28 June 2024
On Friday 28 June, Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyer convened the Women for Water and Peace (W4WP) project board meeting and discussed among others, implementation progress since 2022 and ways of ensuring sustainability. The W4WP Project addresses the challenge women face in accessing safe and clean water. The meeting was attended by councillors, representatives from the United Nations, including the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UNCDF, and ILO, civil society, and community representatives.
The project is implemented by FCC, in partnership with UNCDF and ILO with funding from the UN’s Peacebuilding Fund. The project targets 5 communities in Freetown—Crab Town in Aberdeen, Dworkaz, Lumley Crab Town and Smart Farm, Mayenkineh, and Rokupar—which are identified as communities where conflicts over water resources, including perceived discrimination and sexual and gender-based violence are common.
Among other project success stories, 1,550 community members were engaged on enhancing women’s roles and opportunities in business, resulting in 725 forming community savings groups. Additionally, 8 water kiosks were completed across 5 communities including well rehabilitation, submersible pumps, tanks, and solar panels. Additionally, 10 more kiosks are in advanced stages of completion, with 7 additional kiosks planned for the final phase. Furthermore, a kiosk business plan was developed, and 200 women trained in entrepreneurship, financial management and business skills thus becoming kiosk operators to manage the boreholes constructed by FCC and UNCDF.
Ensuring access to water supply and access for Freetonians is key in FCC’s Transform Freetown, Transforming Lives 2024-2028 Development Plan. In the coming years, the FCC aims to establish 400 new water points annually as part of the new development plan. Currently, a database is being developed to account for water wells constructed under FCC’s intervention. This effort will provide information on their functionality and facilitate necessary repairs. In line with the plan, the FCC will work on creating 120,000 dignified jobs for women and young people. The W4WP project therefore aligns with FCC’s Transform Freetown, Transforming Lives 2024-2028 Development Plan, which aims to elevate and amplify the voices of young people.
