Salone Rising

A program of the Harwell Family Foundation, Salone Rising Micro-Enterprise empowers promising small business owners in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

Our Mission

Equipping entrepreneurs with the tools to grow thriving and sustaining businesses, provide for their families, and foster economic growth in the community.

Our Strategy

Facilitating micro grants and small-to-medium business loans that can help participants address short term goals.

Providing educational and savings opportunities, including training and mentorship, that help them build toward long-term success

While many businesses will remain small, others may have the potential to grow to include additional employees and locations. We encourage community initiatives that have been locally conceived.

Owning a micro-business provides motivated individuals with self-directed economic solutions. Entrepreneurs know their own skills and interests and work hard to offer them to others. Over time, they become known for the goods and services they provide.

Those living in Sierra Leone often make cloth and clothing, prepare hot food, or buy spices, medicines, rice and other needed items at wholesale, then resell them in their communities. Some offer a unique skill such as weaving, cooking or iron forging. Goods and services are sold from their own stalls in markets, from their homes, or door to door.

To do this, we

Screen applicants and select qualified individuals,
Facilitate small grants to support their specific business improvement ideas
Monitor and assess weekly and monthly progress
Provide ongoing and specialized mentoring and professional development resources
Create additional business opportunities when possible
Support the development of their local community initiatives.

Our participants are invited to tell their success stories to the camera, as well as their challenges; the brief films that result can help us connect them with additional investors, educators, and professionals.

“Entrepreneurship development in Sierra Leone can create large-scale employment opportunities, and promote balanced regional economic development…. It can also reduce the concentration of economic power, stimulate wealth creation and distribution, leading to improvement in living standards and facilitate overall development.”

– Zainab Tunkara Clarkson, International Development Consultant and Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) Country Ambassador for Sierra Leone

Pathways to Participation & Growth

Getting started with Salone Rising

Salone Rising Micro-Enterprise offers micro grants of $150-300 USD, small business loans from $500-2,000, and medium business loans from $5,000-20,000. Announcements are made periodically by radio and by other means when the next group of grants and loans becomes available.

To qualify for a micro-grant, applicants must have been in business for at least 6 months. To qualify for a small or medium loan, applicants must have been in business for at least one year. In addition, they must have 1-30 employees to be eligible for a small loan, or 5-30 employees to qualify for a medium business loan. All must agree to participate in the Lions’ Den Educational Forum training and savings programs that correspond with the loan level for which they apply, and agree to any other terms of the program as communicated by the organization at the time of application.

All applicants must demonstrate a desire for personal growth and a desire for positive community development that benefits all.

Only the applicants who can demonstrate that they possess the qualifications listed above will be considered for the program. Due to demand, not all applicants may be selected; some may be put on a waiting list for future consideration.

How We Support Small Business Growth

The Lions’ Den Educational Forum provides all participants with preliminary and ongoing training and mentoring experiences. Micro grant recipients receive a nine hour training over the course of three days, and complete a simple business plan. Small loan recipients receive a 36-hour, four week business training course on marketing, pricing, cost analysis, bookkeeping, goal setting, and banking. Medium loan recipients receive all of the above; they are also matched with qualified, experienced business owners selected by Salone Rising whose relevant skills and success will guide the participant’s goals for his/her own business. Plans are in the works to provide training and mentoring opportunities for the wider community of small business entrepreneurs in Sierra Leone.

Equipping entrepreneurs to sustain and grow their businesses

Enabling them to earn a living wage and provide for their families

Fostering economic growth and community development

Tracking Progress for Lasting Change

Once selected, a participant will enter into training and advisory relationships that will provide them with new skills and strategies to improve their businesses. These interactions will provide program leaders a vehicle to aid the assessment of their participants’ development and to offer or make any adjustments needed. In the future, educational institutions will be invited to create and implement third party assessment models for Salone Rising, its immediate and long-term impact on individuals and families, and its longer-term impact on communities.

The Lions’ Den Educational Forum

Lion’s Den provides all Salone Rising grant and business loan recipients with training and mentoring experiences. Micro grant recipients will receive a nine-hour training over the course of three days and complete a simple business plan. Small business loan recipients receive a 36-hour, four-week business training course on marketing, pricing, cost analysis, bookkeeping, goal setting, and banking. Medium business loan recipients receive all of the above; they are also matched with qualified, experienced business owners selected by Salone Rising whose relevant skills and success will help guide the participant’s goals for his/her own business. Moving forward, Salone Rising plans to hire educators from within Sierra Leone to develop and present these trainings and establish mentorships.

The Vision for Long-Term Impact

Business experts from outside the country will be encouraged to visit Sierra Leone to provide their unique perspectives at forums and other events, and/or via webinar and other media. As Salone Rising develops, universities with related programs geared toward fostering entrepreneurship will be invited to develop additional mentorship, research and evaluation opportunities. Plans are in development to provide training and mentoring opportunities for the wider community of small business entrepreneurs in Sierra Leone.

The Future of Salone Rising

In the year 2026, Salone Rising is interested in investing in larger business in the area. This may include construction, mining, and sustainable farming. We are working towards becoming completely self-sustaining in the next ten years through in-country investments.

We are committed to making Salone Rising completely sustainable through in-country investments that will create long-term impact.

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