Sierra Leoneans, Africa’s most generous

  1. Posted on Thursday 16 September 2010 - 10:00
    Murtala
    Image of Murtala
    Murtala Mohammed Kamara, AfricaNews repoter in Freetown, Sierra Leone
    They might be one of the poorest people on earth but a new study by Charity Aid has revealed that Sierra Leoneans are the most generous people in Africa. The World Giving Index placed Sierra Leone in the 11th position out of 153 countries for generosity.
    Sierra Leone map
    According to the group their research was based on a survey asking people if they had donated to charity, volunteered their time or helped a stranger in the last month. The study reveals that 29% of the population of Sierra Leone have given money, 45% have given their time whiles 75% of the population have helped strangers.

    However, Australia tops the global list, followed by New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Switzerland and the United States respectively. Guinea Conakry is the second African country to trail Sierra Leone in the 18th position.

    The study also revealed that the Island state of Madagascar and Burundi are among the stingiest African countries.

    The study comes at a time when Sierra Leone is trying to recover from a bloody civil war which left many homes burnt down and many others killed. Sierra Leoneans who spoke to AfricaNews in a Vox Pop on the subject settled that they are not surprised at the findings. Sorie Kamara said Sierra Leoneans like to help strangers, “we are perhaps the friendliest nation on earth, it is no surprising why our capital was named by strangers as Freetown”.

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