By Sallieu S. Kanu
Freetown, Sierra Leone – October 24, 2025: Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, alongside a visiting delegation from the Mayors’ Migration Council (MMC), toured Congo Market on Thursday to announce a series of transformative infrastructure projects aimed at improving sanitation, sustainability, and economic opportunity for market traders—many of whom are rural-urban migrants.
The visit follows the MMC’s approval of a $200,000 (Le4.67 million) grant to Freetown City Council. The funding will support a suite of eco-friendly upgrades at Congo Market, including:
- Installation of a biodigester powered by organic waste from the market
- Rehabilitation of two public toilets, which will feed liquid waste into the biodigester
- Construction of a solar-powered cold room to reduce spoilage and boost traders’ incomes
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr, a founding member of the MMC Leadership Board, emphasized the importance of these interventions in addressing the needs of Freetown’s growing migrant population. “Migration is not only international—it’s also internal,” she noted. “These projects directly improve the working conditions of rural-urban migrants while promoting sanitation and building a circular economy that benefits women and youth.”
In addition to the MMC-funded initiatives, the mayor announced that new market shade covers with solar lighting will be installed at Congo Market starting Saturday, October 25. These will replace the original covers damaged during a severe storm in 2023.
The MMC delegation, led by Mr. Samer Saliba, Director of City Practice, also visited the Macauley Street Transfer Station, which will be converted into an urban farming hub. Fertilizer sourced from the biodigester’s residual waste will support the hub, with produce sales expected to economically empower local residents.
These efforts are part of the broader #TransformFreetown agenda, which aims to deliver inclusive, sustainable urban development across the capital.