Strategic Workshop on Inclusive Communication around Air Quality
On March 20, 2026, the Freetown City Council Hall, the official meeting room of Freetown’s municipal government, hosted a strategic workshop dedicated to the Freetown Inclusive Clean Air Communication Strategy. This strategy aims to raise awareness among Freetown’s populations about air quality through clear, accessible, and inclusive communication.
Organized by the Freetown City Council, in collaboration with WANEP-SL, C40 Cities, and HENDDU, this workshop was part of a broader effort to strengthen environmental communication and mobilize stakeholders concerned with air pollution.
A Major Challenge for Health and the Environment
Air pollution today represents a significant risk to public health, the environment, and the socio-economic well-being of Freetown’s residents. The city faces several factors contributing to the degradation of air quality, including rapid urbanization, vehicle emissions, open waste burning, informal industrial activities, and the use of biomass-based fuels.
These factors particularly expose vulnerable populations, including women, children, residents of low-income communities, and people living in informal settlements. In the face of these risks, strengthening access to information and developing messages tailored to community realities becomes essential.
A Workshop to Consult, Coordinate, and Act
The workshop brought together approximately forty stakeholders from ministries, government agencies, civil society organizations, NGOs, media, community leaders, religious leaders, and persons living with disabilities. The objective was to create a space for dialogue around the air quality communication strategy. Participants were invited to share their views, suggestions, and recommendations to improve the strategic document and identify solutions adapted to the local context.
This participatory approach helped strengthen coordination among stakeholders and prepared participants to play an active role in implementing the strategy.
A Program Structured Around Key Actors
The day began with the welcome, registration, and introduction of participants, managed by the MEL and Communication team, responsible for monitoring, evaluation, learning, and communication for the project.
An opening statement was then delivered by the leadership of the Freetown City Council, followed by a presentation of the session’s objectives by NNC WANEP-SL. The chairperson’s opening address was given by the Chief Administrator for FCC, the principal administrative officer of the Freetown City Council.
A general presentation of the project was delivered by Woma Berewa, Program Officer, who explained the context, objectives, and main directions of the project.
Strong Institutional Mobilization
Several institutions took the floor to present their contributions and commitments. Among them were C40 Cities, HENDDU, EPA-SL (the Sierra Leone Environment Protection Agency), MOECC (the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change), SLMet (the Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency), MOH (the Ministry of Health), and PI-CREF, a body involved in climate, environmental, and resilience issues.
These interventions demonstrated that air quality is a cross-cutting issue. It concerns health, the environment, climate, meteorology, local governance, and public communication alike.
The official opening of the workshop was delivered by Madam Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown. Her speech gave strong political weight to the initiative and marked the Freetown City Council’s commitment to cleaner air in the city.
HENDDU’s Strategic Role
The presentation of the air quality communication strategy project was delivered jointly by WANEP-SL and HENDDU. This step made it possible to explain the content of the strategic document, the target audiences, the planned communication channels, and the messages to be reinforced in order to effectively raise awareness among the population.
In this process, HENDDU played an important role in contributing to the structuring of environmental communication. Its role consisted in supporting the development of more accessible, more inclusive messages, better adapted to the realities of Freetown’s residents.
HENDDU thus positioned itself as a mediator between institutions, technical experts, and communities. This contribution reinforces its commitment to environmental communication, institutional support, and sustainable development in West Africa.
Discussions to Build a Strategy with Communities
The afternoon was dedicated to group discussions with all participants. These exchanges enabled the collection of recommendations, the strengthening of collaboration among stakeholders, and a better understanding of the actions to be taken during the operational phase of the strategy.
This participatory approach demonstrated that communication on air quality must not be imposed on communities. It must be built with them, taking into account their needs, their realities, and their means of accessing information.
Encouraging Results
By the end of the workshop, several important outcomes had been achieved. Participants strengthened their knowledge of communication approaches and channels suited to air quality issues. They also gained a better understanding of the impacts of air pollution and possible mitigation measures. The workshop also fostered networking among stakeholders and encouraged stronger collaboration around initiatives for cleaner air in Freetown.
An Important Step for Environmental Governance
The March 20, 2026 workshop on the Freetown Inclusive Clean Air Communication Strategy represented an important milestone in Freetown’s environmental governance. It demonstrated that the fight against air pollution depends not only on technical solutions, but also on the capacity of institutions to inform, raise awareness, coordinate, and engage populations.
Through the participation of the Freetown City Council, WANEP-SL, C40 Cities, and HENDDU, this initiative highlighted a collective, inclusive, and responsible approach to improving air quality and protecting the health of residents.
To learn more: this initiative illustrates the importance of accessible, participatory, and locally adapted environmental communication in supporting African cities toward a healthier and more sustainable future.
