Dwazark Urban Space Challenge
Story by Pious Mannah from YMCA Sierra Leone
A one-year space making journey has come to an end in Dwazark community in Freetown, Sierra Leone. What started out with 100 young people in 20 teams, ended up with 10 cool projects led by 10 amazing youth groups around Dwazark - to make their community a better place. They competed in the 2020-21 Urban Space Challenge - a competition for young people in creating public spaces, in partnership between Dreamtown and YMCA Sierra Leone. Check out some of the spaces in this story.
the Community Water Centre
BY 7 UP DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION
This youth group focused their public space intervention on the development of a Community Water Centre. The idea of their public space was to develop an already existing community water point, where the community fetch water. This space was already in existence, so the team just added a facelift to it, to make it more relaxing and attractive for young people. The water point was exposed and difficult to access. With the public space fund, they were able to pave the floor where the water point is located, and also constructed sitting points with roof tops for people to sit and discuss whilst waiting for their time to fetch water. Today, over 2,000 have access to water because of this project.
“We are very happy about the development of this space. Today over thousands of people have access to this water space, which was not the case as before. Children and other young people who used to go to school late, because of covering long distances just to fetch water, can now go to school early because our water point have been developed and made accessible” - Mr. French, one of the youths who are managing the water centre.
THE GYM
BY JUMBO GYM YOUTH GROUP
Jumbo Gym youth group is a group that focuses on fitness. Young people across different ages go to this place for body building exercises. Some for fun, and some to develop themselves to be able to compete at the highest level. Before the Urban Space Challenge, they used to meet in an open field to do their heavy weight liftings and other physical activities. During the raining season, especially at its peak time, it was almost impossible for them to meet and train. With this project, they were able to build a gym where young people can now meet to do their fitness activities. A new fitness centre has been constructed.
“We are extremely happy to have this space erected. Now our training gadgets are secured and can last longer. We are now able to train for longer hours at a descent environment and the rain is no longer a barrier for our training sessions. We can train any time and any day that we want” - Mikailu, one of the young people who visits the space regularly.
The water well
BY UPPER GEORGE BROOK
The Upper George Brook team live in a section of Dwazark community where there was no access to water. Since their area is hilly and rocky, digging a bore hole where water could be fetch was a very difficult task for them. The Urban Challenge project challenged the young people to embark on what was thought to be the impossible task. They brought the idea of the digging a water well at their community , and their idea was accepted in the competition. A new well has now been dug which provides access to water in this part of the community for the very first time, for about 5,000 inhabitants.
“When we started digging the well, it was so difficult for us, because we were using human labour, no machines. Many people thought we were not going to complete this well, because of how hill and rocky the place is. Some people even thought a lot of money has been given to us to get job done, but we did not listen to any of them. Today, here is the well standing and everybody in the community now has access to clean water. With the small fund that was given to us by the project team, we were also able to buy a machine which pumps the water into a tank for us through electric power. Through the training on advocacy that was given to us, we were also able to reach out to one of our water companies, who also donated a tank to us that we are now using to store the water” - Amara, the young man that championed the process of digging the well.
The open youth centre
BY CENTRAl ATAYA BASE
For the Central Ataya Base team constructed an open youth centre, where young people meet and talk in the evening hours. After receiving funds from the competition, they were able to identify a nice spot were young people frequently meet, and they constructed a nice meeting place for them to hang out, chat and engage in fun activities. And one thing is a space for young people to meet - but the space also turns out to be of use for the people who spend time, and do business, around it.
“I am not directly involved in the activities that goes on in the space, but this space has been able to provide a livelihood opportunity for me. I opened this small cookery shop here, so that people in the space can have food to eat when the come for their meetings. A lot of people come here every day, and most of them are now my good friends, and they buy my food. Though the place is very noisy with arguments on current issues and politics always going on, but we do enjoy it as it makes the place very lively for us” - Mariatu, one of the business women who has a cookery close to the space.
The computer centre
BY CHOSEN GENERATION GROUP
Chosen Generation operates a computer centre when young people go to learn basic computer and media skills. Before the project, they used to have few computers and a broken printer. Though the space was available, only a limited number of young people could access it at that time. With the Urban Space Challenge, they were able to get three new second-hand desktop computers, fixed the broken printer, tile the floor of the space, and colorfully painted the wall of the space. Today, lots of young people are accessing the space, and many can get access to basic computer knowledge because of this space.
“When I sat to my final exam to go to high school, I was at home helping my parents to do some house duties, but mostly in the evening, I would be idle doing nothing. So, one day I said to myself what can I be doing during these holidays to improve my knowledge? So, I thought about joining the Chosen Generation Computer Group, today I know how to operate Microsoft word and Excel. I am even now using Microsoft word to do my school assignments” - Kadie, a teenage girl who just promoted to high school.
the basketball court
BY PATRIOTIC BROTHERHOOD
This youth group focused their project on the renovation of an old basket basketball court and to make it attractive and accessible for young people, including girls. Sport today is seen as an important aspect of life for many young people, in fact you cannot talk about young people without mentioning sport. In renovating the court, they cemented and colorfully painted the playing floor, they constructed cement benches for people to sit and watch when games playing, and they also constructed and painted a wall where the games scores are written. Today, many young people are now visiting the space, especially in the evening hours to catch some fun. After the rainy season, young people that mostly visit and utilize the space have promised to organise a community basketball league that will be bringing loads of young people together.
“We are very happy that we have the privilege again to be training here. This court was abandoned for so long, but since it was renovated, we had the opportunity to come here again to train” - John, a young guy that trains at the basketball court.
THE COMMUNITY FIELD
BY DWAZARK VETERANS
Dwazark Veteran is a community help group that comprises of young people and community stakeholders. It is a group where young people are giving the leverage to think and act on their own. On a normal day, they will organize sporting activities, give scholarships to children and sometimes organize concerts. Their space idea for the Urban Space Challenge was to renovate the community playing field, and make it more attractive for young people. The community playing field is a multi-purpose field, where series of community events are organised. So, this place is like a hub for young people, almost always engaged and packed full with young people. Through the Urban Space Challenge, they were able to buy new goal posts for the football section of the field, goal post nets and constructed a concrete wall which protects the field.
