By George M.O. Williams
The Executive Director of SLURC, Dr. Joseph Macarthy handing over toilets key to Community Representative
On Tuesday, September 24, 2024, the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC) officially handed over six biofil toilets to the Mafengbeh community in Cockle Bay. This initiative was part of the Accountability and Responsiveness in Informal Settlements for Equity (ARISE) project.
The handing-over ceremony which was attended by SLURC’s Executive Director, core staff, and community stakeholders, also saw the presentation of certificates to community co-researchers involved in the project.
The ARISE project, which began in 2019 and is set to conclude in September 2024, focuses on improving accountability and health conditions for marginalized populations in informal settlements across Sierra Leone, Kenya, and India. In Sierra Leone, the project has been implemented in three communities: Cockle Bay, Dwarzark, and Moyiba.
During the first phase of the project, SLURC responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing handwashing materials, food items, solar-powered lighting, and promoting the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. Phase two of the project addressed other community-identified needs, including sanitation.
SLURC’s Executive Director, Dr. Joseph Macarthy, highlighted that the installation of Biofil toilets in Cockle Bay was in response to the community’s reliance on inadequate facilities, such as hanging toilets and open sewage. He emphasized that the new environmentally friendly toilets aim to improve hygiene and sanitation in the area, and he called on the community to ensure their proper maintenance.
Community stakeholders, including Vincent V. Sesay, expressed their gratitude to SLURC for delivering on its promise, while Francis Reffell, Chairman of the Centre of Dialogue on Human Settlements and Poverty Alleviation (CODOHSAPA), encouraged residents to work together to sustain the new facilities.
The ARISE project is supported by several partners in Sierra Leone, including SLURC, CODOHSAPA, the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), and the Institute of Gender and Children’s Health Research (IGCHR).