By Kadijatu Bangura, D.S. Reporter
FREETOWN — Eight inmates from correctional facilities across Sierra Leone have regained their freedom after the Football for Reform initiative settled fines that had kept them behind bars.
The beneficiaries, men and women from Bo, Kenema, Kailahun, Waterloo and Freetown, were detained over fines ranging from Le100 to Le5,000 which they could not afford to pay.
Former Sierra Leone Football Association President and FIFA Council Member Isha Johansen, founder of the initiative, said the programme uses football, fashion and the arts to support rehabilitation, skills training and reintegration. She noted that Football for Reform has been active for about five years, equipping inmates with practical livelihood skills to reduce reoffending.
Under the initiative, inmates have received training in football coaching, tailoring, sewing and bead-making. In 2023, CAF conducted a CAF D License coaching course for female inmates at the Freetown Correctional Centre as part of the broader Football for Change programme linked to Football for Reform.
Johansen said her commitment began after a visit to the female correctional facility with former FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura. That visit, she said, revealed how many inmates were victims of circumstance, including people “who were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
With support from FIFA, the initiative also established a training and skills centre at the female correctional facility to provide tailoring and other vocational training.
One of those released was David Ansumana of Kailahun, convicted of larceny and sentenced to 24 months or a NLe2,000 fine. Ansumana said he spent over seven months in custody after his roommate, a phone mechanic, allegedly disappeared with a customer’s phone. After his fine was paid, he was released. He thanked Johansen for a “second chance” and said he plans to use skills gained in prison to rebuild his career.
Another beneficiary, Martha Mende of Bo, was detained while pregnant after being accused of “obtaining by fraud” by her sister-in-law. Johansen’s initiative paid her NLe5,000 fine and also supported her with house rent and money.
Former inmate Doreen Sunnielly, who spent 14 months in prison, said she learned bead-making through the programme and now runs Dee’s Beadiful Designs. She has also enrolled at university. She urged other former inmates to remain hopeful and take advantage of opportunities after release.
Johansen has appealed to the SLFA to give former female inmates who completed the CAF D License course a chance to put their coaching skills into practice.
“I would encourage SLFA to engage the female inmates who enrolled in the CAF D license course and successfully obtained the CAF D to offer them the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills into practice,” she said.
CAF has previously described the programme as using football to drive social impact and create opportunities for people in vulnerable situations.
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