From Awareness to Action: How HENDDU is Helping Transform Clean Air Communication in Freetown
Air pollution is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. Yet across many African cities, it remains largely invisible. Every day, millions of people breathe polluted air without fully understanding where it comes from, how it affects their health, or what actions they can take to reduce their exposure.
Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is no exception. Rapid urban growth, increasing traffic, open waste burning, and the widespread use of charcoal and firewood for cooking have combined to create a complex air quality crisis. The consequences are felt every day, particularly by children, women, older people, outdoor workers, and residents of informal settlements, who are often the most exposed and the least equipped to protect themselves.
Recognising that better communication is essential to addressing this challenge, theFreetown City Council (FCC), with the support of C40 Cities, partnered with HENDDUand WANEP-SL to develop the city’s first Inclusive Clean Air Communication Strategy.
But this project was never simply about producing another policy document.
It was about answering a fundamental question:
How do we turn air quality information into action that improves people’s lives?
Putting Communities at the Heart of the Solution
At HENDDU, we believe that effective communication begins by listening.
Rather than designing a strategy from behind a desk, our team worked alongside communities, public institutions, civil society organisations, and technical partners to understand how people perceive air pollution, who they trust, and what prevents them from taking action.
Over several months, we conducted more than 200 Key Informant Interviews, organised11 Focus Group Discussions, and facilitated a multi-stakeholder validation workshop involving government agencies, community leaders, media organisations, youth groups, women’s associations, transport unions, organisations of persons with disabilities, and development partners.
This extensive consultation process revealed something both simple and powerful:
People do not need more information. They need information they trust, understand, and can act upon.
Redefining Inclusive Communication
The strategy challenges the traditional model of one-way public awareness campaigns.
Instead, it proposes a citizen-centred approach that recognises the diversity of Freetown’s communities and the different barriers they face in accessing information.
Low literacy levels, language diversity, limited internet access, economic constraints, and low trust in institutional communication all influence how environmental messages are received.
To overcome these barriers, the strategy recommends communication that is:
Rather than relying on technical terminology, communication is framed around issues that matter most to people: protecting children’s health, preventing respiratory diseases, reducing household expenses, and improving quality of life.
Building More Than a Communication Strategy
One of the project’s most significant achievements was the creation of a shared vision among institutions that have traditionally worked independently.
The strategy recommends the establishment of a city-wide coordination platform bringing together the Freetown City Council, national agencies, civil society organisations, technical institutions, and community representatives to harmonise messages, share scientific evidence, and coordinate public engagement efforts.
By linking environmental monitoring, public health, and community communication, the strategy creates a governance framework that extends well beyond awareness raising.
It lays the foundations for long-term behavioural change and stronger institutional collaboration.
This project reflects what HENDDU stands for.
As an African climate technology company, our mission is to help governments, cities, and development partners transform environmental intelligence into better decisions and healthier communities.
We combine atmospheric science, artificial intelligence, Earth observation, environmental monitoring, and inclusive communication to design practical solutions that bridge the gap between science, public policy, and citizens.
For us, environmental data only becomes valuable when it informs decisions, empowers communities, and leads to measurable impact.
The Inclusive Clean Air Communication Strategy developed for Freetown is more than a roadmap for one city.
It demonstrates that addressing air pollution requires more than better technology or stronger regulations.
It requires trust.
It requires collaboration.
It requires communities to become active participants in the solution.
As African cities continue to grow, communication will become just as important as monitoring, policy, and infrastructure in protecting public health.
At HENDDU, we are proud to contribute to this transformation by helping cities build cleaner, healthier, and more resilient futures.
Because cleaner air begins with informed people, empowered communities, and evidence-based action.
