Photo: Sangita Patel high-fiving young girl © Courtesy of Ryan Morgan for Save the Children Canada
By Raye Mocioiu
Some of the most powerful stories begin with a journey. For television personality and philanthropist Sangita Patel, that journey took her from Toronto to Sierra Leone and into the lives of girls finding their voice and transforming their communities in the process.
As one of Canada’s most beloved TV personalities, known for being the host of Home to Win on HGTV Canada and host of Love & Translation on TLC and Max, Patel knows what makes a good story—one that grabs viewers’ attention and keeps them watching, eager to learn what happens next. In Sierra Leone, she saw stories unfold firsthand. She arrived ready to learn and left fully inspired.
“Parenthood is rooted in hope,” Patel said. “No matter where they live, parents want their children to be safe, healthy, and have a better future. But in many communities, creating a better future means having the courage to challenge traditions, overcome obstacles, and put in the hard work to create change. During my visit to Sierra Leone, I met with several Women Action Groups—made up largely of moms and grandmothers—who are doing exactly that.”
Patel travelled to the West African nation to witness the impact of FOUNDATIONS, a Save the Children initiative delivered alongside local partners and supported by Global Affairs Canada. Designed to improve girls’ health, protection, and leadership, the program is helping communities challenge long-standing barriers while giving girls the tools to shape their own futures.
The trip began with a six-hour drive from Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, to the rural Kailahun District, where many of the FOUNDATIONS activities take place.
“We started early, heading to Manowa, a rural village of about 4,200 people,” she said. “On the way, we met with a local chief who proudly spoke about the changes he was seeing for girls and young women in his community.”
Patel was immediately struck by the enthusiasm and joy, which only grew when she arrived in Manowa to music, dancing, and laughter. But what truly moved her was that the program wasn’t something being imposed from the outside. Instead, it was being driven by the people who know their communities best.
Village chiefs, teachers, healthcare workers, women’s groups, government officials, and youth mentors are working together to ensure that girls can remain in school, access healthcare, understand their rights, and build their confidence.
Inside a local classroom, she sat in on a Child and Adolescent Health and Life Skills session where students openly discussed topics many children around the world still find difficult to talk about.
“What struck me most was their confidence,” she explained. “The children eagerly answered questions without hesitation; they were quick to answer their teacher’s questions about good and bad touch—but they were equally quick to help one another out if someone stumbled over their answer.”
Support from within one’s community is moving enough, but Patel knew that beneath it was something bigger: these girls were also taking their first steps toward self-advocacy.
Turning Knowledge into Action
Later that day, Patel attended a Girl Shine session, where teenage girls who are no longer attending school gather with women mentors to discuss gender-based violence, leadership, and life skills.
She watched as the girls performed a skit depicting child marriage. One portrayed an older man attempting to persuade a family to marry off their school-aged daughter in exchange for money. Another played the daughter, desperately pleading to remain in school.
Patel said this experience was deeply emotional—she knew these were stories, but they were not fictional.
“It was emotional to watch because these weren’t just performances,” she explained. “They reflected experiences some of the girls have lived through.”
But there’s power in these skits, too, which is why the Girl Shine sessions are so important.
“They’re using their voices,” Patel said. “They’re helping protect other girls in their communities.”
Strengthening Communities from the Inside
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) education is only one piece of the FOUNDATIONS initiative. Patel also visited a small health clinic in the village of Follah that had been rebuilt with project support.
“The clinic itself may be small, but it’s such an important part of the community,” she shared. “The nurses walked us through the space and shared how they support women, young people, and families every day.”
Largely as a side effect of having access to education, young people are increasingly seeking information and services related to reproductive health and safety. Patel said she found it encouraging to learn that it’s not just women who are seeking these answers—young men, too, are coming in to ask questions and learn about reproductive health and family planning.
Outside, Patel tried to operate the community water pump installed through the Save the Children project—a far more laborious experience than she had expected.
“It gave me a whole new appreciation for the healthcare workers, who rely on it every single day to help maintain sanitary conditions and support women during childbirth.”
It is exactly improvements like these that can make the biggest difference to communities. Reliable water, safe clinics, and trusted healthcare workers who provide answers without judgement, all play a huge role in building healthier communities.
Change That Starts From Within
Save the Children has worked around the world for over 100 years. In that time, they’ve learned that the easiest path to sustainable change is one that communities lead themselves.
And as Patel continued through Kailahun District, she saw this in action over and over again. Like in Pendembu, where she met members of a local Women Action Group, largely composed of mothers and grandmothers working to advance gender equality and protect women and girls in their communities.
“Together, they’re working to change harmful beliefs and laws that have been passed down for generations, so girls in their communities can grow up with more opportunities than they had,” Patel said.
In Pendembu, the women spoke candidly about the challenges that remain, including girls leaving school early and pressure to marry young. But they also talked about progress: more girls staying in school, more young women speaking up for themselves, and more parents supporting their daughters’ education and decisions.
“What struck me most during these meetings was that these women aren’t waiting for change; they’re creating it,” Patel said. “They’re standing up for girls and women in their communities, supporting one another, and helping build a future where the next generation has more freedom, more choices, and the chance to reach their full potential.”
For Patel, herself a mother of two daughters, their determination hit particularly close to home.
“It made me think about the values we pass on to our children and the responsibility we all have to raise young people who care about others, speak up for what’s right, and understand that even small actions can help create a better future for someone else.”
It’s clear that momentum is spreading. At a local health clinic, the District Medical Officer shared that more girls are seeking sexual health services—and, importantly, their parents are the ones encouraging them to access that care.
He also told Patel about a former clinic director who had moved to a clinic outside Save the Children’s program but continued using many of the approaches he had learned.
“It reminded me that real change doesn’t stay in one place,” Patel reflected. “People carry it with them, and sometimes it spreads in ways you don’t expect.”
One Girl Can Change Another Girl’s Future
“Our final full day in Kailahun was emotional,” Patel said. “After only four days in Sierra Leone, I felt deeply connected to the people we had met and the stories they had shared.”
That day, Patel visited Doris Mansaray, Assistant Director and Child Protection Manager for Kailahun District, who took her on a tour of spaces that had been constructed to support girls in the community, including a dormitory for survivors of gender-based violence, a meeting space for girls and mentors, and a skills training centre that was under construction.
Later, while attending another Girl Shine session, she heard a story that she said has stayed with her ever since.
“One girl shared how she used what she’d learned in the Girl Shine sessions to help her cousin avoid child marriage,” Patel said. “She knew where to go for help and how to advocate for her cousin so she could stay in school. And her plan worked. The marriage was called off!”
That’s the beauty of a ripple effect. One girl equipped with the knowledge and confidence she needs to make a change will seek out opportunities to empower those around her.
“It is one thing to read statistics,” she said. “It’s another to hear a young girl explain how she helped change someone else’s future.”
Investing in the Future of Girlhood
This was an emotional trip for Patel, to be sure. But it was, in many ways, incredibly uplifting. She met educators, healthcare workers, community leaders, government officials, mentors, and families committed to creating safer futures for girls.
She learned about skills-training centres helping girls prepare for independent futures. She witnessed schools where students now participate in life skills classes with greater confidence and curiosity.
As Patel was leaving a meeting with Mansaray and members of a local Women Action Group, a phone call came in reporting that a man had been released from police custody. Mansaray immediately began coordinating a response, ensuring that the girl who had reported him and her family were informed and that a safe place would be available if needed.
“It was a powerful reminder that when communities have the right resources and support, they can build systems that genuinely protect and care for young people,” Patel said.
At a time when progress toward gender equality remains fragile in many parts of the world, Patel returned home with evidence that lasting change is possible.
But that change won’t come from outside solutions; rather, it will come from equipping girls with knowledge, confidence, and support, and from their communities choosing to stand beside them.
“The girls I met in Sierra Leone are smart, funny, determined, and full of dreams,” Patel said. “They deserve the safety and support that allow those dreams to flourish.”
Her journey lasted only four days. The impact those girls will have on their communities may last for generations.
Learn more at SaveTheChildren.ca
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