By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
Green Scenery Sierra Leone has engaged land-affected communities in Pujehun on environmental and land rights as part of efforts to strengthen legal awareness and promote the protection of environmental rights defenders across the country.
The one-day community engagement was organised under the organisation’s Strengthening Legal Literacy and Collective Protection for Environmental Rights Defenders in Sierra Leone project, with funding support from Protection International.
The engagement, held at the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation office in Pujehun Town, brought together representatives of the Malen Land Affected Owners Association (MALOA), civil society organisations and members of the media.
Speaking to Sierraloaded, Project Officer Ahmed Tejan Bashir said the engagement formed part of Green Scenery’s broader efforts to promote environmental justice and improve communities’ understanding of Sierra Leone’s land governance framework.
He said particular attention was given to the Customary Land Rights Act of 2022 and the National Land Commission Act of 2022, which he described as important legal instruments for communities dealing with land-related issues.
According to Bashir, the engagement was aimed at empowering community members with knowledge of their environmental and land rights while strengthening their ability to safely document, report and communicate issues affecting their communities.
He explained that knowledge of the law was essential for communities, particularly those affected by land and environmental challenges, to understand their rights and engage relevant authorities through lawful and peaceful means.
Bashir further disclosed that Green Scenery had previously conducted training on safe advocacy and digital security for community members in Malen Chiefdom.
He said the training was designed to equip environmental rights defenders with practical knowledge and skills to advocate for their rights while operating within the law and reducing risks to their personal safety and digital security.
He reaffirmed Green Scenery’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities on issues relating to land governance, environmental justice, climate justice and other related concerns.
Meanwhile, Chairlady of MALOA, Hannah Deen, expressed appreciation to Green Scenery for organising the engagement, describing the initiative as timely and important to communities affected by land-related challenges.
Madam Deen said the knowledge acquired during the engagement would be shared with other members of the community across Malen Chiefdom.
She also encouraged participants to cascade the information to their respective communities so that more people could become aware of their rights and responsibilities under Sierra Leone’s land and environmental laws.
The engagement also featured a monitoring and evaluation session, during which project beneficiaries reviewed the objectives of the initiative and reflected on activities they had participated in.
Participants discussed challenges encountered during the implementation of the project and provided recommendations aimed at improving future activities and ensuring that the project achieves its intended outcomes.
The initiative comes amid growing efforts to strengthen community participation in land governance and ensure that people affected by land and environmental issues have the knowledge and confidence to defend their rights through lawful channels.
Through continued legal literacy, safe advocacy and community protection initiatives, Green Scenery is seeking to strengthen the capacity of environmental rights defenders and vulnerable communities to effectively engage on land, environmental and climate-related issues.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday, 9th September 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
