Flooding in Kroo Bay

29 September 2008

Y Care International is supporting the YMCA of Sierra Leone to improve conditions in two slum communities in Freetown: Kroo Bay and Dwarzack. Every rainy season, the residents of Kroo Bay are at risk of flooding. Gibril Turay, the YMCA's Community Development Worker in Kroo Bay reports on the effects of recent floods.

Kroo Bay during the rainy season in 2007

On September 11th, the residents of Kroo Bay experienced a devastating flood following days of torrential rain. It’s thought to be the worst flooding ever experienced in Kroo Bay. Flooding has become commonplace in the slum community, which is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It is at the receiving end of all the rubbish that runs from the hillsides of Freetown during the rainy season. The situation is further compounded by the poor drainage system, which was constructed in the colonial era.

The floods destroyed some homes (people in Kroo Bay live in shacks made out of bits of wood and corrugated iron), and caused damage to others. Residents told me how the water gushed into their houses, taking with it many of their household items, including clothing. “Considering the magnitude of the problem, our concentration was not on properties but we were busy rescuing our children who were susceptible to drowning”, said Kadiatu.

One of the young people commented that the new community centre being built by the YMCA should be renamed the ‘Ark’. “It is like Biblical Noah’s Ark. Some of the residents, mostly women and children, found shelter there when the flooding got really bad.”

In the aftermath of the flooding, residents were busy looking for their possessions and praying for sunshine so that they could dry their clothes, mattresses and other household items.

Earlier this year, the YMCA initiated a community savings scheme in both Kroo Bay and Dwarzack and it’s really beginning to show its worth. After hearing about the floods, the savings group in Dwarzack mobilized themselves and contributed two bags of used clothing and a small sum of money to help the community. This gesture has helped to bring the two communities closer than ever before.

By Gibril Turay, Community Development Worker