WEP Sierra Leone Empowers Civil Society Through Environmental Justice and Human Rights Boot Camp
[Freetown, Sierra Leone April 24, 2025]
With support from the European Union and other development partners, the Women Environmental Programme Sierra Leone (WEP-SL) on Thursday, April 24, 2025, hosted a transformative Environmental Justice and Human Rights Boot Camp in Freetown. The training brought together Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), women leaders, and community stakeholders to strengthen advocacy and action around environmental justice and human rights.
The session aimed to deepen participants’ understanding of environmental rights, equip them with tools to challenge environmental injustices, and foster community-driven responses to pressing climate and environmental issues affecting Sierra Leone.
In her opening remarks, Madam Stalina Princess H. Voegli, Chief Executive Officer of WEP-SL, thanked the attendees for their commitment and emphasized the urgency of the training. “This is a timely intervention,” she said. “The impacts of environmental degradation and climate change are increasingly evident in our communities. CSOs and women play a critical role in addressing these issues. By empowering them, we create local champions who can drive sustainable change.”
Facilitator John Christian Abu-Kpawoh underscored the inextricable link between environmental justice and human rights, asserting that both are essential for equitable development and the well-being of vulnerable communities. Without environmental justice, he said, many people especially those in marginalized communities will continue to suffer the consequences of pollution, poor waste management, and environmental degradation.
Mr. Abu-Kpawoh described the environmental conditions in several Freetown neighborhoods as alarming and called for a collective mindset shift toward environmental responsibility. This training is a wake-up call. Protecting the environment is not just a policy issue it is a shared responsibility and a human rights concern.
During the training, participants were divided into small groups and tasked with analyzing real-life environmental challenges such as industrial pollution, river contamination, air quality degradation, deforestation, waste dumping, and the impacts of climate change. Through group discussions, they explored actionable community led solutions to address these issues.
Participants described the session as insightful and empowering. “The issues we face in our communities’ unsafe water, indiscriminate waste disposal, and pollution—are real and growing, said Mariatu Conteh, one of the participants. This training has opened our eyes, and we are ready to take this message home and spark change.
The event concluded with participants committing to carry forward the lessons learned through local awareness campaigns and grassroots advocacy. Many praised WEP-SL’s initiative as a crucial step in building environmental consciousness and resilience at the community level.
This boot camp represents another milestone in WEP-SL’s ongoing efforts to promote environmental advocacy and collective action toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to climate action, clean water and sanitation, and reduced inequalities.
