Mallam Osman: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 12 April 2023:
One of the development projects implemented by Yvonne Aki-Sawyer as Mayor of Freetown is the much-needed faecal sludge plant in Kingtom and Kolleh Town communities, which is now improving health and saving the lives of people in poor communities.
The sludge (sewerage) is treated using a process called ‘anaerobic digestion’. This heats the sludge up to high temperatures, encouraging the bacteria inside to break down the waste. This creates biogas that is burned to create heat, which in turn generates electricity.
Sludge from these communities is a mixture of organic matter from human waste, food waste particles, microorganisms, trace chemicals and inorganic solids from products and medicine we use, together with water bound to these materials.
Once treated, the sludge may be dried and added to a landfill, applied to agricultural cropland as fertilizer, or bagged with other materials and marketed as “biosolid compost” for use in agriculture and landscaping.
The public health benefits that this plant has brought to the communities of Kingtom and Kolleh Town include:
- Reducing the risk of local people coming into contact with faecal-borne pathogens by improving the functioning of onsite sanitation systems;
- minimizing the smell of faeces caused by the uncontrolled discharge of organic matter in overflowing tanks or pits; and
- reducing the indiscriminate disposal of collected faecal sludge.
Thanks to the hardwork and dedication of Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, this vital health and sanitation project is ensuring that people living in the Kingtom and surrounding communites are no longer becoming sick and unwell because of contact with faecal waste.
Our positive and progressive Mayor.
“Some men are born great, some achieve greatness” Irrespective of our skin colors, cultures, affiliations and more, what is never hidden is the talent we have to either improve situations, lives, living conditions or do the reverse.
What is demonstrated here by the Mayor is a welcome development captured from experience gained in other societies that she want Sierra Leoneans to emulate. Do we say it is not a plausible venture? In my opinion it is a welcome opportunity that Sierra Leoneans should embrace.
The Mayor of the Freetown municipality has started the pilot face of this project. We hope to see other mayors and council chairpersons in the remaining part of the country to the line.
However, if truly this project is here to stay, let it be maintained and at a very reasonable cost to help it become sustainable.
Keep up the good work, Mayor! May the Lord strengthen and uphold you and your team.
Excellent project. Well done Madam Mayor! Anything to improve the health of the people is a must and should be continued and extended to the rest of Sierra Leone
This is Amazing this a public health addressed. We need 5more years for more of this excellent work Thank you for improving health and well-being in Freetown hope this will be replicated in other cities.
What an achievement! I pray this plant will be managed well and more sites are opened in the city and beyond, especially the Western Rural communities. Well Done Mayor!