The Freetown City Council (FCC), in partnership with CHANGE, WoLEAD, and the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC), has commenced consultations with stakeholders in the Susan’s Bay community regarding the upcoming pilot of the innovative “Freetown Caring City” project.
Inspired by a successful initiative in Bogotá, Colombia, the “Freetown Caring City” project is the first of its kind in Africa. It focuses on addressing the unique challenges faced by women caregivers by creating a space dedicated to providing vital support and services.
The pilot phase will involve the construction of a single-story facility in Susan’s Bay, designed to function as a resource hub for women caregivers. The center will offer a variety of free services, including adult education, reproductive health care, and daycare for both children and individuals with disabilities, helping to alleviate the burdens of unpaid care work.
Funded by the International Development Research Centre, this project forms part of the Human Capital Development Cluster under the #TransformFreetown initiative, which seeks to improve the lives of Freetown residents. The project aims to empower women by offering them the tools, resources, and skills training necessary to improve their quality of life and contribute to the community’s growth.
During the consultations, representatives from the FCC and its partner organizations outlined the project’s objectives, detailing how the initiative would benefit the community and gathering valuable feedback to ensure it meets local needs.
This engagement with Susan’s Bay residents marks a crucial step towards the project’s realization, reflecting a commitment to inclusive development and addressing the needs of vulnerable groups in Freetown.
