Save Congo Town School
Stand with the Congo Town community to protect its only government school, playing field, and shared community space from an unsafe, unwanted building project. Add your voice and support to help secure safe education, fair development, and real community consultation.
The background and context of this community effort.
In 2021, the Freetown City Council leased part of the Ephraim J. Robinson Municipal Primary School and its only playing field in Congo Town to Faith Healing Bible Church for 1 New Leone (about 5 US cents) a year for 50 years, to build a church and health centre. This land is home to the community’s only government primary school, its only playing field, and its main communal space, yet the community was never consulted.
Construction went ahead without a building permit, without an environmental impact assessment, and without plans for safe medical waste management. If completed as planned, the project would expose school children to noise, sick patients, and hazardous medical waste, remove the only recreation and activity space for children and adults of all faiths, and block any chance to expand the already overcrowded school, which is forced to operate in two shifts.
After trying and failing to get Freetown City Council to address these concerns, including presenting a petition to the Mayor and Chief Administrator signed by over 500 community members, four Congo Town residents decided to act on behalf of the whole community. They took the Council to the High Court of Sierra Leone to challenge the lease and construction on the school land. This is believed to be the first time a community has taken a local council to court in Sierra Leone.
Campaign Media
Campaign Objectives
Protect the School Land
Stop the church and health centre construction on the school land immediately, and restore a safe environment for school children while legal requirements are followed and proper community consultations take place.
Review the Problematic Lease
Cancellation or amendment of the lease between Freetown City Council and Faith Healing Bible Church, ensuring any lease review is done in full consultation with designated stakeholders and representatives of the Congo Town community.
Strengthen Community-Led Decision Making
Make community-led decision making the norm for all development plans and projects in Congo Town, with Freetown City Council regularly consulting and co-designing projects together with the community.
Improve Education for Congo Town Children
Ensure suitable education facilities for children in Congo Town by using the land leased to Faith Healing Bible Church to expand classrooms for a single-shift primary school or to build a junior secondary school. This will reduce overcrowding and give children from low-income families real options for continuing their education.
Establish a Community Health Centre in a Suitable Location
Ensure a health centre is built in an alternative suitable location within the community where residents still gain access to needed health services without sacrificing vital school land.
Lucien Turay
Spokesperson, Congo Town Community Working Committee