess in 2022. She’s channelled her extreme grief into something constructive and has just enrolled on a hairdressing course. “I will never forget Francess. And when Mohamed James gets older- I will tell him all about his amazing big sister. He is named James after you, Five 0.”

And this is what Laughter Africa is all about: second chances. A chance to have a fresh start, no matter what mistakes you might have made in the past. We gave Fatmata a ‘help a baby basket’ support kit.

Providing medical treatment

The FTR department also provides medical treatment for any of the children who remain at home. In fact across all the three departments, we provided at least 803 young people with medical treatment between 1st January 2025 and now. Just one example of this is S. S is 18 and is mum to two beautiful children. She is devoted to her son I, who has just turned two. He is always by her side. S lived on the streets for 7 years. Sadly, her child’s dad is addicted to Kush, so he is unable to provide for S. S does whatever she has to to provide for her son. She never complains and just wants to give I the best life possible.

Her body is ravaged with different 5 different illnesses including HIV, Hepatitis, TB, syphilis and suspected cancer, and she was really struggling for breath when we saw her in September. We took her to hospital on 22[nd] September and she stayed there fighting until they discharged her on 25[th] November. We can’t believe that she lived! We were told on numerous occasions by the doctors that she was going to die- but they don’t know S. She is a fighter. The nurses were shocked. When she arrived at the hospital- she couldn’t walk or do anything for herself- now she is singing and dancing around the hospital.

Throughout her stay in hospital, her only concern was what would happen to her children if she died. She kept crying out for her children. Although it wasn’t safe for her children to come to visit her- she kept looking at photos of them on our nurses’ phone so she could still feel close to them. Her only thoughts were about her kids. Sadly, S’s daughter died, just before she was discharged from hospital.

I spoke to S during her stay and I assured her that Ibrahim would be looked after. Laughter would pay for his school fees and keep an eye out for him if anything happened to her. This seemed to reassure her and gave her some peace of mind. After that conversation, she kept repeating to people “Five O will look after my pikin. Five O will look after my pikin.”

One thing that really touched me was when S needed blood transfusions, all S’s friends came as soon as they could. The place was full of willing blood donors. It was lovely for S to see how cared for and loved she is by the Laughter Africa community. She is not out of the woods yet- but she is home and taking medicine and most of all, she is reunited with her son again – just in time for Christmas!

Providing business support

This department is also responsible for providing any business support. One of the young people we gave business support to was 22 year old Edwin aka Junior. Junior completed an apprenticeship as a pedicurist and manicurist as well as other beauty techniques in 2025. We first met Junior in 2017 when he was living on the streets in Susan’s Bay. He had lived on the streets for four years. He said,

"I went on the streets because of lack of love from my mum and dad. They separated when I was young and they had no time for me. No one paid me any attention. I suppose I went on the streets as I was looking for somewhere to belong."

On the streets, Junior faced many challenges. He was a member of a gang and was arrested numerous times, usually for fighting. Junior said,

"My dream is to make my business a big success. Open lots of salons. I want to teach street children how to do pedicures and manicures so they can make a living too. Thank you to Laughter Africa and all the staff. It’s not easy in this economy to do these things. I really appreciate everyone who helps us by donating money. By God’s grace, if my dreams come true, I want to open a salon in England. For the first time in my life, I now know what it’s like to be loved thanks to Laughter Africa.”

One of the girls who received business support is 20 year old Massah who finished a 3 year tailoring course in 2025. We first met Massah in 2018. She lived on the streets in Aberdeen after both her parents died. On the streets, Massah experienced a lot of hardship including the death of her friend Kadie who died after complications after having an abortion. It went wrong and she bled to death. We gave a machine to Massah in March and since then she is starting to make a small income through her designs. She said,

"I want to make a living and I also want to teach other street children how to be a tailor. They suffer in the street. They take kush. When you don’t learn anything - you suffer. But when you learn something - its better. I am proud of myself.

Now I work and I have my own business. I can hold my head up high. Thank you so much for paying my vocational school fees and the sewing machine and materials. Thank you for changing my life."

We also gave Jenneh, one of our old girls, a sewing machine and lots of material to kick-start her tailoring businesses in July. Jenneh went on the streets after the death of her parents and her aunt’s maltreatment. Jenneh experienced a lot of trauma

while living on the streets. She saw her best friend Khadeja die after falling ill and not having enough money to go to hospital. She gave birth on the streets but tragically her baby died. She said,

“I had no choice but to give birth on the streets as if you don’t have money- the nurses won’t treat you. He was a baby boy. I think of him often.”

However, Jenneh is a fighter and didn’t give up. Her life turned around for the better when she met Laughter during our mobile project in Waterloo. Jenneh is now optimistic about the future and she is about to graduate from vocational school. She said,

“I want to tell you tenki. I want to open my own tailoring shop. I want to teach people- especially street children- how to sew and be a tailor.”

We also paid for one of our old boys Agu to receive new tools for his carpentry business. Agu is mute and is unable to communicate with anyone. He is mocked a lot by society and people take advantage of him. We have known him since 2016. He attended vocational school years ago and graduated in carpentry. Sadly all his tools were stolen in 2025 so we bought him more tools so that he can restart his business again. We also provided business support to Mabinty, a disabled girl in Funkia who we met in December 2023. She is now selling commodities such as toiletries, sweets and biscuits.

Most of the staff receive phone calls from the children and their families. Often the children just phone to say hello but sometimes they might need something or have an issue at home. The team are on call 24/7 for the children and respond immediately whenever they are needed.

Campaigns, Advocacy and Communicatons Department

Our Communications, Advocacy and Campaigns department started in September 2016 and it has been in operation ever since. In 2025, our advocacy work has focused on four distinct areas;

International Day for Street Children 2025

Every year on 12th April, street children organisations all over the world celebrate the International Day for Street Children (IDSC). This year the theme of the day was ‘the Power of Participation,’ so we held elections for ‘street champions’ to join the Children's Forum Network and amplify the voices of children living on the streets in child-related law and policy development. On 13th March, 4 new ‘street champions’ were elected (out of 14 candidates) for Tombo; Saidu, Genevieve, Abass and Adamma. The first representative elected was 17-year-old Saidu, who has lived on the streets for over 5 years. He went on the streets after his mum died of malaria in 2020. His dad, a fisherman, also died. He said,

“I have nobody to support me. I have suffered a lot because of the effects of police brutality. The police raped me twice. They handcuffed me to a stick and shoved a bottle up my bottom. They do it so that we will go home. They don’t realise that we don’t a home to go to. I cry when I am by myself. I am scared and fearful of the police. Its all about power. They flog us during raids. I was once raped by a gangster.” About being a street champion, Saidu said, ”I was so happy to be elected and I promise that I will make sure that I will fight for the rights of street children particularly in relation to the police and the repeal of the loitering law. Thanks to everyone who voted for me.” Adama, 17, was the final street champion selected for Tombo. She too has lived on the streets for over 5 years with her 19month child, Yusif. Adama said, “It feels good to be chosen. I particularly want to advocate for pregnant girls and young mothers at the CFN to make sure that they are also represented in policy decisions. We are always forgotten about. I also want to see justice for those who are killed as a result of sexual violence. My friend Mariama, 15, was killed in the street. Her dead body was abandoned in Pepper Wharf. She had been raped to death. They never caught the man who killed her. My friend Kadiatu who lived on the streets died in the riots. She was only 16. She was shot dead. I want to be the voice of the forgotten and the abandoned. I want to save my friends on the streets from more suffering.” Altogether we appointed 10 ‘street champions’ representing Laughter Africa from different areas in March and April 2025. We were extremely busy over March and April in the build up to the International Day for Street Children, carrying out different workshops and focus groups with 136 street children in Tombo. It was a chance for them to tell their ‘street champions’ what they would like them to advocate for at the Children’s Forum Network meetings. We did this via the ‘island, shark, boat’ activity. In collaboration with the Network for Street Children Sierra Leone (NSCSL), we led a training for all of the 28 street champions on 5th April 2025. The training was about what makes a good advocate as well as teaching them about key communication and advocacy techniques so that they would have the confidence they need to speak out. The training consisted of two major activities. The first activity was a body mapping activity where different groups wrote down what they think makes a good advocate which they wrote on the inside of the body and what makes a bad advocate, which they wrote on the outside of the body. The street champions looked at all the drawings made from the street children in Tombo during the consultancy to see what issues they would like the advocates to campaign on. We followed this by carrying out the 'Flower, bugs and spray' activity at the training where the street champions discussed the challenges they face on the streets and the possible solutions. By far the most prominent issues which was of most concern to them were repealing the loitering law and having a law particularly focusing on the rights of street children (UN General Comment 21). On the 11th April, we held a press conference officially introducing the street champions, which was attended by the Irish Ambassador, a representative from the National Commission for Children (NCC) and the CFN President. Street champion Khadija urged the Government to repeal the loitering law and adopt UN General Comment 21. She said,

“Good morning everyone,

My name is Kadeja, and I am proud to stand here today to speak on behalf of street-connected children in Sierra Leone. Tomorrow we celebrate the International Day for Street Children.

I want to talk about something that is very important to us: participation. Too often, decisions are made about us, without ever talking to us. We are not invisible. We are not criminals. We are children—with dreams, with rights, and with voices that deserve to be heard. We know what it feels like to sleep outside in the rain. We know what it means to go hungry or to be discriminated against by the community just for living on the streets. We know the pain of being judged by how we look instead of who we are. That is why we are asking for real participation—not just in speeches or promises, but in action.

Our priority as members of the Children’s Forum Network and street champions is to urge the government to follow the Ecowas ruling made on 7[th] November 2024 which states that the loitering law in Sierra Leone must be repealed or changed. That law has been used to harass us, arrest us, and silence us. But we are not loiterers—we are survivors. We are street champions. And we have a right to live without fear. We call on our government: honour the ECOWAS ruling. End the loitering law. Respect our dignity.

The second thing we are asking for is the introduction of UN General Comment No. 21 here in Sierra Leone. This document shows how governments can protect the rights of children in street situations. It talks about listening to us, involving us in decisions, and making sure we get access to education, health care, and protection—just like any other child. We believe that if General Comment 21 is used here in Sierra Leone, it can change lives. It can help people understand that street-connected children are not a problem to be solved—we are part of the solution.

Participation means giving us a seat at the table. It means asking us what we need, not assuming you already know. It means involving us in the programmes meant to help us. Because if it's not done with us, it's not really done for us. Today, I am not just a street child. I am a voice for change. I speak for the boys sleeping on market tables, the girls hustling to make ends meet, and the children forgotten in the slums. We are tired of being left out. We are ready to be heard. So, to everyone listening: let’s make this more than just a day of awareness. Let’s make it a turning point. End the loitering law. Introduce General Comment 21. Listen to us. Work with us. Stand with us.

Thank you.”

James, the founder of Laughter Africa also spoke at the conference, representing the Network for Street Children Sierra Leone. He said,

“Good morning everyone,

It’s a great honour to speak with you today as we mark the International Day for Street Children, celebrated every year on

the 12th of April. This year, we gather under the theme of Participation—a powerful reminder that every child, including street-connected children, has a right to be heard and involved in the decisions that affect their lives.

together to form a united front—The Network for Street Children Sierra Leone. This Network includes groups like Don Bosco, Pikin Padi, St George’s Foundation, and Laughter Africa, among others. We realised that by coming together, our voices could be louder, stronger, and harder to ignore.

Since then, we’ve done a lot. We supported the children to write and record a pop song and music video that shared their real experiences of life on the streets. It was raw, powerful, and honest—because it came directly from them. We’ve also delivered training to over 4,000 street-connected children across 8 different areas on the topic of sexual violence— helping them understand their rights, how to stay safe, and how to seek support.

But today is about more than the past. It’s about a future where street children are not just seen—but heard. Not just helped—but involved. That’s why this year, we took a bold step forward.

Across different areas in Sierra Leone, street children have been holding their own elections. In places like Tombo, where Laughter Africa currently works, four children were elected to represent their peers. And they’re not alone. We have now appointed 28 Street Champions from across the country—from Susan’s Bay to Portee, from Ecowas Street to Funkia, from Bomeh to Lumley, from Rokel to Black Hall Road, Grafton, Waterloo, and more. Some of these champions are still living on the street. Others were once on the streets but are now reunited with their families. But all of them share one goal: to speak up for children whose voices are too often ignored.

These Street Champions will now have a seat at the Children’s Forum Network—a platform where young people from across Sierra Leone can participate in national conversations. It is a huge opportunity and a moment we must all support and protect. Because participation is not a privilege. It’s a right.

And today, one of those street champions is here with us. In a moment, they will take the stage to share the priorities and hopes of street-connected children across Sierra Leone. They will tell you what they will be campaigning for first. This is not just symbolic. This is real. The voices of street children are finally being heard—not as an afterthought, but as leaders of change. And we, as social workers, NGOs, partners, and policy-makers, must walk alongside them—not in front of them, not behind them, but with them. Because when children participate in shaping their future, the results are always more meaningful, more lasting, and more just.

Let’s continue to build a country where no child is silenced because of their circumstances. Let’s honour the strength, the courage, and the leadership of street-connected children—not just today, but every day. Thank you.”

In response, Addie Valcarcel, Director of Advocacy, Communications and Outreach at the NCC, made a public commitment to lobby the Government on the repeal of the loitering law. This is a real step in the right direction and shows the "Power of Participation" in action! We can’t wait to see what further changes the ‘Street Champions’ scheme brings.

To see a video of some of the media coverage of the conference, please visit here.

Since the press conference, the street champions from Laughter Africa have been attending every CFN meeting which takes place every Thursday. Although the ‘Street Champions’ is only a pilot scheme, we are delighted with the success and hope to appoint a lot more street champions in different areas in the coming years ahead starting with our upcoming mobiles.

The International Day for Street Children 2025 was a big success worldwide. Altogether there was a reach of over 51 million on social media and there were more than 2,500 mentions of the campaign hashtags #ListenInvolveAct #PowerofPartcipaton #IDSC2025 #streetchildrenday .

Consultation with the street children in Tombo about sexual exploitation

We carried out a consultation in April with over 129 street children (45 boys and 84 girls) at mobile about sexual exploitation in preparation for a UN report. The report was dedicated to the theme: "A child-centred response to the sexual exploitaton of children in street situatons." It was presented at the 80th session of the General Assembly (October 2025). We are very proud of our research. To see a copy of our research, please click here. We were very happy to see that the Consortium for Street Children used a lot of research from our paper to write their own response which can be viewed here. The Consortium for Street Children were delighted with our focus groups discussion and called our research “dynamite.” We hope our research will trigger lasting change. The Consortium for Street Children sent me this message at the launch of the report,

“Hi James, just messaging to pass on a huge personal thanks for giving so much to the Mama Fatima inquiry, and for your determination to ensure the voices and perspectives of street connected kids in Sierra Leone are heard and acted upon at the UN, despite the risk of reprisals you face for reporting on abuse. K is in New York and our evidence and the report from Mama Fatima are making waves. Looking forward to building on momentum from the side event tomorrow to help propel legal and policy reforms in Sierra Leone!”

In summary we found that, there were three major types of sexual exploitation facing street connected children in Tombo:

  1. Sexual violence committed by police officers

  2. Sexual Violence committed by other men in the community e.g. gangsters, local fishermen

  3. Sex work in exchange for either money, fish or drugs such as tramadol or Kush

A summary of the findings.

Sexual Violence
commited by Police
ofcers		 Sexual Violence
commited by others		 Engaged in sex work
Number of Boys 2 3 4
Number of Girls 20 50 77
Total (%) 17% 41% 63%

Sexual violence committed by Police Officers:

Many of the young people (17%) admitted to being raped by the police. Most of the time, the young people were threatened with arrest for “loitering.” However, if they had sex with the police officers, then they wouldn’t be arrested. Those incidents increased ten-fold when there were curfew orders and lockdowns.

It wasn’t just females who were raped by the police. Our consultations revealed that males had also been sexually assaulted by law enforcement officers. Being detained also led to sexual exploitation and violence. One male teenager confirmed, “One policeman raped me in a cell. He threatened to send me to jail unless I had sex with him so I had no choice.” This story was echoed by lots of other participants. One girl was taken to the cell for fighting. She was told that these charges would be dropped as long as she had sex with the officer in charge of the case. Most of the participants, especially the boys were beaten repeatedly by the police. “They take us to a place called the tent to beat us.” One girl mentioned how she was brought to the tent after being caught stealing a Bluetooth , “It was so degrading. They hung me up in the tent and beat and kicked me.” Although it is not technically sexual violence, the police officers involved seem to get some perverse gratification from such behaviour. Sexual violence by others 41% of all the participants had experienced sexual violence by other men in the community (not policemen). The most common perpetrators were gangsters, teachers and Sierra Leonean fishermen. Shockingly at least 30 of the participants (23%) had at least one friend who died as a result of sexual violence. The most common phrase that we heard during the discussion was “my friend was raped to death.” In every single case, no perpetrator was ever apprehended. Sex work 63% of the participants were engaged in sex work. Some participants had sex for money, others had sex for drugs such as Kush while others had sex for fish which they would then sell. One girl received a phone in lieu of payment or some just received food. One girl shared her disappointment, “Once I received an old cake with a fly inside.” Sex without payment is a significant issue for many of the girls. As one girl said, “ Sometimes the men will not pay you- but beat you instead.” Other times, “the men don’t pay us as we agreed and pay a lot less. If you argue, then they will physically attack you.”

Problems with the police According to every focus group we spoke to the major issue with the current system is the police themselves. The problems with the police can be divided into 7 subcategories:

1. Money

The repeated complaint from all the focus groups was that even if they went to the police, the police wouldn’t take their complaints seriously. One Participant said, “When you go to the police without money, they won’t take your case seriously. They didn’t accept my case as I don’t have money.” Another participant said, ” Justice equals money. Without money, there is no justice.”

2. Sex with police

All the focus groups mentioned that the only way the police would take their cases seriously would be if they had sex with the police officers. One participant said,

“ When you go to the police- if you want them to take your case further- you have to sleep with them. The police will only take action if you sleep with them.”

This was re-iterated by another participant who said,

“After they take our statement - they sleep with us. They are meant to pay us 30 leones, they give 10.”

3. Police corruption

All the focus groups mentioned “table talk” or “buff case” which is local slang for corruption. Every focus group had examples of police corruption, where the police dropped the case after the accused or their family paid the police a huge amount of money. Many street children mentioned that even if they pursued a case against the perpetuator, the perpetrator would just pay a bribe and they would be released. The street children don’t have any faith in the system.

4. Lack of respect

All the focus groups mentioned the lack of respect shown to them by the police officers. One participant said,

“They are meant to protect us - but they provoke us, laugh at us, call us hustlers. And they don’t take our cases seriously”

Another participant complained,

“The Police dismiss us because they say that it is our work. They say it’s not a big deal- sort it out among yourselves. That it’s your job.”

Another participant said

“They call us names to hurt us and insult us. The police don’t value us. They drove me as they said that I smell.”

Some of the names the participants had been called include:

• “hustler”

• “Kush woman”

5. Fear of Police

Many of the focus groups mentioned that they were scared to go to the police as they had been raped or beaten by the police previously. One participant said,

“Why should I go to complain to the police- they rape us too”

Another participant accentuated this,

“The police do the exact same thing to us so why bother to report them. They are all the same. They are all in it together.”

6. Difference between ‘house pikin’ and ‘street pikin’

All the focus groups mentioned that street children are treated differently from those children who live at home. They are denied access to justice because of their circumstances. One participant said,

“If you are living at home with your parents the case will be taken seriously but if you are living on the streets - the police do not care. If you are home- you are more likely to get justice.”

Another participant stated,

“On the streets we do not have a person to report for us. No person to stand with us. They take house pikin cases serious but not our cases.”

7. Uselessness of police

A lot of the focus groups said that the police were incompetent so didn’t even bother going to the station to report the crime in the first place. One participant said,

“What’s the point? I didn’t even think about going to the police. They are useless.”

Other participants said that even if they go to the police, the rule of law is not adhered to anyway,

“The police just say “sort it out in the house” or its “family business.””

Apart from the police, other problems with the current system is that it is very gynocentric in nature. For example the

taboo and there is still a lot of shame associated with it. This is further compounded by the religious nature of the country – where homosexuality is seen a “sin.” One of the male participants said,

“I was scared to report it. People might think I am a homo.”

Some of the participants (both boys and girls) said that they feared the stigma if members of the community had found out that they had been sexually assaulted.

Another problem with the system emphasised by the participants was that some of the survivors had been threatened by community members to keep silent- particularly if the accused was seen as someone important within their society. The participants also mentioned fear of reprisals from the perpetrator. A participant said,

“I was afraid of the man and what he would do to me if he found out that I had reported him. There was no safe space for me to go and hide after I had made the report.”

And finally, some focus groups mentioned more practical problems with reporting. For example, one participant said,

“I don’t know the man. He was a stranger in the street- a passerby. So how can I report him when I don’t know his name or who he is?”

A lot of participants said that even if they managed to report a case of sexual violence to the police successfully, the men just ran away and there was no way to find them. From the focus group discussions, it is obvious that there are systematic failures within the current system and it is not fit for purpose. In fact, it further compounds feelings of shame and humiliation.

The consultation concluded by looking at practical solutions suggested by the young people themselves:

1. Repeal the Loitering Law

Every single focus group mentioned that the Sierra Leone Government need to “repeal the loitering law.” The street children urged the government to follow the ECOWAS ruling made on 7[th] November 2024 which states that the loitering law in Sierra Leone must be repealed or changed.

2. Stricter discipline measures for police who commit crimes

Stricter discipline measures or procedures, so for example if a police officer is found guilty of beating or sexually assaulting a street child then they are imprisoned and dismissed immediately. As one child said, “sack police who rape” and another

said “Send rapist police to prison.”

Similarly the street children also recommended to “punish, sack or jail corrupt police who accept bribes” or who “do not investigate or take our rape cases seriously.” One suggestion was to “Cut the salaries of any corrupt police. ”

One thing all the focus discussion groups agreed on was that we should “stop police bribery and corruption. No table talk (buff case) for rape case.” One participant continued not only should we punish the rapist, “but we should also punish those

who want to settle rape cases on a community level.”

3. Implementation of a complaints mechanism to which street children can go in order to report any police officers who beat or rape them.

There needs to be an implementation of an independent complaints mechanism to which street children can go in order to report any police officer who beats or sexually assaults them-perhaps a toll free phone line. Although there is currently the ‘Independent Police complaints board (IPCB’), It lacks teeth and one has to ask how “independent” it truly is. It is also very inaccessible to street children so there needs to be a complete overhaul of this complaint system as it is unfit for purpose.

4. Training for the police

A lot of the focus groups said, “Better training for the police so that they learn not to beat or rape us.” This could be as part of their training at the police academy. It would not cost a lot of money. It should be a mandatory part of all studies otherwise they cannot not graduate as a police officer. A lot of NGOs are put off from training police officers as the financial expectations for the training is too high. They expect per diem, travel expense etc…By making it a compulsory part of their course at the police academy would limit the cost tenfold.

5. Better application and enforcement of laws already in place

The focus groups underlined the need for a better application and enforcement of existing laws, for example, rape legislation, when it comes to street children. They noted that the law should be applied equally and without discrimination. As one girl said, “When we are raped, the man should get life imprisonment, but they don’t. It’s like the law doesn’t apply to us. That we don’t matter. We just want the police to follow the procedure of the law. The strict laws need to be applied. Let the perpetrators go to jail.”

Some of the young people complained that when they went to report a crime, the “The police man just drive me.” As one girl summarised ,” We just want the same rights as everyone else. We just want to be listened to. We just want the police to take our case seriously. Make the police take action. We need justice.”

6. Some practical recommendations that could have an impact on sexual violence committed by police officers

The participants also suggested the following recommendations:

7. “Sensitisation among police and community members”

A lot of the focus groups mentioned community sensitisation. A lot of the groups praised the campaign by the government “Hands off our girls” which celebrated its 6[th] anniversary in December 2025. However, many in the groups stated, “Hands off our girls is no longer in existence.” It actually is but the campaign is no longer effective as it once was. From 2020 to 2023, it was a lot more prominent and the message was everywhere. Now, you hardly hear anything about it and the campaign has gone silent. This should be re-started. What the focus groups liked about the “Hands off our Girls” campaign was that it “sensitised people about rape and the consequences one would face if they raped a girl.” However, like we mentioned above, it should also include more sensitisation around the cultural taboo of male survivors of sexual violence too and not be completely gynocentric. As one participant said, “we need to change the whole mindset of the law and society.” Like we argued above male survivors are too ashamed to speak out because of fear of being labelled “homo,” especially in a deeply religious society. Particularly in the male focus discussion groups, one suggestion that was recurring was that the boys needed “ better male role models (mentorship)” and “better training for men.”

8. Provide free drug rehabilitation Centres

As one participant argued, “Provide free rehabilitation centres because some of us engage in sex work so that we can have money to buy our drugs. If you take away our dependence on drugs, then we would stop sex work.” The focus groups believe that by providing drug rehabilitation centres many of the children living on the streets would finally break free of the cycle of addiction and thus stop engaging in sex work.

Although there is meant to be a free government drug rehabilitation centre this remains completely inaccessible to street children. The only way to be admitted to the centre is through an assessment at the Ministry of Social Welfare. Most street children don’t even know the process involved or where the Ministry of Social Welfare even is. There are also not enough spaces in the centre as there are thousands and thousands of people addicted to Kush.

9. Lots of practical solutions to make sex work safer:

All the focus groups agreed that the government need to “Provide better protection for girls living on the street” including providing “a safe space for sex workers”

The participants had a lot of practical suggestions about making sex work safer including:

10. More support for young mothers

Many girls in the focus discussion groups were young, single mothers. They usually became pregnant as a result of sexual exploitation either through rape or sex work. One girl said the government need to “ provide free child support or extra care for single mothers because some of us do sex work to provide for our kids.”

11. Provide an alternative way to make money

By far the most popular recommendation which was mentioned in all focus discussion groups was that the government needs to “provide an alternative way to make money so we don’t have to sleep with random men.” The participants gave practical examples of how the government could provide an alternative way to make money including vocational schools, jobs and apprenticeships.

12. Appoint a free advocate for the survivor

Some of the participants mentioned that they would like to the government to “ appoint a legal advocate for us who can stand up to the police and make sure that they take our case seriously.” This advocate would be completely independent from the police and would be based in all the local police stations.

  1. The need for a special police unit to investigate sex crimes.

There is a real need to have a specialist police unit established to investigate sex crimes. These specialist police should be based in all the local police stations so that there is a specially trained officer in every station. These specialist units would investigate any form of sexual exploitation from sex work or sexual violence.

  1. There needs to be a more comprehensive system in place to stop perpetrators running away

One complaint from the focus groups was that the police need to “stop the men from running away.” A lot of time the men who have been accused are released on bail. Once they are released, they leave the community for good and cannot be traced again. Perhaps any person accused of sex crimes should have their bail automatically refused and placed on remand instead. The participants also recommended that there needs to be a “ better tracking mechanism for men who rape and run away.” As once they run away, they are never found again.

The social worker who carried out the consultations had a few other key recommendations,

1. Have more robust police clearance certificates

“The Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs in Sierra Leone have announced that they will be producing a National

Safeguarding Policy in 2025. I would implore them to use this opportunity to create a robust 'DBS' check based on the UK system. This would vet any police officer, teacher, social worker etc….to ensure that any person who has abused

children before would be barred from working with children again. This could be rolled out to cover all adults working

with children Currently the police clearance certificates which are in use are ineffectual and pointless and many perpetrators of abuse are able to operate as police officers.”

2 . Invest in better equipment

“Sierra Leone needs better equipment. There is no DNA testing facility in the country. If DNA needs to be tested it has to be flown to another country. This is why there is no justice. Most rape cases just involve a doctor confirming that sexual assault has taken place but that’s it. Even if evidence is found, it still can’t be tested. This limits justice greatly.”

3. Need a better recruitment process

“Sadly like most jobs in Sierra Leone, becoming a police officer is not necessarily based on merit. Many get the role because of connections. Some because of their tribe or because of which political party they support. We need better qualified police – most police haven’t even passed their WASCE examinations (the Sierra Leone version of A-levels). We need more university educated and qualified individuals. Sadly the pay is too small to attract high quality candidates. Unlike in the Western world, being a teacher, nurse or police officer are not respected professions.”

4. More flexible procedures to report sexual violence perpetrated by police officers

“There needs to be a different procedure if a girl or boy has been has been raped by a police officer. Under current rules, you must report a rape at the nearest police station. What happens if the police officers who carried out the rape are stationed at the same police station? There needs to be new laws introduced regarding police brutality and a specialized procedure to report an assault by law enforcement officers. Maybe have a specialized police complaints centre where survivors of assault by police officers can go.”

5. The at ude of Government and the general public needs to change

“The police are too politicised. If you criticise the police - the government take it as a personal insult. It is like you are insulting them. Change cannot happen unless you are willing to listen and improve. A few years ago I attended a meeting with the government and when I mentioned that the street children were claiming that they were being sexually assaulted, the government’s immediate response was “They are lying. The police would never do that.” A few years ago I

attended a meeting with a government official. When I mentioned that police officers were beating the street children, their response was “Good. They deserve to be beaten.” The mentality in the country has to change before any lasting change can take place.”

6. Lack of funding for the police

“Resources are very limited. You need to pay for everything. The police don’t even have a piece of paper to write a report or take a statement. They don’t even have fuel for their cars. How can they investigate a crime if they can’t travel to the scene of the crime? The police service needs to be better funded.”

We hope that through our research, the UN will be able to implement lasting change and justice for street children, not only in Sierra Leone, but worldwide. We were very happy that we were able to give the street children in Tombo a chance to amplify their voices. We were also very proud to see that a lot of our research featured in the final UN paper. It was also an honour to see that our research was used as an annex to the report.

Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a peer-review mechanism where all 193 UN member states have their human rights records examined every four and a half years by the UN Human Rights Council. Other states can ask questions, make recommendations, and highlight concerns. Civil society organizations and national human rights institutions can also provide inputs. The outcome is a report with recommendations, which the state under review can accept or note (reject). The last UPR of Sierra Leone took place in 2021 and is due again in 2026. The government will be reviewed against its previous voluntary pledges. The UPR puts extra pressure on the Government of Sierra Leone to act on Human Rights violations as the UPR is a key human rights document for international partners.

Laughter Africa in collaboration with the Consortium for Street Children wrote our recommendatons for the UPR and submitted them to the OHCHR in September 2025. Our recommendations included; repealing the loitering law, the implementation of General Comment 21 and implementing the recommendations from the UN paper entitled, “A childcentred response to the sexual exploitation of children in street situations." We are hopeful that when the UPR is published in 2026, at least some of our recommendations are embraced. We then submitted the recommendations to all the key embassies working in Sierra Leone including the Embassies of Britain, Ireland, Germany and Iceland and the EU delegation. We had very positive responses from the British and Irish Embassies and the EU. For instance, the British embassy said,

“Many thanks for your email, which is timely as we start considering some of our human rights work in the run up to the UPR and next Parliamentary session here in Freetown. I was coincidentally already considering recommending some of these issues as a UPR recommendation in the upcoming round. It would be great to discuss your findings further at your convenience.”

The follow up meeting with the British embassy took place at the end of September 2025. It was a huge success. Afterwards I met with one of the advisors for the British embassy who attended the meeting and she told me that the meeting was one of the most inspiring meetings that she had attended in months and she agreed that she would follow up on our recommendations.

We had similar positive responses from the Irish embassy and the EU delegation. Our contact at the EU shared our emails with the EU Ambassador and his deputy. Later when we met our contact with the EU, he was very interested on the topics particularly of sexual violence perpetuated by the police. He had a lot of questions and showed a genuine interest in the topic. He mentioned that he had discussed it with his colleagues at length.

From February 2026 onwards, we will lobby UN member states and other permanent missions in Geneva and ask them to also raise our recommendations. Key countries we have identified to lobby include supportive Permanent Missions who've

got a strong global record on children's rights or tackling sexual abuse (e.g. Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Canda, UK, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand) as well as those Member States that fed into the last UPR of Sierra Leone in 2021 or have fed into related issues such as birth registration previously (South Africa, France, Bolivia, Chile, Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, Eswatini). There is not much else we can do until early February 2026 as the embassies and UN member states are waiting on a self-assessment from the Sierra Leone Government which is due at the beginning of February. Member States / governments tend to feed in a lot later to the UPR process and only finalise recommendations closer to the actual review date which is around mid 2026 (tentatively schedules for May 2026).

Other highlights from the advocacy department

We are active members of the Consortium for Street Children (CSC) and last year we were selected to become members of WASAG (the West Africa Strategic Advocacy Group). The idea of WASAG is to give feedback on different issues in order for the CSC to advocate for West Africa as a whole. James, the founder of Laughter Africa attended a conference in Ghana for the members of WASAG in July 2025. The conference was titled, ‘Turning Rights into Reality for Street-Connected Children in West Africa.’ A big thank you to the Consortium for Street Children who paid for James to attend.

We are still leading members of the Network for Street Children Sierra Leone (NSCSL) and worked closely with them in the lead up to the International Day for Street Children events. We welcomed a few new members to the Network too including AdvocAid. As a Network our main focus this year has been focused on repealing the loitering law.

Laughter Africa also joined the newly established ‘Community of practice on safeguarding.’ It’s a group where NGOs come together in order to promote safeguarding in all areas of policy and practice.

And finally, we celebrated International Women’s Day on 8[th] March 2025 by making a video which we shared on all our social media channels. It was made by Biba, one of our social workers, with the help of the girls from mobile.

Administration Department

The duties outlined in last year’s annual report remain the same for the administration department. The main responsibility for this department is the Sierra Leonean accounts. Their role is to also oversee compliance with different Government laws and regulations including re-registration with the ministries, SLANGO and MOPED.

To see more information about our work please visit our facebook page.

Public beneft

The trustees of Laughter Africa have complied with their duty in section 17 (5) of the Charities Act 2011 and The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant. The Trustees paid particular attention to the guidance when reviewing, planning and shaping Laughter Africa’s aims, objectives and activities for the year ahead. The trustees have considered how the charity’s planned activities would contribute to the aims and objectives that had been set.

Volunteers and Fundraisers

The trustees would like to say a huge thank you to all our volunteers and fundraisers. However, special thanks to the following people who have gone the extra mile for Laughter Africa this financial year:

-A big thank you to one of our youngest supporters Bailey who lives in Australia. He recently celebrated his first birthday and his mum, Thomasine, decided that rather than give out sweets, she wanted to give his friends something special. She said,

“ I was delighted to buy a bunch of gifts to give out as party favours for Bailey’s birthday party. These Aussie kids don’t need any more lollies!! Having visited Sierra Leone, I know that very cent will go towards making a big difference in thousands of lives. As Bailey grows up I want his life to be enriched with learning about lots of different cultures, including his Laughter Africa Family.”

-A big, big thank you to our friends Jacqui and Jess who ran the Liverpool Santa Dash at the beginning of December 2025 to raise money for Laughter Africa! As devout Evertonians, Jacqui and Jess ran in Blue Santa outfits rather than the typical red costume! For those who haven’t heard of a Santa dash -it’s a 5k fun run where all the runners are dressed as Father Christmas!

-A big thank you to our friend Rico and his workplace ‘Alte Leipziger Insurance Company’ in Oberursek, Germany for their kindness.

D. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE 2021 Tape ii¥••tkn l*iii i'l * 1,41

Achievements

Our vocational educational programme

One of our proudest achievements since the last annual report is the success of our vocational school programme which has been a bigger success than we ever imagined possible. Since the last annual report (December 2024), 43 more of our young people have graduated or are about to graduate from vocational school. On 13[th] December 2025, we had a graduation party at the ICC to celebrate all the graduates. They came from all over Freetown including Grafton, Tombo, Waterloo, Susan’s Bay and Funkia. We bought all the graduates business support packages in order to establish their own businesses including tailoring machines or hairdressing equipment. It was a very emotional day. Here are some of young people who received business support:

Mamusu

“My name is Mamusu. I am about 27. I lived on the streets for about 5 years. I lived on the streets in Susan’s Bay and at the bus station. My Mum died after ebola and I never knew my dad. When my mum died, I went to my grandmother’s house. But we struggled to survive so I went on the streets. My granny was nice but she just couldn’t provide anything for me. She was looking for me even when I went on the streets so I know that she loved me.

There is nothing nice on the streets unless you bear and face it. I struggled for food. I had to give myself to men just to get food to eat. On the streets, I became pregnant twice. The first time I lost my baby. I was running away from the police and I fell over. The police caught me and beat me and I lost the baby. The second time I was pregnant when Laughter took me home. I now have a 4 year old boy called Emmanuel.

I am the lucky one. Plenty of my friends died while living on the streets. I sit and cry and I remember them. I will never see them again. They have left forever. Some died mysteriously. Bruises and signs of torture. But they didn’t explain how they got them as they were at the point of death. The police raped me lots. Its painful to talk about. They would meet us on the streets. At the bus station. Corner corner. They asked me to sleep with them. If you don’t have sex with them they will put you in a cell. If you don’t want to go to prison, you can bail yourself with whatever the police demand: money or sex. They use the loitering law to arrest us. Then rape us in the cells. I was raped once by a gangster. Just one man. The police never find them, they never catch them so what is the point in reporting it. To make money I would raray (Commercial sex work). I am very cheap. Sometimes I get 20 leones or 15 leones or 10 leones. I never went to the chinese fishermen. I was scared of them so I never went on board. Boys would come and collect my friends on small fishing boats and take them to the Chinese fishing boats. I didn’t take the risk. My friends who went came back with lots of cash. They slept with dogs to get the money. Some of them died with no flesh on their bodies. I was a member of the reds- RFM- I joined with my boyfriend. The only drugs I smoked was jamba. Laughter took me home to my brother in 2021.

I would like to say thank you to everyone who helped me achieve my dream to be a seamstress. I will be able to take of myself and my family. May God keep you safe so you can help many other street children like me. It is very difficult to survive in Susan’s Bay. If you pass one year in the street you will hustle (commercial sex work). You will sit down and think this life is not the right life for me- I need to change. But its hard to change. I finally changed after I met Laughter. Aunty Lucy (one of the social workers) talked some sense into me. When I listened, I survived the streets! In the past, I made plenty of mistakes but I am proud of myself now. I will never go back. I will never look back. My dream is to have many branches of my tailoring shop!”

Ishmeil

“I am 22 years old. I lived on the streets for 8 years. I mostly lived in Albacha street and Grafton. My dad died in 2018 from sick and my mum lives far away in the village. I lived with my granny. It was not easy in the house. There was nothing to eat and I had to sell bananas so that my family could survive. I have a younger brother who I feel responsible for. No one paid for me to go to school so I decided to go on the streets to find the money to pay for myself.

I have a talent for dancing and in the past I took part in lots of competitions including for AYV (a local television station). The streets were not nice. When I came home, I saw the difference and how life was much better in my house than the streets. On the streets, I had a baby. He was called Alusine. But he died when he was one of a cold. On the streets, I lost four of my friends. Three died from kush and one died from a cold. When I lived on the streets, I took Kush and tramadol. I sat down one night and thought about my three friends who died and I realised that I didn’t want to die yet. It’s not easy to give up kush but I managed to in the end. My friends who died gave me the motivation to succeed. I need to be clean as I have to look after my little brother, Richmond (who sadly is living back on the streets). I am the man of the house so I have to be responsible and provide for my family.

I was arrested twice when I lived on the streets. I had to spend time in the cells. The first time I stole money and was in a cell for 6 days. The second time I was arrested for taking tramadol and I spent 15 days in the cell. I was never raped on the streets but the gangsters would beat me and steal my money.

To make money on the streets, I would dance and perform for people. I even performed for uncle Joseph’s wedding (the Laughter Africa cultural dance teacher). I would also tote (carry heavy loads). In the past I was a member of RFM. It is a gang. I am ashamed to say that I beat and stabbed people in rival gangs. I can’t wait to open my own tailoring shop. I want to show my little brother that it is possible to change. I am happy for their help (the supporters of Laughter). In the past I had bad intentions. I would chook people (stab) and fight in riots. I would join in the gang fights of RFM versus Black Leos. My dream for the future is to be a better person. Plenti tenki for all you do for me in helping me become a better person. I know it won’t happen overnight but I am working on it every day.”

Sorie

“I am not sure how old I am but I think I am about 20 years old. I lived on the streets for 6 years before Laughter took me home. I lived on the streets in town, Jui and Grafton. My Mum and dad separated when I was younger and my dad married another woman. My stepmum maltreated me but when I explained it to my dad - he didn’t take it seriously. My dad died of a cold so I left the house and went to the streets as I couldn’t live with my stepmum any longer. She would beat me and starve me. And make me sell cold water for her. So I decided to join my friends who picked iron on the street. The streets were not good. I am not able to fight. Gangsters would steal from me. I would lay down on market tables. They force you to give them money otherwise they will beat you.

I lost a lot of my friends through kush. Four of them died. I didn’t smoke kush myself. I just hung around them to pick up iron. I was arrested 4 times and put in a cell for stealing. The police beat me but didn’t rape me. To make money on the streets, I would collect iron, wash peoples’ cars and bikes and sometimes steal.

I would like to tell everyone at Laughter tenki. You have helped me greatly in life. When my dad died I had no one. When I was in the streets, it was not easy for me. But you picked me out of the street and are still supporting me until now. I can see the difference. I see my friends who still live on the street. I begged them to join the Laughter mobile but they didn’t want to leave the streets behind. Not only did you pay vocational school for me but you also gave me medicine when I was sick. And now you have provided me with my own sewing machine. You have made me a somebody. I even have a small phone now. I never had a phone on the streets. I pray that God will give you more money so that you can help more street pikin.”

Fatmata

“I am 25 years old and I lived on the streets in Jui for 8 years. My dad died when I was small and my mum died of pressure. When my mum died, I went to my auntie. She made me do boku work in the house and wouldn’t feed me. She wouldn’t pay school for me and she beat me.

The streets were not nice. The men would use me but then not pay me. They would only beat me. I only became pregnant once on the streets. I gave birth to a boy called Hamza who is now 9. He lived with me on the streets. Two of my friends died while living on the streets; one form kush and one from AIDS related illness. I slept with the police two times but they didn’t pay me. I slept with them on the streets. I was arrested once – I stole money from a man who didn’t pay me. So he lied against me and took me to the police. I would take tramadol. Laughter took me home to my grandfather in 2023. I want to tell the supporters of Laughter Africa plenti tenki. God pulled me off the street and made me learn a skill. I tell papa god tenki. I want to have a shop where I sew things for people. My son is now in school. I pay for him through my tailoring. I sewed his uniform for him. I sewed a uniform for my son’s friend too for free. Thanks to my skill, I am well respected in my community. I am not a raray girl anymore. I am a Mum. I am warrior. My son will be at my graduation. This is all for him!”

Ramatu

“I am 27 years old. I lived on the streets in Susan’s Bay for 5 years. My mum died after Ebola and my dad is upline but I don’t sabi where. When my mum died, I went to my uncle. He maltreated me. He didn’t pay school for me but he made me sell water and soft drink. He didn’t beat me but he would talk talk at me. The streets were not easy. I got belly twice while living on the streets. The first time I spoiled the belly. The other belly I got when Laughter had taken me back home. I gave birth to a girl pikin called Jattu Kamara. She is one year and 8 months.

When you are in a cell, unless you sleep with the policemen- they won’t release you. I was raped three times. They arrested me for loitering. It was different policemen who raped me each time. I was raped plenty of times by gangsters - I can’t remember how many. To make money, I would hustle (commercial sex work). I charged a different amount per man. To survive on the streets, I would take tramadol. I was a member of the red gang- RFM. I joined with my boyfriend. Laughter took me home to a different uncle in 2021.

I would like to tell the Laughter supporters tenki for the great effort. I had given up all hope. You pulled me from prostitution. You took me to my uncle. You put me into tailoring school. I appreciate. I am so proud that I am now a somebody. My dream is to own a big shop and fill it up with lots of machines.”

Fanta

“I am 21 years old. I lived on the streets for three years. I lived on the streets all over - in town, waterloo, Imatt and Lumley. My stepmum maltreated me. She beat me and made me sell butterscotch. She didn’t give me food. The streets were not sweet. They beat me. They raped me. The men didn’t give me money after I slept with them. I got belly once. I gave birth to Abibatu. She is 8 years old now. She lived with me on the streets. My paddi FA died while living on the streets. A motorcar banged her. The policemen raped me twice on the streets. It was two policemen each time. To make money on the street, I would raray. I would make 250 leones per man. I was member of RFM. Laughter took me home to my stepfather in 2020.

To all the Laughter Africa supporters, I want to say let God bless them for what they do for me. For the help. I won’t be able to pay them back but God will. When I graduate I will have my own shop. Abibatu will be at the graduation. I am proud of myself that my daughter is seeing me achieve something great!”

Sorie Bangura

“I am 23 years old. I lived on the streets for 8 years in Grafton. I went on the streets because my dad died of Hernia. I suffered when he died. My mum was old and couldn’t provide for me. I didn’t get much food so I had to dreg to survive. I would have to bloom and blye and collect dirty. The streets were not nice. The street is bad. Boko bad things happened. I lived a bad life. I was arrested once and put in a cell for three days. I stole a phone. The gangsters would beat me and stole my money when I was sleeping. They would finger pocket me. To make money on the streets I would use my talent which is dancing. I would enter lots of competitions. I even provided entertainment at uncle Joseph’s (our

cultural dance teacher) wedding by dancing. I would take tramadol and kush on the streets. Laughter Africa took me home to my mum in 2023. In the future I want to open my own tailoring shop and have a family. To the Laughter Africa supporters, I want to tell them tenki tenki. You have done plenti for me!”

Regina

“I think I am 23 years old. I lived on the streets for over 11 years. I lived on the streets in Magazine, Bomeh and Tombo. I lived with my Granny in Black Hall Road but she didn’t put me in school so I went on the streets. The streets were not nice. I didn’t have a person to care for me on the streets. I gave birth on a market table in Cow Yard, on top of the pepper table. I spread a cartoon on the table (cardboard box). I gave birth to my son Amidu. He is 11 now. I was 12 years old when I gave birth to him. He lived on the streets as well.

Three of my friends died while living on the streets; Messi, Theresa and Hawa. Theresa McCarthy was raped to death in Bomeh in 2024 while Hawa was raped to death at Peace Market. 4 men raped her but the police caught two of them. I was arrested for selling on Albacha Street. To make money I was a raray girl and would get between 30 and 50 leones. I would also sell for people. I was a member of Black Leo. I would sleep with some of the members. On the streets, I would take tye.

Laughter took me home to my mum and dad in Tombo in 2024 and paid for me to attend vocational school where I learned tailoring. I gave birth to my second child Abdul in April 2025. I graduated in December 2025 and Laughter gave me a sewing machine. I want to tell you (Laughter Africa supporters) tenki for pulling me off the street. I want to say thank you for the machine. Thank you for taking care of me and mi piken. I can’t wait to set up my tailoring shop.”

For the academic year 2025/2026, we have paid for 149 young people to attend vocational school. One of our latest vocational school students is Jariatu who is studying to be an electrician. Jariatu doesn’t know her age. Before she went on the streets, she lived with her sister. Her mum died while giving birth to Jariatu, while her father died of Ebola. She thinks that she lived on the streets for 10 years. She gave birth to a baby boy who is now ten years old. She lived with him on the streets.

Jariatu had been sexually assaulted over five times by different gangsters. She also said that some men ask her for sex but when she says no– they rape her anyway. To make money on the streets, Jariatu engaged in survival sex. However, a lot of the men she slept with did not pay her. Instead they would beat her. Jariatu has been arrested for loitering. She had to sleep with the police officers otherwise she wouldn’t have been released from jail. She has also been beaten by the police on many occasions. To survive on the streets, Jariatu took tramadol and jamba. She was a member of the gang Black Leo and she would steal for them. One of her friends died while living on the streets. Her friend slept with a man and felt ill afterwards. Eventually her friend died without explaining what happened. We reunified Jariatu with her family in June 2025. She said,

“ I want to be an electrician because they say that a woman cannot do a man’s job. So I want to challenge them. To show them that anything a man can do, a woman can do a hundred times better. I am not going to let a man tell me what I can or cannot do. I know that people, especially men will laugh at me and make fun of me but I don’t care what they say. This is my dream and I am going to live it. I want to inspire other girls and show them that if I can do it- then they can do it too. I

want to be a trailblazer. I want to show them that they shouldn’t limit their dreams because of what society tells them

what a woman should be and do. Thank you for helping make my dream a reality. I am determined to make a life for me

and my child.”

Jariatu has already inspired other girls to become electricians including her friend Martha, who is now attending the same course!

The success of our advocacy work especially the repeal of the loitering law

“That will never happen. Not in a million years. You can try but don’t get your hopes up!”

This was said in 2020 when I said I wanted to lobby the Sierra Leone Government to repeal the loitering law. This was after our first consultation with the street children in Susan’s Bay where issues such as sexual violence perpetuated by police officers was raised. Now fast forward 5 years and the loitering law is all set to be repealed in the next parliamentary session 2025/2026 under the ‘Decriminalisation of the Petty Offences Act.’ This is a HUGE achievement.

We have been working closely with the Irish Embassy throughout 2025 who have been meeting with key government officials such as the Attorney General, the Chief Minister, the Minister of MoPED and the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs. The former Irish Ambassador has been leading the cry for repeal ever since we met with him in December 2024. For instance, on International Women’s Day 2025 in his speech, the Ambassador mentioned about repealing the loitering law. This was in front of the Vice President as well as all the Ministers and cabinet members.

I met with two staff from the Irish Embassy in September 2025 who told me to keep putting pressure on the different embassies as it was working! At a recent meeting with senior level ambassadors and dignitaries, as soon as the repeal of the loitering law was mentioned, everyone present nodded their heads vigorously. The UPR we submitted and the research from Tombo has been making waves in the right circles. They told me to keep at it so that the people at the top were pressurised to keep acting on the issue. It is now well known in diplomatic circles that the Irish Embassy are taking responsibility for the repeal of the loitering law and are leading the way forward for the other embassies.

We have already started to see the Sierra Leone Government repeal some of the loitering laws. For instance we welcomed the adoption of the Criminal Procedure Act 2024 which explicitly repeals “loitering” and “idle and disorderly offences” (Section 198) under the 1965 Act. However, urgent statutory guidance and standard operating procedures for police are needed on section 15(1)(e) which allows police to arrest anyone without warrant for “disturbing the peace, whether in a public or private place or causing annoyance to another person”. This provision is vague and imprecise, and risks enabling police harassment, arbitrary arrest and round ups of children in street situations. There's at least a partial repeal of the loitering laws which is a major win and is a very good start in itself. However this means that loitering is still an offence in Sierra Leone for now under two other Acts:

- Section 31 of the Summary Conviction Offences Ordinance 1906 .

In July 2025, the Sierra Leone government adopted the Child Rights Act 2024 which now includes specific protections for

children in street situations, promotes diversion, ensures their right to be heard, and strengthens penalties for exploitation. Street children were not recognised at all in the previous 2007 version so this is a victory in itself. The Network for Street Children submitted a response to the draft version of the Act so we happy to see at least some inclusion of street children, maybe as a result of our feedback.

Success of our university programme

A huge congratulations to two of our young people, Zainab and Ya Alimammy who graduated from University in December 2025. They are our first girls who have ever graduated from university. Two other girls Yealie and Mbalu are also about to graduate in the coming months. Ya Alimammy, received a diploma in social work from EBK University while Zainab received a diploma is banking and finance at Milton Margai University. We first met Ya Almammy, 22, in 2020. She had lived on the streets in Tombo for 2 years from the age of 15. She went on the streets after living with her aunt,

“She made me sell cold water. She maltreated me. Flogged me. She wouldn’t always give me food. I got fed up with

everything so went to the streets.”

For Ya Alimammy the streets were tough, “The men used to flog us. Sometimes you don’t have food.” However, the hardest thing she faced on the streets was the death of her friend,

“My friend Masaray died of AIDS related illness while living on the streets. I want to save lives so that other people don’t need to die a pointless death like she did. There was no need for Masaray to die. There is free treatment. Masaray’s only

sin was being poor and being unable to access the treatment. I miss her every day. Her death makes me determined to be a social worker for the most vulnerable and less privileged.”

Ya Alimammy wants to specialise in working with street children and also people living with HIV in honour of Masaray.

“I want to work with street children and give them the same opportunity that Laughter gave to me.”

We know that Ya Almammy will be a fabulous social worker full of compassion and empathy. She completed her internship at Laughter Africa’s mobile project in Tombo earlier this year. She was fantastic and the kids really looked up to her. She comes from Tombo originally so she was a great role model for all the street children at mobile. We were so proud of her and she was a great asset for the project. Ya Alimammy had a special message for Laughter Africa's supporters,

“I want to tell you boku boku tenki. I really appreciate you for your help. Your concern, the opportunity you have given me. I am so grateful and so happy. Thank you. May Allah continue to guide and protect you.”

In 2024/2025, we paid for 16 young people to attend university. They are studying a variety of subjects including social work, banking and finance, procurement and logistics, human resources, midwifery, para-legal studies, public health, public administration and nursing. Since September 2025, 5 of our young people have applied to university.

22 year old Mabinty has been accepted to study social work at Milton Margai University. We found Mabinty living on the streets in Susan’s Bay 5 years ago. She had lived on the streets for 3 years from the age of 14 until she reached 17. She said,

“I lived in the village with my aunt in Kambia. I don’t know anything about my parents. I went on the streets because of

poverty. I would have to sell okra and pepper for my aunt. She would also beat me.”

Mabinty struggled on the streets. She had a miscarriage, was sexually assaulted twice by gangsters, saw her friend Sarah die after falling sick and was a member of a gang - RFM. She said,

“The streets are not nice. There are so many disadvantages. There is lack of understanding on the streets. I lived a bad life;

smoking, drinking, moving from one club to another. I had to sleep with different people for money. I took drugs including jamba and tye.”

Mabinty has been home since 2021 when we reunified her with an aunt in Freetown. She said,

“Thank you so much for paying university for me. This is a great opportunity. Its life-changing! I want to be a social worker

and work with street children. I want to encourage them to leave the streets. I hope that they can learn from my story. I’ll always remember the social workers at mobile like Aunty Lucy. Auntie Lucy explained her past to me. She encouraged us. I want to change lives!”

Another girl who has applied to university is 20 year old Fatmata aka sing girl. We first met Fatmata at our mobile project in Grafton 3 years ago. Fatmata was living on the streets in town when she bumped into another girl, FA, living on the streets of Grafton who told her all about our new mobile project in Grafton. FA ended up bringing Fatmata back to our mobile in Grafton. We love it when the street children tell other young people about us. They are the best ambassadors to have! At the time Fatmata had lived on the streets for three years and was really struggling to survive. She said,

“My aunt took me from Makeni. She said that she would put me in school but she didn’t. She paid for her own children to

attend school but she made me sell cold water instead. They suffer me in the house. My aunt beat me.”

Fatmata wants to study banking and finance. She said,

“ I want to work in a bank. Thank you for being there for me until now. Thank you for paying university for me. Let God add more sugar to your cake.”

technician. Abibatu lived on and off the streets for 4 years. She said, “After my mum died, I lived with my aunt who brought me to Freetown. Her man tried to sleep with me but I didn’t agree so I ran away before he hurt me.”

The streets were not an easy place for Abibatu. She said,

“The streets were so bad. I went through so many things. No food to eat… nothing to drink. I had to beg just to survive. I would take tramadol just to help me cope.”

The death of her friend now motivates Abibatu. She said,

“The reason why I want to be a lab technician is because my friend Aminata died while living on the streets. She was a hustler and one night she went off with a man. The next day she was found dead with foam in her mouth. I saw her body. No one knows what killed her so no one was held accountable. She needed lab tests to determine what killed her but no one did them. She got no justice. I miss her every day. Her death makes me determined to be a lab technician.”

Abibatu had a final message for our supporters,

“I want to say a very big thank you. You have tried a lot for me. I am so happy.”

Blessing is 17 years old and wants to study medicine. We found her on the streets of Bomeh. She said,

“ My mum was straining with us. I decided to go and hustle as my dad is dead. We had no food to eat at home. I could see my mum struggle every day to provide for me and my brothers and sister. I thought that I was helping her by giving her one less mouth to feed. The streets are horrible. Its cold and some people take advantage of us. To make money I swept, brooked or cleaned for people. We met one street kid – Mansaray who told us about the Laughter mobile project in Bomeh and thank God he did!”

Meanwhile her friend Veronica is 18 years old and wants to study nursing. She lived on the streets for one year. She said,

“I had no one t o take care of me. My mum died of a stoke and I don’t know the whereabouts of my dad. So I lived with my aunt who never put me in school. She forced me into child labour instead and made me sell rubber drinks. Its not easy as I had nowhere to sleep. To make money, I swept and picked plastic.”

Meeting up with our old children

One of the biggest achievements of this year is reconnecting with over 40 of the young people we’ve helped in the past. Street children by nature are very transient so it can go years before we see them again. Sometimes they return home and don’t tell us. With the drug kush out there, I want to know our kids out there are safe. I want to give them hope for a future. A future which kush has no part. One girl, Fatu, turned up in December 2025 after 7 years away!

Many of them bring good news. John is a mechanic in Lumley while Ibrahim fixes tyres in Lumley. Another girl who we met at mobile in Waterloo is now working on the government buses as an apprentice. She refused to accept any money for my ticket and said, “this one is on me!” Another boy Foday is now a security guard for ‘Life Care’ Hospital in Lumley.

Some of our old kids have now made lives for themselves abroad. Adama, who featured on our pop song in 2021, is now living in Gambia. She is studying nursing at university and also supports herself by working in a supermarket. Meanwhile Tapalapa and Sheku are now living in Liberia, making a living by driving kekehs. Sheku makes the equivalent of 4000 leones per month. Salieu and Sheka are living in Senegal, providing for themselves.

Sadly some bring bad news with them. I found out that Momoh, one of our old kids whom we first met in 2016, was caught stealing so was injected with acid and died. Another boy, Father Freco was caught stealing zinc so the people he was stealing from stabbed him, beat him and chopped off his genitals and stuffed them in his mouth as a warning to anyone else tempted to steal. Another boy Shakka died in prison. Others have died from the effects of Kush like CCC or Mohamed Lamin. Another boy James from Kroo Bay was knocked down by a car and tragically died from his injuries.

For the children who are at home like Kai or Alie we have paid vocational school or school fees. For others like Obai we provide medical treatment. Obai lives in Kono and we lost touch with him as his family moved house and we couldn’t find him. Two years ago Obai became disabled. His mother turned up at Laughter in the middle of December begging us to heal her son. She had tried everything. We took Obai to hospital straight away and he was diagnosed with sickle cell. The doctors believe that Obai will be able to walk again, once he finishes his treatment and we will be walking alongside him on his road to recovery every step of the way.

Some are still in the street. They are happy there and just want to say hello whenever we meet. Others we meet in the streets want to be reunified, like Momoh, so we are happy to take them home. One lovely encounter happened at the end of November. Chernor, one of our old boys from 2017, turned up at the centre in a yellow T-shirt. He was so dirty and smelly. His hair hadn’t been cut for years and was so bushy. But we gave him a warm welcome. We gave him a place to wash up, one of my old T- shirts, gave him a haircut and gave him some spray. We also gave him a HIV and hepatitis test to make sure that his health is ok as he was looking very skinny. He announced that he will be returning home in a few months when his mother returns from Guinea. Who knows if he will but the fact that is when he came here, he was welcomed like the prodigal son. He knows that he always has a place with us. Wherever you may live: the streets, home or abroad- you never truly leave the Laughter Africa family!

Our 10[th] Birthday

On 15th June 2025, we celebrated Laughter Africa's 10th birthday. We can't believe that we have survived 10 years, particularly when so many charities are closing. To celebrate we had a party for the kids at mobile in Tombo. Over 150 kids joined us for party games, dancing, scrumptious food and cake. They were very excited. Some had gotten haircuts especially for the party while some of the girls came in their best frocks. The party meant so much to them. We also had a small gathering for the girls in the ICC so they could celebrate the day too! When I start to think about how much we have achieved over the last ten years, I start to well up. Its so overwhelming to think about all the lives we have changed.

The success of the school support programme

We are delighted with the success of our school support programme. The children and young people are really benefiting from our support. We are still in the middle of providing school fees, vocational school fees and uniforms so we haven’t got any final totals yet for the 2025/2026 academic year. However, at the time of writing this report (December 2025) since September 2025, we have provided:

Our support is making a difference. At the end of November 2025, the Government released the BECE results (the Sierra Leone equivalent of GCSEs) and all of our young people passed with flying colours. One of the young people who passed was Michael. Michael, who we first met in June 2015 when was 9 years old, was among the first kids we ever worked with. He has just passed his BECE exams and had brought his results to show me in December 2025. Two years ago he nearly died after falling off a ladder and being impaled by a metal spike. Although he survived - he uses a colonoscopy bag so the fact that he passed all his exams despite all of these setbacks is a miracle in itself. He is about to start SS1 but in the future he wants to be a social worker and work for Laughter Africa.

Successes of our staff

Whenever one of our staff succeeds and achieves their dreams, we share their joy. With this in mind, we want to wish Ansumana Tamba Lamin a huge congratulations. Lamin, one of our social workers, married the love of his life Hawanatu on 14[th] December 2025. Lamin has been a member of Laughter Africa since 2017 and we are super happy for him. What was extra special about the day was that some of our girls from GISA vocational school baked the wedding cake and decorated the venue for the wedding! One of the girls Mabinty said,

"Over the years, Uncle Lamin has really tried for us. He has encouraged us and supported us in so many ways. We were hounoured to be able to do something for him for a change. It was lovely to be part of his special day."

We are happy to report that the cake was scrumptious. We wish him and his new wife all the laughter in the world for their future together.

The successes of the young people we work with

Whenever one of the young people we work with succeed, we share their joy. Here are some of their most amazing successes since the last annual report (published in December 2024):

Alkaline

Never have I been prouder of someone than Alkaline. In January 2025, I was told that he had died. You can imagine my surprise when he walked into Laughter in March, alive and well and looking better than ever. Alkaline aka Mohamed is in his early 20s. He had lived on the streets for ten years and we have known him for at least eight years. In 2022, a passerby took a video of Alkaline when he was high on kush, without his permission. The video went viral on social media and Alkaline found himself on the end of a lot of hostility and judgement. He was the poster-face for kush. He said,

”It was not fine to put that video of me on social media. They had no right to video me. After the video, plenty of people came up to me and insulted me. ”You na kush bobo. You na thief man.” They made me feel like scum. They told me that I would amount to nothing and I “should just go and die in a ditch somewhere.” I have never felt more alone and hopeless than when that video came out.”

At the end of last year, he finally made the courageous step to go back home for good and we have paid for him to start attending vocational school to study construction. He is now living with his mum and step-dad. When asked what encouraged him to finally return home, he answered,

“My small brother is about to sit his final school exams. It was the motivation I needed to change. It was also not nice when people thought that had died. I suppose that gave me the kick up the bum I needed. The street does not pay. You either go to jail or die. I have lost three friends on the streets. Sheku who was stabbed in 2018, Lamin who died of AIDS related illness and Osman who died of kush. I am the lucky one. The streets are not good.”

Alkaline is determined to succeed,

“I want all the people who talked bad about me to see that I have changed. I want to prove them wrong and show them that they were wrong to dismiss me, provoke me, mock me and give up on me. Thank you to everyone at Laughter for believing in me and never giving up on me. Thank you for always being at my side. I will not let you down. I promise that I will not smoke kush again.”

Amie

Congratulations to Amie, our famous footballer. Her football club Ram Kamara Female Football Club won the 2024-2025 Sierra Leone Women’s Premier League! Its the first time they have ever won the league! Even better, Ram K represented Sierra Leone in the CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers in Senegal!

Feedback from people who have visited the projects/supporters

We have had fantastic feedback from people who have visited Laughter Africa and seen our work first-hand. For instance, the Irish Ambassador to Sierra Leone said,

“ James / 5-0,

I know I speak for my wife too when I say that you were definitely one of a small number of really incredible dedicated and committed people we met in our short time in Sierra Leone. What you do and how you support some of the most vulnerable people in society is truly inspirational. The visit to your work was one of the best days of my limited time here, and your bravery which we witnessed in stepping in and up to protect vulnerable kids in our visit to the village was remarkable. As one of our most valued and admired Irish citizens here in Sierra Leone please keep the lines of communication open with the Embassy. Do reach to us if there is anything we can do to support your incredible work.” Similarly when he visited our project, he emailed, “Thanks to you and the Laughter Africa team and participants for hosting us on Friday afternoon at such short notice. It was brilliant to finally get to witness the great support and care you and your team are providing to the street children in Tombo and across Freetown and the peninsula. It was great to get meet some more of your huge ‘family’ of street kids, this time in their home-place. It was fantastic too to see the way in which you support, protect and care for them.”

After he attended a press conference for the International Day for Street Children, he wrote, “James, it was an honour. It was so refreshing to participate in a short concise and focused event. I do hope it gets deserved coverage. Your champions are impressive.” Becky, a former NGO worker in Sierra Leone, said, “From all the international people in Sierra Leone I have ever met. You are the bravest. You have a strength and a will to survive and a will to help and support. That is so unique. I have never ever ever met someone in my life like you who is doing charity without being paid and without having your career in mind. You are unique. To survive Salone for 10 years, without having a big organisation behind you, backing you up. Be proud of yourself. You are doing a fabulous job and you are a fabulous person. I am very proud to call you my friend.”

Sophie (One of our interns), emailed “Maybe it’s because the new year is coming up and I’ve been doing some reflecting, but I genuinely from the bottom of my heart want to thank you for the most amazing experience I’ve ever had. The work that you do everyday is genuinely so inspiring. I think of you and the kids all the time and I can not put into words how you have changed my perspective on things, which I am incredibly grateful for!”

Ralf, a doctor who worked for another NGO who visited Laughter said, “You are doing such a good thing. I want as many people to save money and spend money on Laughter Africa. You are helping thousands of kids. They are the ones who suffer. So keep on doing the good stuff you do. Thank you so much. Since I met you and I have you in my life. That is the best thing that has happened to me. Cos you are such a good person. Thank you James.” The Consortium for street children emailed us on different occasions, “Great to speak to you then and thank you so much for gathering such powerful evidence that will strengthen our case for action with the UN!” “Huge thanks for going above and beyond to strengthen the evidence base for our network submission and ensure the voices of street connected children in Sierra Leone are heard at the highest level at the UN!” “Thanks again for all your help on this and for being so dedicated!” “Thanks for putting so much dedication and passion into the UPR advocacy - it's clearly paying off!” David, one of our supporters, emailed, “The report is extremely detailed & comprehensive, it is a credit to you & the life/vocation that you have chosen to follow. Emotions run high when reading about the work that you do & the poor & desperate children that need your help & support. Anger, frustration & desperation due to the abuse & lack of care & concern shown to them by the authorities, families & community, followed by a heartwarming & overwhelming realisation that the care, support, attention & most of all - unconditional love shown by Laughter Africa can literally turn their lives around. Keep up the good work mate, you are truly a modern day saint!” He emailed again on another occasion, “What an in depth & comprehensive report you’ve produced, & what amazing work you continue to do in such difficult circumstances. I’ve just watched the video link about “kush” & was shocked & saddened by the size & scale of the problem. You have my every admiration for all the good work & support you give in such an overwhelming situation. Well done mate & keep up the amazing work!!”

Susan, a supporter emailed, “Wow, James. You are a whirlwind! It is so lovely to hear from you, all the news and all that you have been up to. I don't know where to start with my Congratulations. That you continue to fight on is beyond admirable!”

Carla, a volunteer photographer who visited us in February 2025, wrote on a few different occasions, “Nice video Biba !! Keep doing that splendid work with the whole team!! You all are amazing people with a warm heart.” “In February, I travelled with James in Tombo, a small fishing village just outside Freetown to do a photo report for Laughter Africa . Thought I was going to capture images... but what I saw and experienced got under my skin far deeper than I could have imagined. The children James cares for – children without a home, without protection, yet with so much strength – touched me right in the heart. Their smiles despite everything, their resilience, their quiet longing for opportunities. I am selling a Laughter Africa calendar, filled with images and moments that stayed with me. All proceeds go directly to Laughter Africa, so James can continue his incredible work: feeding children, giving them safe shelter, guiding them, and providing hope for the future.”

Jackie, one of our supporters emailed,

“You are truly inspiring, so much respect for you.” Similarly Anna, one of our supporters emailed, “I am glad things are still going well for you and you are able to keep helping so many. You are such an inspirational person and when I am having a bad day at my job I just look on your social media and remind myself why we do what we do!”

Maria, another of our supporters, wrote, “You are so inspiring and an example to us all.” Abu, a community member, said,

“Tenki for your sacrifice. Only God can bless you.”

Finally one of our beneficiaries said,

“I remember back then when everyone looked down on us . but you were there for us and ensured that we become someone.”

Our success on social media

We are having a great success on social media. From 1st September 2025 until 8th January 2026, we had 36,076 Views on facebook and Instagram.

Challenges

The Kush Epidemic

In April 2024, President Bio declared the Kush epidemic a national emergency needing immediate action. Kush is one of the biggest problems facing Sierra Leone at the moment. The side effects of kush are absolutely horrific. Most kush users have massive chunks of their legs missing- their legs look like they have been hacked at with machetes. There is no way to describe it apart from its like half their legs have been eaten by a piranha. Sorry for the graphic imagery but there is no nice way to describe it. It is truly a grotesque sight and the users of Kush are in horrendous pain as their legs have been completely decimated.

Between September and December 2025, we have heard that at least 7 street children have died as a result of Kush addiction; Bible, Apieh, Tiago, Silver, Tortoise, Sasco and Foday Baboo. Foday Baboo was the first child that we ever worked with in June 2015 and I just feel completely useless that we were not able to help him in some way. Most of the time the victims of Kush just die in the streets and then their bodies are taken away by the local council and buried in a mass grave somewhere. The problem is that by the time we have heard that they have died, a few days or even weeks have passed so we are unable to bury them in a dignified manner or let their families be aware of their passing. Sometimes some of the street children have died from kush and we will be just unaware as their bodies have been taken by the council without ever being identified.

The young people who are dying seem to be those who have been on the streets for 5 years plus and are long term users of kush. Their bodies seem to just shut down after 5 years of continual kush use. There are so many of our old boys like Bumpest and Sahr who are also close to death due to their continual use of Kush. Its horrible to see it happening right in front of your eyes. Every time that I see a rotting leg or hear that another young person has died, I ask myself “How many kids have I failed or let down?” Whatever we do never feels enough….

Its not just males who are addicted to kush. Female users of Kush are also increasing daily. A few months ago, I met a girl called R, who I have known for 9 years. The smell of rotting flesh was completely revolting. It just permeated from every pore on her leg. Her legs are covered in bandages but the sores are all still infected. I believe that her legs might need to be amputated soon if she does not get the infection under control. Sadly R was also showing signs of HIV: blemishes and rashes on her chest and back so our nurse carried out a HIV rapid test. The test confirmed our diagnosis- she is also HIV+. We had to break the news to her as gently as possible. Her addiction is making R engage in risk taking behaviour in order to feed her habit. Thankfully, R has just been admitted to a rehabilitation centre and we hope she gets the help she needs to beat this addiction once and for all. R is one of the lucky ones, although there are some rehabilitation centres in the country there are limited spaces. Its very overwhelming.

In 2026, we will be dedicating more time and resources to our emergency response to kush including both sensitisation and government advocacy.

The deaths of some of our beneficiaries

Since the previous annual report (published in December 2024) we tragically lost two of the young people that we have worked with:

Mohamed Conteh

At the end of February, we lost one of our boys Mohamed Conteh who lived in Portee. We first met Mohamed in 2016. Mohamed had been making a living by riding a motorbike and picking up passengers. One late Wednesday night, he picked up two passengers who asked to be taken to a secluded location. When he arrived they tried to rob his bike. He fought back and the thieves assaulted him – they stabbed him in the head. Sadly he died from his injuries. Mohamed leaves behind a little boy called Ishmael. He and his best friend Alie came to Laughter in 2016. Alie said, " Every time I think about him, I feel sad. Every time I see his son, I feel so sad that he won't see his dad again. Mohamed was a good friend. I loved him so much. When we lived on the streets together he protected me and kept me safe. Thank you Mohamed for being my best friend."

After he passed, we gave a contribution to his family to give him the send off he deserved! Rest in peace old friend!

Lamin Suma

We found out recently that one of our old kids Lamin died of AIDS related illness. We first met Lamin in 2017 on the streets of Susan’s Bay. We still saw him throughout the years but he was never able to leave the streets behind. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. We miss you son!

Cost of living crisis

As we mentioned in the last annual report, the cost of living situation is deteriorating rapidly in Sierra Leone. Things are still so expensive. In conjunction with this, the cost of living crisis is also hitting the income of Laughter Africa. We have noticed a huge reduction in the numbers of donations received in 2024/2025. We want to say a special thank you to ‘Let Yourself Trust’ who came to our rescue in January 2025.

E. FINANCIAL REVIEW BIR I FLY ?OE_ Itiiiiiii .•• Y• 4 ?),

The Trustees of Laughter Africa have established a general Reserves Policy Brief statement of the which is in place to protect our overseas programme work from risk of charity’s policy on disruption at short notice due to a lack of funds and other financial risks that reserves the organisation faces, while at the same time ensuring that we do not retain income for longer than required. The trustees have determined that Laughter Africa’s general reserves should be equivalent to approximately three months’ running costs and expenditure for each country programme where Laughter Africa is based. The trustees believe that the reserves should be maintained at this level as it will ensure that Laughter Africa’s core activities could continue for at least 3 months during a period of unforeseen difficulty. At the moment Laughter Africa is only working in Sierra Leone so the reserves are quite low. However in the future, the Trustees hope to expand Laughter Africa’s work in other African countries too which would increase the reserves needed. Laughter Africa reserves are held in our UK bank account. The Trustees have estimated that 3 months running costs for Laughter Africa’s work in Sierra Leone is around £5000. The trustees will review Laughter Africa’s reserves policy each year, ensuring a balance between spending on the immediate needs of our charitable programmes and setting aside a reserve to protect Laughter Africa and our work by providing time to adjust to changing financial circumstances. The basis of determining the target reserves level is kept under periodic review and will be adjusted as perceptions of risk and other factors change. By the end of this financial year, our reserves were £5007.19.

Details of any funds materially deficit Not Applicable

Laughter Africa’s principal sources of funding and how expenditure has supported the key objectves

supporters was £68,552.99 (unrestricted). £9,966.90 (unrestricted) was raised from Gift Aid. £8.18 (unrestricted) was earned through bank interest. £19,144.08 (unrestricted) was received from corporate donations . £33,696 (restricted) was raised from Trusts and Foundations. In total, £131,368.15 was raised in 2024/25. Laughter Africa had £8,164.35 (unrestricted) remaining from the previous financial year. In total, £139,532.50 was available for Laughter Africa’s use in 2024/25.

None of the money we have received from supporters is spent in the UK (apart from bank charges for the transfer of funds to Sierra Leone). All money received is spent directly on in-country operational costs and we are proud of the fact that Laughter Africa is managed entirely by volunteers at the central level, with no administration, fundraising or organisational support costs.

The trustees have purposely decided to stay away from government institutional funding sources such as the European Union, USAID, UKAid or the UN for the time being. The trustees have also decided that Laughter Africa will not fundraise via direct marketing methods or telephone fundraising and instead will concentrate on generating funds via individual supporters, schools, churches, community groups, businesses/companies and trusts or foundations.

We are committed to achieving the highest standards in fundraising. We comply with all relevant statutory regulations, including the Charities Act 2011, the Charities Act 2022, the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016, the Data Protection Act 2018, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 and the Telephone Preference Service. We adhere to and comply with the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice and the Fundraising Promise, which set the standards for fundraising activity throughout the UK. We also comply with laws relating to health and safety, the environment and UK data protection legislation including the General Data Protection Regulation (May 2018). Laughter Africa does not use any third party fundraising agencies otherwise known as ‘Professional Fundraisers’ to undertake fundraising on our behalf. Our ‘Treating Donors Fairly Policy’ outlines how we manage fair treatment of all supporters and potential supporters and how any individuals who may be in vulnerable circumstances or are unable to make an informed decision are protected. We log and respond to all complaints. In 2024/25, we received no complaints related to our fundraising activity.

The trustees would also like to say a big thank you to all the trusts, foundations and businesses who gave a donation to

Laughter Africa in 2024/25:

THE TRELIX TRUST

CELASAR LTD

Thank you so much to all of the trusts, foundations and businesses for all your support. It is through your generosity that we are able to continue our work.

Discussion of how Laughter Africa spent the money and how this expenditure has supported the key objectves.

Laughter Africa’s total expenditure in the financial period was £118,547.13. Laughter Africa lost £1,556.61 via multi currency exchange rate losses. A total expenditure of £120,103.74 was spent in the 2024/2025 financial year. There was £19,428.76' held in the bank accounts and petty cash at the end of the financial year. A total of £139,532.50. You can see a full breakdown of our costs in the table below:

Expenditure in Sierra Leone

Type of expenditure Cost (Pounds)
Rent for the Interim Care Centre for 1 year £8,740.27
Salaries for Natonal Staf £12,418.29
Food £3,436.92
Non- food items £2,578.36
Skills trainingcosts £1,949.65
Staf travel costs during reunifcatons £2,937.33
Educatonal equipment £27,368.91
Generator fuel for the ICC £1,278.79
Street children travel costs £2,702.96
School fees/vocatonal training £30,875.84
Medical costs for the street children £4,353.02
Volunteer costs £674.70
Travel subsistence for staf £181.23
Family support for the street children £2,104.95
Clothing £634.38
Campaign and Advocacy £59.37
Toiletries £227.68
Staf travel accommodaton £303.75
Travel subsistence for the street children £13.94
Audit Fees £681.82
Water supplies £509.66
P.0. Box (legal requirement in Sierra Leone) £11.04
Legal services 100.64
Bank Charges in Sierra Leone £495.15
Hire of Premises for Mobile £210.97
Rent Tax £1,704.56
DBS and safeguarding costs £1.70
End of Service Beneft £2,373.61
Electricity for the ICC £246.61
Insurance (legal requirement in Sierra
Leone)		 £108.02
Work permit and residential permit (legal
requirement in Sierra Leone)		 £345.36
Annual leave allowance for National staff
(legal requirement in Sierra Leone)		 £1,467.22
Medical Treatment for National Staff (legal
requirement in Sierra Leone)		 £1,459.68
Country Registration fees £1,969.34
NASSIT (legal requirement in Sierra Leone) £1,088.27
Telephone costs £235.24
PAYE (legal requirement in Sierra Leone) £1,297.14
Hire of Equipment £37.16
Redundancy £517.60
TOTAL £117,701.13

Expenditure in the UK

Type of expenditure Cost (Pounds)
Bank Charges in the UK £846
TOTAL £846

All the above expenses are part of our charitable objectives, without them, Laughter Africa couldn’t function.

Costs associated with all three departments: Outreach, the Interim Care Centre and Family Tracing and Reunifcaton (FTR)

Some of the costs overlap between the three different departments. For instance, medical care is provided for all children at the mobile project, the Interim Care Centre and for those who have been reunified with their families. The total cost of medical care was £4,353.02. Similarly, food is provided at both the mobile project and the Interim Care Centre. The total cost spent on food in 2024/25 was £3,436.92. Coupled with this is the cost of non food items (both at mobile and the Interim Care Centre) which totalled £2,578.36. Non food items include things like coal, bleach and plate/ cups etc….. £1,949.65 was spent on skills training activities including art & craft materials, hairdressing materials, cultural dance and yoga at both mobile and the Interim Care Centre. The travel costs of the street children across all three departments was £2,702.96. Meanwhile staff travel across all three departments reached £2,937.33. This travel was for the payment of school fees and reunifications. All the social workers in all three departments are given monthly phone credit. This is because the street children are constantly phoning the social workers about different issues so the social workers need credit to phone them back. The total spent on telephone costs was £235.24. Water supplies for the children at the ICC and mobile totalled £509.66 for the year.

Costs associated solely with the Outreach department

The only payment solely associated with the outreach department was £210.97 for the rent for the mobile in Tombo. All the other expenditure such as food, non-food items, medical care and games and entertainment are listed above.

Costs associated solely with the Interim Care Centre

The main expense connected to the Interim Care Centre is the rent which was £8,740.27 for one year. Connected to this is the rent tax which is a legal requirement in Sierra Leone. The rent tax totalled £1,704.56. Other costs associated with the interim Care Centre include clothing (£634.38) and toiletries (£227.68) for the street children. Meanwhile the cost of electricity for the ICC totalled £246.61 while £1,278.79 was spent on fuel for the generator for the ICC. All the other costs are listed above like medical expenses, food/non-food items and skills training activities. Without an Interim Care Centre, we would not be able to carry out our key objectives: it is crux to our work.

Costs associated solely with the Family Tracing and Reunifcaton Department

The three major expenditures in the Family Tracing and Reunification department (FTR ) were school fees/vocational training/university fees (£30,875.84), educational equipment (uniforms, school bag, school shoes, stationery, equipment for vocational schools, text books) (£27,368.91) and family support for the most vulnerable street children once they have returned home (£2,104.95). This support could be a mattress, a bag of rice, a wheelchair, business support, baby support or rent. It is expected that these costs will increase in the next financial year as Laughter Africa will continue to pay the school support for the children we worked with between 2015 and 2025, as well as the new children with whom we will work in 2025/26. Family reunification is a key objective of the work and paying for school support is a major factor in keeping the street children at home. Other costs associated with this strand of work include; travel accommodation for staff during the reunification process (£303.75); travel subsistence for staff during the reunification process (£181.23); and travel subsistence for street children during the reunification process (£13.94).

Costs associated with the Campaigning and Advocacy department

In 2024/25, the communication and advocacy programme for Laughter Africa revolved around the International Day for Street Children (12th April). The total cost spent on advocacy and campaigning was £59.37 . We also spent £37.16 on hiring equipment for the event for the International Day for Street Children.

Costs associated with stafng

Laughter Africa spent £12,418.29 on national staff salaries. Without staff Laughter Africa wouldn’t be able to complete its work or charitable objectives. It is Laughter Africa’s policy that only national Sierra Leoneans will be appointed as staff. Laughter Africa will never employ an international staff member in Sierra Leone. At the time of writing this report (December 2025), Laughter Africa employed 10 full time staff. We have achieved gender equity in pay. All our female staff are paid the exact same as their male counter parts in the same roles. All staff are paid above the minimum wage and receive medical care (£1,459.68) and GPA insurance (£108.02). Laughter Africa also paid NASSIT (£1,088.27) and PAYE (£1,297.14) which are tax payments and are legal requirements from the Sierra Leone government relating to staff. Similarly Laughter Africa complied with all the labour laws in Sierra Leone including annual leave allowance (£1,467.22) and End of Service benefit (£2,373.61). The staffs’ work has been greatly enhanced by the work of volunteers. Costs associated with the volunteers totalled £674.70. We spent £1.70 on DBS and safeguarding costs and spent £517.60 on redundancy payments for one staff member.

Country registraton and other associated fees

In this financial year we had to pay re-registration fees to SLANGO and MOPED. The total cost of re-registration was £1,969.34. The audit costs were £681.82 while we paid £100.64 for legal services. Another legal requirement is that any international volunteers must have a residential permit/work permit so this was purchased for the founder James. This cost was £345.36. To be recognised as a registered charity in Sierra Leone, one must have a PO Box. Laughter Africa has one at a cost of £11.04 per year.

Bank charges in Sierra Leone

The bank charges in Sierra Leone were £495.15.

Bank charges in the UK.

The only expenditure in the UK is for bank charges when money is transferred to the Laughter Africa Sierra Leone Bank Account. This is because the Trustees believe that the money entrusted to us by supporters should not be spent on fundraising or administrative costs in the UK but on the street children themselves. The Trustees see each donation as an honour and a privilege as there are so many other charities which people could chose to support instead. The total cost of bank charges in the UK was £846.

Principal Financial policies in force throughout the year

Laughter Africa has the following financial policies in place:

Laughter Africa’s Earmarking policy Foreign currency and exchange rate policy Laughter Africa’s Paying staff policy Sierra Leone Financial procedures Reserves and investment policy Anti- bribery policy Fraud and loss policy Acceptance of donations policy Policy on safeguarding resources from terrorist abuse Credit card policy Authorisation of expenditure policy Payment of expenses policy Internal financial controls policy Laughter Africa’s Accountancy manual

The trustees have also prepared financial templates and documentation for Laughter Africa including assets registers, chart of accounts, budgeting templates etc. All are available upon request.

Investment Policy

At the moment, Laughter Africa has no investments as the charity is still so new and we use every penny we receive for our work in Sierra Leone. However, there is an investment policy in place for when the charity is ready to make investments. This policy governs how cash resources are managed, which institutions may be used, security ratings and risk management etc. The policy is as follows:

The objective of the investment policy is to maintain high liquidity while ensuring maximum security by avoiding risk to capital. This is to comply with Laughter Africa’s ethical standards and to achieve the best possible return within these limiting parameters. To meet this objective, the charity plans to invest in sterling deposits with financial institutions that hold a high security rating, ordinarily spreading the total invested across fixed terms from overnight to 12 months, and limiting the amount invested with any one financial institution. In response to the increased risks highlighted by the credit crunch, Laughter Africa plans to have limited deposits to UK domiciled banks for shorter periods to enable the charity to react more quickly to the fluctuating financial environment. The Trustees annually review Laughter Africa’s investment policy. The charity has no long term investments.

F. OPTIONAL INFORMATION INTERNA DAYFOR CHILDRE -iÉY ,8anriqK) BIIID IY

Future Plans

Over the next year, we do not plan to introduce any new components to our work due to the cost of living crisis and the political instability within the country. We will just continue our normal outreach, Interim Care Centre, Family Tracing and Reunification work and our Advocacy and Campaigning work.

Mobile

So far our mobile project has taken place in Susan’s Bay, Regent Road in Town, Portee, Waterloo, Grafton, Bomeh, Funkia and Tombo. For 2026/2027, we hope to have a mobile project in Lumley/Aberdeen/Cockle Bay. This is because they are the only big areas which have a large congregation of street children where we have not had mobile projects yet.

ICC

For the ICC, we don’t have any specific new plans as such. We plan to just keep doing what we have always done. We have a strong rehabilitation programme in place and know that it is successful.

FTR

The school support programme is one of our most successful components and is the reason why so many children remain home after they are reunified with their families. We are also hoping to repeat the success of our vocational training programme including the provision of business support equipment. Our university fee programme is still a huge success and we will be continuing with this. One young man James, received the highest marks in his year. He is studying ‘Para-Legal studies’ and is excelling in his studies at the University of Makeni.

Advocacy, Campaigns and Communications

The repeal of the loitering laws in Sierra Leone will be our primary campaign issue for 2026 and beyond. If the loitering law is repealed in 2025/2026, then the next stage will be to educate and sensitise the street children in the different areas. Our plan is to visit each area one by one like we did during the ‘Sexual Violence Prevention’ Training and carry out workshops with the street children. We would probably target the same areas such as Susan’s Bay, Tombo, Lumley, Waterloo, Portee, Grafton, Cockle Bay and Funkia. We plan on printing business cards with different social workers’ contact details on where the street children can report any human rights violations committed by the police, especially if they are still arrested because of loitering.

We plan on producing posters in Kreo which we hope to display in all the police stations. We plan to carry out lots of media engagements, particularly radio shows in order to disseminate the message that loitering is no longer a crime! This could also take the form of “radio jingles” or a pop song, similar to the pop song we did for the International Day for Street Children 2021.

If the loitering law is repealed then we also hope to train the police so they are better quipped in their interactions with street children. Otherwise, if the law is not repealed we hope to continue working in partnership with the Irish embassy as they lobby MPs, different Ministers and Ministries about the issue.

Another key campaign we hope to promote in 2026 is for the Sierra Leone Government to implement the recommendations from the UN paper on "A child-centred response to the sexual exploitaton of children in street

situatons." There are some fantastic recommendations which if implemented would vastly improve the safety of children living on the streets.

The Government of Sierra Leone have made a further commitment to review their National Strategy for Addressing Issues of Children in Street Situations 2021-23 in their recent submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (July 2025). We hope that this review takes place in 2026 and that the street children and NGOs can be more involved in the process as they were largely excluded in the formulation of the last strategy. We are hopeful that this time, the review will be more aligned with General Comment 21 and that the voices of street children will be heard loud and clear. We would also like to expand our ‘street champion’ programme in other areas as well as that has been a big success probably in Aberdeen/Lumley/Cockle Bay.

In 2026, we will be dedicating more time and resources to our emergency response to kush including both sensitisation and government advocacy. We attended a meeting at the beginning of November 2025 with the Government about Kush and the government promised that there would be another meeting again in the future. We will not stay silent anymore!

Administration Department

In January 2026, we need to start the NGO re-registration process in Sierra Leone which is always a difficult, complicated and time-consuming process.

Conclusion

To finish off this report, I want to talk about three of our old kids, Ibrahim Sorie, Al Hassan and Santigie. I haven’t seen Ibrahim Sorie in years. We first met him in 2015 when he was just 10 years old. He came running to the office at the end of November and was towering over me. He’s now 20 and has truly transformed his life. He is working in a popular bar ‘Sunnyside’ as a bartender. Every month he makes 1,200 leones which is a decent wage in Salone. He has been working there for the last few years and has been slowly climbing up the ranks. He has impressed his bosses by his honesty, commitment and hard work. All this while, he has been living at home with his aunt. He is extra excited as his girlfriend Isha is pregnant. He is about to become a dad for the first time and he is brimming with excitement. He wants to be the best dad that he can be and is determined that his child will want for nothing- especially love!

“I don’t want my child to ever go to the streets. I was on the streets from the age of 7. I don’t want that for my child. I know how lucky I am. So many of my friends have died from Kush.”

Meanwhile another young dad is Santigie, who is devoted to his 2 year old son James, named after yours truly. We have known him since 2016. Santigie recently passed his driving test and now has a job as a delivery driver! He is saving up the pennies as one day he wants to open his own computer game business. He is determined and focused and I know that he will achieve his dreams.

And finally, Al Hassan turned up just before Christmas with his girlfriend and twins in tow. He became a dad to twins in August - Sio and Gina. Al Hassan was the first kid that we ever worked with in June 2015- in fact he was the one who christened me ‘Five O.’ We gave him money for another driving license as he lost his old one and he needs it as he makes a living as a kekeh driver. He said,

“Thank you for teaching me how to be a good father. I am going to try to be the best dad I can be. I learnt from the best.”

Meeting with old kids like this fills me with hope and reminds me the reason why I am here in the first place. This is the reason why I stay. Despite all the challenges. Despite all the drama. Even though I am completely exhausted. It’s moments like this that makes everything worthwhile.

Just before Christmas 2025, I was walking around the Centre and found graffitied on one of the cupboards, scribbled in a red marker a message saying, “Five O thank you for coming into our lives.” The thanks is all mine!

G. DECLARATION r.

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature (s) ones fe Full name (s) James Francis Robert Tyrrell Mark Quentin Neal Position (e.g. chair or secretary) Chairperson Secretary Date 09/01/2026 09/01/2026

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||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Laughter Africa|1154712| |Receipts and payments accounts|CC16a| |For the period|01/04/2024|31/03/2025| |To| |from| |Section A Receipts and payments| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment| |Total funds|Last year| |funds|funds|funds| |to the nearest £|to the nearest £|to the nearest £|to the nearest £|to the nearest £| |A1 Receipts| |Donations|68,552.99'|-|68,552.99'|66,716.09'| |Gift Aid|9,966.90'|-|-|9,966.90'|11,757.78'| |Trusts and Foundations|33,696|-|33,696'|35,000'| |Bank interest|8.18'|-|-|8.18'|4.15'| |Corporate Donations|19,144.08'|-|-|19,144.08'|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |Sub total|(Gross income for| |AR)|[[ 97,672.15' ]]|33,696|-|131,368.15'|113,478.02'|

----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
|||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Sub total|(Gross income for| |AR)|[[ 97,672.15' ]]|33,696|-|131,368.15'|113,478.02'| |A2 Asset and investment sales,| |(see table).| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |Sub total|-|-|-|-|-| |Total receipts|97,672.15'|33,696|-|131,368.15'|113,478.02'| |SSS|S5|=| |A3 Payments| |Charitable Activities|85,270.41'|31,153.11'|-|116,423.52'|107,878.16'| |Bank charges (UK)|846'|-|-|846'|705'| |Bank charges (Sierra Leone)|495.15'|-|-|495.15'|451.06'| |Governance|782.46'|-|-|782.46'|1,296.49'| |Multi currency exchange rate loss|1,556.61'|-|-|1,556.61'|3,207.82'| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| |Sub total|[ 88,950.63' ]|31,153.11'|-|120,103.74'|113,538.53'| |=======—| |A4 Asset and investment| |purchases, (see table)| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |Sub total|[ - ]|-|-|-|-| |——| |Total payments|88,950.63'|31,153.11'|-|120,103.74'|113,538.53'| |Net of receipts/(payments)|8,721.52'|2,542.89'|-|11,264.41'|-60.51'| |A5 Transfers between funds|-|- -|-|-| |A6 Cash funds last year end|8,164.35'|- -|8,164.35'|-| |Cash funds this year end|=—SS=|16,885.87'|2,542.89'|-|19,428.76'|8,164.35'| |CCXX R1 accounts (SS)|1|10/01/2026|

----- End of picture text -----

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Unrestricted
Restricted
Endowment
Categories funds
funds
funds
Details
to nearest £
to nearest £
to nearest £
B1 Cash funds 1,955.70'
-
-
9,922.98'
2,542.89'
-
5007.19'
-
-
16,885.87'
2,542.89'
-
OK
OK
OK
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
to nearest £
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Funds in Sierra Leone
Funds in the UK
Reserves
Details
—==~~==~~
B2 Other monetary assets -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
Current value
(optional)
Details
——_——
B3 Investment assets -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
Current value
(optional)
Details
nee
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
B5 Liabilities
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
liability relates
Amount due
(optional)
When due
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Date of
approval
27/05/2025
27/05/2025
Details
Print Name
James Francis Robert Tyrrell
Mark Quentin Neal
Signature
me
——=
In accordance with the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (General) Regulations 2012 the Trustees confirm that:
a) the CIO has given no guarantees, where any potential liability under the guarantee is outstanding at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities;
and b) the CIO does not have any debts outstanding at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities which are secured by an express charge on any of the assets of the CIO
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
2
10/01/2026

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Report to the trusteesl members of Laughter Africa On accounts for the year ended 31¥t March 2025 Charity no (if any) 1154712 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended 31103 12025. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sierra Leone Address: Peter Kamaray & Co 20 Wilberforce Street Freetown, Sierra Leone Disclosure..':4 Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of c uidance for examiners). ..k.'AR TEXED AGCOUNIAèITS ,,IILEERFQRGE 5TkEET Dw ERRA LEOII IER October 2018 A TE_

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. R RAMARI.Y R, ,'R TERED ACI.liUI I,'IEE FORC=. rE_ IER October 2018