In 2022, the UN named colonialism as a driver of the climate crisis— highlighting the legacy of exploitation that still affects who gets heard and who holds power today.
But in Sierra Leone, one of the world’s most climate vulnerable nations, change is happening at every level. From organisers and farmers to community leaders and activists, local people are shaping the country’s climate response.
When designing climate solutions, we must involve those most affected...
For 80 years, Christian Aid has been fighting poverty and injustice. Today, that includes those on the front lines of the climate crisis. Help us make lasting change possible.
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At the heart of community-led climate action in Sierra Leone is participation: listening to people’s experiences and working with them to design solutions. Gertrude Karimu leads WoNES, a grassroots partner of Christian Aid, focused on community-led climate work.
Their approach starts by asking what communities know, face and want to change. Using tools like body mapping and assessments, local people identify risks and imagine new futures.
This ensures solutions are not just technically sound but socially rooted and owned by those most affected. Through this work, rural communities— especially women who are so often excluded from decision-making—are building confidence and agency to lead change.
We cannot just go into the community and start implementing.
Mohamed – Farming smarter with local knowledge
Mohamed, a farmer in Six Mile, has felt climate change’s impact: erratic rainfall, shifting seasons and shrinking yields. But with Christian Aid and WoNES’s support, he’s adapting.
‘Initially, we did not know when or how to plant,’ Mohamed explains. ‘But now we plant based on information we get from the rain gauge, and advice from the weather forecasters in Freetown.’ Trained in climate-smart agriculture, he also tracks rainfall to help other farmers plan better.
This simple shift—combining local knowledge with scientific data—means better harvests and greater stability for farmers. It shows what locally led adaptation looks like.
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Jebbeh – Changing the narrative for women in her community
Jebbeh, 30, a mother of five, farmer and pre-school teacher, is leading change in her rural community.
Where climate change has made farming harder, training and support from Christian Aid’s partners helped Jebbeh's family adapt. They learned new farming methods and found ways to keep their children in school and food on the table.
‘The field officers held meetings for our community to explain about climate change and how we should farm,’ she says. ‘That has helped to change my mindset and understand the effect of climate change.’
Jebbeh is also challenging gender norms. ‘Women don’t make decisions,’ she says, reflecting a traditional view she’s helping overturn as a leader in her local Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA). ‘But the VSLA has changed the narrative, giving women empowerment now that they will be able to take decisions.’
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Mattia - Connecting communities to national change
‘Sierra Leoneans are resilient. They want to get through this and ensure our country becomes less vulnerable to climate change,’ says Mattia Dimoh. ‘With the right support, we can make a difference.’
Mattia is Christian Aid’s Country Manager in Sierra Leone. He connects government, civil society and communities— ensuring those living on the front lines of the climate crisis, especially women and people with disabilities, have a seat at the table when policies are made.
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We work with the rural communities in those places where they are experiencing and living already with the realities of the impacts of climate change.
Charles Bakolo – Global voices for climate justice
While Sierra Leone communities lead locally, young people globally are rising too. In Malawi, Charles Bakolo is part of this movement, where lives and livelihoods are too threatened by climate change.
Charles is a founder and coordinator of Climate YES (Youth Ecumenical Summit), a global network of young Christians calling for urgent climate action. In Malawi, Climate YES successfully campaigned to ban thin plastics.
Their work stems from the belief that caring for creation is spiritual—and young people, especially in faith communities, have a vital role in shaping climate solutions.
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The Bible teaches us to care for creation... God gave us a mandate to protect what was brought to us. It's time to act together as a global community to support those most affected by the climate crisis.
