The grant made to this project is intended to support UNICEF, and the government of Sierra Leone in West Africa, in achieving the goal of ensuring all school-age children a primary school education by 2015. The Aurora Foundation and UNICEF in Iceland will work together to ensure that 85% of children in Sierra Leone will be receiving a primary education by 2010.

The project in Sierra Leone is Aurora Foundation's biggest project to date, which has already trained more than a hundred teachers. Nine schools are currently well on their way in the construction period in the Kono district, with proper water and drainage systems, furniture and teaching utilities.

Aurora has earmarked USD two million for the years 2008-2010 (ISK 123 million based on the exchange rate in January 2008) to build schools in Sierra Leone. Each school building will have three to six classrooms where children aged 6-12 will be enrolled. Furthermore, the Foundation will provide furniture and necessary supplies, as well as water, bathroom facilities and playground equipment. It will also finance educating and training of teachers, as well as focus in particular on educating and ensuring the security of girls, and support women’s- and mothers’ groups.

As the report from the Board of the Aurora Fund from January 2008 explains:

“Education is one of the most powerful weapons fighting poverty in the world. In particular, it gives children the opportunity to achieve a decent living, increases their self-respect and goes a long way to creating an informed society. UNICEF has formulated, in the opinion of the Aurora Foundation’s board, a well-rounded programme for developing primary education in Sierra Leone, one of the world’s poorest countries. Solutions are focused at the roots of the problem: addressing most factors that prevent children of primary school age, especially girls, from receiving the education that is rightfully theirs."

Stefán Ingi Stefánsson, Executive Director of UNICEF in Iceland, says that since the Aurora Fund and UNICEF started their educational project in one of the world's poorest countries, Sierra Leone, a giant step has been taken regarding education in the districts that the project has reached. "We estimate that over 10.000 children have had the opportunity to go to school. It is UNICEF's strongest opinion that an increase in education is the best way to help people to break the chains of poverty. Aurora's support in this project is therefore extremely important."