Whilst in Sierra Leone I was able to Visit Home Leone's project called Destiny Village just outside of Freetown. Home Leone’s vision is of a sustainable movement that sees the end of slum living in Sierra Leone. Its first pilot “Destiny” Village develops a new community, relocating over 2,500 people from across Freetown’s 72 slums, to new secure low cost homes.
As part of my field work studies, I have been working with an NGO and independent charity based in Sierra Leone, called “Home Leone”. Founded in 2014 by Nigel Hyde who previously developed the charity “Mission Direct”, the intention of Home Leone is develop low cost, affordable housing across Sierra Leone to current Slum dwellers. Though British born, Hyde developed this group after a trip to Sierra Leone where he as significantly struck by the density of people living in extreme poor conditions. Their statement reports,
“The problems the people face daily are the worst he had seen on earth. The people in a country that has faced civil war, natural disaster, Ebola and COVID-19 and has little government resource or infrastructure simply need God’s love and our support. This initiative is unique in the country.”
The vision of Home Leone is to be a sustainable movement which seeks to see the end of slum Living in Sierra Leone, as currently 60% of the country’s population live in abject poverty. They have the ambition to see slums close in 25 years. Their pilot project is Destiny village; this scheme is to develop a new community and relocate approximately 2000 individuals from through the capital city to these new low cost homes.
The manufacture of these project use local and accessible materials, with a cooling internal design. thesis achieved through the use of their brick manufacture on site with interlocking clay/mud bricks, which can be supported without the use of motor.
Whilst visiting with them I was fortunate to be shown around the village by Chief Andrew, who is a current resident and leader of the developing community. He was able to express the stages of development of each unit of housing, and how they seek to continually update and develop the design of each housing unit after a subsequent one has been built. He also expressed the Home Leone team had an interest in strongly working with the current residents and fusing their request into the new spaces, such as more green area for farming and growing produce.
Next to the residential area I was able to see the development of the employment and working resources that was crucial in attracting new residents to come to the site. As destiny's village is Located in Newton approximately 40 mins outside of Freetown the capital city, a primary concern that potential residents have is their access to work and earning potential due to the distance money that would be spent to comment back into the centre. Here they are working on the construction of a new market complex, bakery, mechanic shop and water filtration and production plan, all with the aspiration to be employed and run by residents of the village. This is important in the growth of the project and allowing it to be self-sustaining.
All the Work that Home Leone does works towards the improvement and independence of people living all throughout Freetown, through the use of innovation and activity design, and I'm excited and so inspired by all the work they do.
To learn more about Home Leone and this project visit
https://homeleone.org
