Lumley Beach in the capital, Freetown, in Sierra Leone, West Africa. About 10 years ago this was an idyllic beach. In 2023, there will be trash, plastic and all kinds of waste, collected, tightly packed, everywhere on the beach. There are two reasons. The garbage comes from far away, from the oceans of the world, where e.g., ships empty garbage into the water, and where large garbage soups, connected garbage - which are several kilometers wide, move. The rubbish also comes locally from Sierra Leone, where they use e.g. the beach as a waste dump.
Waste management is a low priority in the country, where you have a multitude of other challenges with climate change, and is one of the world's poorest countries.
Building The Future Part of 'Timeless' 2023-2027: Sierra Leone's challenges are interconnected. Climate change from floods, with problematic waste management, poverty in the population, exploitation by other countries of the country's resources, as well as a standard of living in harsh conditions. It is difficult to effect change when own funds are few, therefore NGOs, including Engineers Without Borders - Denmark (EWB-DK), World Hope International (WHI Sierra Leone), Skill Pool Sierra Leone and SEND (Social Enterprise Development Sierra Leone) play crucial roles, for the country's development and progress. Their work is to help the country with climate change, to preserve homes, education and life, as well as road networks, water and other important purposes, to make the whole of a society work.
The situation with global warming, landslides and floods, after the fierce Ebola crisis, and a few years before the civil war, tells of a population that does everything they can, so that they continue to have a hopeful future, as a nation, city and village.
Engineers Without Borders continues to strive to help Sierra Leone, West Africa, with climate adaptation projects, especially in the capital and port city of Freetown, as well as in one of the country's absolute poorest areas, in Kenema. They do so, with financial support from the West and Europe, and with an indomitable will among their local partners World Hope International (WHI Sierra Leone), Skill Pool Sierra Leone and SEND (Social Enterprise Development Sierra Leone).
The project 'Building the Future' is made in collaboration with Engineers Without Borders (EWB-DK), World Hope International (WHI Sierra Leone), Skill Pool Sierra Leone and SEND (Social Enterprise Development Sierra Leone). This photojournalistic project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark’s Fund 'OpEn' - on information and engagement.