By: Francis F.M. Harding

As it is often said, cleanliness is next to Godliness interpreted to mean that an individual who cherishes cleanliness maybe a righteous person. Urbanization has made human activities generate garbage, it is but very much important to undertake regular cleaning exercises in other to stay off germs and stay healthy. If the environment is clean, it has been medically ascertained, gives off leeway healthy living with long life. The cardinal ethical way of living was demonstrated over the weekend by the young people, women and elderly stakeholders who participated in a cleaning exercise at N’jagelema community. The meaning of N’jagelema in Mende is end of the water. In other words is like you have reached your Waterloo.

The N’jagelema Youth and the Section Chief embanked on cleaning the community in the Western area on the 14^th August 2022. Participants that undertook the cleaning exercise include the women of N’jagelema, youth, elderly stakeholders and the Section Chief amongst others.

In an exclusive interview with Forum the innovative and resulted-oriented Youth Adviser Mannah Kpukumu, a retired solider who served the Sierra Leone Army said he returned to his community, engage in developmental activities. He contested in the 2008 Local Council Elections. Kpukumu said with the support of the chief, the youth, elderly stakeholders who have decided to come up with the cleaning to make their community. 

He disclosed that some of the problems of the community “The community don’t have dumping site, health centre as the community only have a nurse who is assisting them when they are sick, and better water facility.” He noted their constrains advised young people to stay away from violence and work as one.

In an exclusive interview with the Section Chief, Patrick Matthew Joana for Spur Loop Wilberforce, Pipeline, Freetown, he said; “The cleaning of the community was timely as they have tried to take the leadership to stop the culture of depositing dirt in drainages, which is a crime against the laws of the Municipality Management of the Freetown City Council.

They go out at night when everybody is asleep and dump dirt the drainage.” Chief Mathew Joana observed, and adds; “If we sit and look back, the flooding which took place on 14^th August 2017, happened because of such reasons. As a community, he vowed, they will remain vigilant to by serving as watchdogs for any defaulters who will flout the law. He said that there is good working relationship with the youth in his community, based on his humility at their level and he is always with them and any hour they call upon him will availed himself to their calls.

He catalogued challenges faced by the community, thus calling for the support of elders and encouraged young people to stay away from all forms of violence.