By: Abu H. Kargbo
ActionAid Sierra Leone has renewed its call for stronger climate action and climate justice as it marked this year’s Global Week of Climate Action with a Climate Walk in Makeni on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
The walk began on Field Road and passed through Rogbaneh Road, Clock Tower, Mabanta Road and Lunsar Road before ending along Azzolini Highway.
The event attracted support from the Mayor of Makeni City Council, Abu Bakarr Lamtales Kamara, as well as partner organizations including Global Platform Sierra Leone, the Women’s Forum for Human Rights and Democracy (WOFHRAD) and Women’s Action for Human Dignity (WAHD), among others.
Speaking during the event, Mayor Kamara commended ActionAid Sierra Leone for organizing the Climate Walk, particularly at a time when Makeni has experienced severe flash floods over the past three months, displacing several residents.
“My administration places great importance on this environmental awareness campaign,” Mayor Kamara said.
He called for a shift in funding priorities towards building resilience and preventing future climate-related disasters, noting that resources are often directed towards responding to crises rather than preventing them.
“It’s time to invest in climate action for the safety of our lives and communities,” he urged.
Climate Youth Advocacy Coordinator at ActionAid Sierra Leone, Marina Seisay, said the Global Week of Climate Action seeks to mobilize young people to demand stronger climate action and ensure that communities are placed at the centre of climate-related decision-making and policy implementation.
“Our demand is to stop fossil fuels and ensure that funds allocated for climate justice are used effectively,” Seisay said.
She noted that Sierra Leone is among the countries highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, while facing significant challenges in accessing the funding needed to address those impacts.
Seisay also called on international institutions to consider debt relief for Sierra Leone, arguing that this would create greater fiscal space for the government to invest in climate action and protect vulnerable communities.
She added that ActionAid Sierra Leone’s climate justice campaign would continue through a combination of face-to-face engagements and online advocacy activities.
Meanwhile, Coordinator of ActionAid Global Platform Sierra Leone Bombali, Haja Mariama Bangoura, stressed the need to prioritize climate issues as part of efforts to achieve sustainable economic development.
“We are not safe, and our activities will be hindered if our communities are unsafe,” Bangoura said.
She encouraged young people to take an active role in climate action by raising awareness about environmental laws, safety and the need to protect communities from climate-related risks, referencing Goal 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which focuses on climate action.
The call for stronger climate action comes amid continued concerns over flash floods and mudslides in Sierra Leone, which have caused loss of lives, displacement and damage to property and livelihoods.