Home Leone's vision is to see the people in the slums of Freetown, Sierra Leone relocated or upgraded. We are currently building a pilot "Destiny" village to relocate the first 2,000 people. The model is replicable worldwide and can ultimately change millions of lives.
Many people in Freetown live in extremely hazardous and danger prone areas. Communities are acutely vulnerable to flooding, mudslides, civil unrest, loss of livelihoods, poor health outcomes, disruption of services, economic disruption / damage, loss of property and assets, destruction of infrastructure, and loss of life. These vulnerabilities lead to aid dependency and reduced resilience.
The Sierra Leonean Government has no plan, budget or strategy for affordable housing. Previous relocation attempts have failed. No other NGO’s /donors have taken action to address the paucity of affordable housing. Consequently, over one million people continue to live in desperate, hazardous and life-threatening conditions.
However, starting in 2014, Home Leone, took definite and decisive action to bring about real improvements to these communities. Their first relocation “Destiny” village, with a capacity of over 2,000 residents currently has over 200 people who report that for the first time, fear does not dominate their lives.
The Home Leone relocation strategy is based on business profitability partially funding education and healthcare, creating a sustainable model. Additionally, detailed research and cultural understanding informs the strategy, consisting of even inter-dependent pillars being low-cost(affordable) housing, livelihood (micro loans and employment), power, water, education, healthcare and behaviour change through training, adult education and personal development.
Destiny Village is 18 miles from central Freetown. It already has 60 homes, 10 classrooms, a functioning school, six businesses employing nearly 100 people, established water and waste management systems, power to each home and a healthcare triage and pathway service.
There is already evidence of behaviour change and maximising of opportunity. Providing one job to each family ensures affordability and value for money is assisted by a programme of recycling of buildings, equipment and resources from international sources.
Consultation with the local Slum Dwellers International led to an innovative community house design. By harvesting soil from Destiny Village, over 500,000 inter-locking hydraform blocks form the principle building material. This pioneering entrepreneurial-informed design builds in 8 house blocks creating community within community. Other developmental innovative programmes include:
a community cooker, burning above 800C, enabling plastics and waste to be incinerated without pollution and providing a waste to power system.
sewage to compost cess tanks.
a large market garden and tree maintenance, maximising Home Leone environment credentials.
burning rice husk providing a cement substitute.
solar wood seasoning kiln (in conjunction with Swansea University UK)
Funded philanthropically, Home Leone has already raised over £2.5m. Homes are leased to residents with a view to long term ownership. A community development programme is in-place including a 3 hour per week community benefit time from all adult residents.
A senior international development leader noted “this is the most comprehensive relocation strategy I have seen in 30 years”. Hosting UK Corporate teams provides a tripe win for individual, company and community.
The vision is to eliminate the suffering of slum-dwellers in Freetown, the aim is to complete Destiny Village and replicate it across Sierra Leone and then across the world.
This pragmatic, holistic, sustainable hands-on approach is already demonstrably changing lives with affordable housing at the core. Your help would be so much appreciated.
