By Emma Black
In a significant show of community support and disaster preparedness, Hon. Alpha Amadu Bah, popularly known as Lawyer Bah, and Councillor Isata Tejan-Sesay have donated Le 35 million old leones to support flood mitigation efforts in three flood-prone communities in Freetown. The beneficiaries Tar Road, upper Mellon Street, and Beccle Street have long struggled with the devastating effects of annual flooding.
The donation was made on Saturday, May 10, 2025, ahead of the rainy season. It was warmly received by community members and local leaders, who hailed the gesture as timely and impactful, during the event, Abubakarr B.S. Koroma, representing the Tar Road and Upper Mellon Street communities, described the severe challenges residents face every rainy season. He recalled a tragic incident from the previous year where two lives were lost and properties worth hundreds of millions of leones were destroyed.
Every year, we try to manage with community-led efforts,” he said. “But without adequate resources, our interventions have been short-term. This donation gives us hope that we can finally take meaningful steps toward protecting lives and properties, Brother Emmanuel Maya Kaikai, a respected voice from the Beccle Street community, also expressed deep appreciation. He emphasized the importance of such initiatives, especially as many residents live in high-risk zones with poor drainage and limited infrastructure.
Both Hon. Bah and Councillor Tejan-Sesay reiterated their commitment to serving the people beyond politics. In brief remarks, they encouraged other leaders and stakeholders to step up their support for disaster risk reduction, especially in vulnerable urban areas, we are not only elected to represent you, but to protect you, said Hon. Bah, our support today is a step toward building safer, more resilient communities, as Sierra Leone continues to grapple with the impacts of climate change and rapid urbanization, interventions like these are critical in reducing the human and economic toll of seasonal disasters.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Friday, May 14th, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
