The Government of India has dispatched 1,000 metric tons of rice to Sierra Leone to support the school feeding program. The support from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to provide nutritious meals to thousands of school children in all 16 districts of Sierra Leone.
India and Sierra Leone have enjoyed strong bilateral relations since 1993 when India opened an honorary Consulate General in Freetown. The trade between the two countries amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars. Between 2019 and 2020, the trade between India and Sierra Leone totaled US$139.86 million, recording a growth of 12.80% over the previous fiscal year. The main commodities imported from India to Sierra Leone include pharmaceuticals, plastics, non-basmati rice, two and three-wheelers, industrial machinery, and electrical goods, while Sierra Leone exports scrap metals, ferrous waste, and small quantities of titanium ores, among other items.
The Indian community in Sierra Leone dates back to the 19th century when Indian traders arrived in the country. Records indicate that there were at least 600 Indians in Sierra Leone in 1977, two-thirds of whom were traders, and the rest were experts and teachers.
Sierra Leone’s school feeding program is a key component of the Free Quality Education initiative since 2018, providing daily nutritious meals to school children.
