By Alimatu Jalloh
Freetown, Sierra Leone – December 2, 2025: The Freetown City Council (FCC) has engaged 60 market women, including Chairladies from Kennedy Street, Portee, and Low Cost markets, in a community outreach session aimed at strengthening waste management practices and promoting the Council’s new sanitation byelaws.
The half‑day engagement, supported by The Carter Center through the Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign and implemented by Innovation for Community Resilience Sierra Leone, highlighted the 8244 toll‑free line as a simple and reliable tool for residents—particularly market women—to access accurate information on FCC’s waste management services.
Participants discussed the importance of complying with new sanitation byelaws; how to use the 8244 line to report or seek information on waste services; and strategies for collaboration between FCC and market communities to improve cleanliness and waste handling
Alignment with 16 Days of Activism
The initiative also ties into the global 16 Days of Activism campaign, equipping women with information and access tools to strengthen their agency, make informed decisions, and better navigate essential city services.
The session was attended by Councillor Amadu Kargbo, councillor Agnes Marrah, Chairperson of the Market Committee, councillor Hakiratu Maxwell Caulker, Chairperson of the Sanitation Committee and Augustine Kamara from FCC’s Sanitation Team
FCC emphasized that empowering women with information is central to its Transform Freetown agenda, ensuring that communities are active partners in keeping the city clean and sustainable.