AYV News, July 17, 2025
As part of proactive efforts to minimize the impact of floods during the rainy season, the Tzu Chi Foundation, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and Caritas Freetown, has commenced a six-day cleaning and sensitization campaign across three flood-prone slum communities in Freetown: Kroo Bay, Dwarzark, and Susan’s Bay.
The intervention will continue daily through Sunday, 20th July, focusing on cleaning clogged drainages and improved the preparedness of the communities against flooding and other hazards. In each community, 45 volunteers have been assigned to carry out the cleaning exercise. They are operating under the supervision of NDMA’s Community Disaster Committees (CDCs).
The Tzu Chi Foundation provided a full set of cleaning tools and protective gear, including shovels, wheelbarrows, head pans, rakes, gloves, rain boots, and raincoats. The Freetown City Council’s parrot vehicle is also being used to broadcast public messages on proper waste management and disaster risk reduction throughout the targeted communities.
This exercise is Tzu Chi’s third community cleaning intervention in these slum communities within the last three years. The Foundation has also extended financial support to local leaders and residents to strengthen their livelihood.
Speaking at the launch, Margaret Bassie, Tzu Chi’s representative in Sierra Leone, noted the organization’s preventive approach to disasters.
“Tzu Chi does not believe in only providing relief after a disaster has occurred. We are committed to walking alongside communities to address challenges before they become severe and unmanageable,” she said.
Ishmeal Alfred Charles, Tzu Chi’s humanitarian liaison with government and institutions, emphasized the organization’s belief in community-led action.
He said Tzu Chi believes in community leadership and ownership. He further noted that the organization has always supported communities to take the lead in their own development.
He added that the six-day campaign should be followed by local responsibility: “After this exercise, it will be up to the communities and their leaders to keep the drainage systems, culverts, and water channels clean. If anyone is seen dumping garbage in these places, please report them to the authorities. That is how we can all help to make our community better.”
Mr. Charles also admonished the volunteers to remain focus on cleaning their drainages, culverts, and key public spaces that are often clogged during the rains, triggering flooding and related health hazards.
The intervention also includes community sensitization efforts. Residents were encouraged to adopt better waste disposal habits and take ownership of the tools provided, ensuring they remain useful for future interventions.
Residents at Kroo Bay expressed appreciation for the initiative and called for sustained engagement, especially during the rainy season when their community face increased flooding due to clogged drainages and water coming from the hills in the city.
NDMA’s Western Region Coordinator, Gerald King expressed thanks and appreciation to Tzu Chi Foundation and Caritas Freetown for collaborating with the NDMA. King noted that Tzu Chi Foundation has been a bedrock in supporting and collaborating with the NDMA in terms of providing humanitarian response to disaster affected populations and mitigation efforts across the Western Area.
