By Ibrahim S. Bangura
On Friday, February 28, 2025, the Freetown City Council (FCC) officially launched the second round of the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF), a significant step in empowering young people to drive climate solutions within their communities. The event, held at the FCC grounds, was attended by key city officials and youth groups who all made valuable contributions.
Sallieu Kanu, Senior Manager of Youth Engagement and Campaigns for C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, emphasized the global significance of the YCAF initiative. “The Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF) is a global initiative launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in April 2024 to empower young people, aged 15 to 24, in designing and implementing climate solutions within their cities,” Kanu stated.
He highlighted the success of the first round, which provided technical assistance and funding to nine youth groups in Freetown, and the potential for even greater impact in the second round. “Each participating city receives an initial $50,000 to distribute as microgrants for youth-led climate projects. Cities that allocate these funds within six months are eligible for an additional $100,000 to support further initiatives over the course of a year, and Freetown is one of these cities,” Kanu explained.
Kanu expressed enthusiasm about the first round’s success, citing projects such as “Waste to Nig,” which converted waste into bricks, and a mobile app that helps identify disaster-prone areas. “These initiatives show the impact young people can make when given the resources to bring their ideas to life. We believe this second round will empower even more young innovators to develop practical climate solutions,” he added.
The Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, reaffirmed the city’s commitment to empowering young climate leaders. She emphasized the urgency of addressing the climate crisis and the vital role youth play in finding innovative solutions. “The success of the first round demonstrated the power of youth-driven climate action in shaping sustainable communities. With this new round, we are expanding opportunities for young changemakers to develop and implement impactful projects that address local environmental challenges,” Mayor Aki-Sawyerr stated.
She stressed the importance of translating big dreams into tangible actions. “Big dreams start small,” she said, encouraging the youth to implement solutions that directly improve community life. She underscored that the climate crisis is a “singular threat” and urged participants to focus on both adaptation and mitigation interventions. “This isn’t just about having access to a grant. This is about being able to implement a solution that will improve the lives of people around you in the face of the climate crisis,” she explained.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr pointed to local issues, such as carbon emissions from traffic congestion and reliance on wood for cooking, which contribute to both climate change and health problems. She emphasized the importance of action over advocacy. “We’re not looking for you to tell us, ‘I’m going to talk about climate change.’ We want you to act on climate change. We want your interventions to make a difference,” she asserted.
Citing successful projects from the first round, such as creating green spaces and planting trees, she encouraged participants to think creatively about addressing environmental challenges. “We’ve seen young people transform ideas into impactful initiatives. Now it’s time for new innovators to step forward and take action,” she said.
The Mayor expressed gratitude to Bloomberg Philanthropies, C40 Cities, and other partners for their continued support. She also shared her personal connection to the initiative, revealing that she had challenged Bloomberg’s head of governance to create such a fund two years prior. “I challenged him. And I was really thrilled that he took this up and created this fund,” she said.
The launch event concluded with a call to action for young people to apply for the second round of funding. “To all of you aspiring to be successful candidates for this round of the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund, I say go for it. Dream big. Be focused. Work hard. And good luck,” Mayor Aki-Sawyerr encouraged.
The second round of the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund promises to build on the success of the first, empowering young people in Freetown to lead the way in creating a more sustainable and resilient future