A natural disaster caused the birth of a political star. In August 2017, Sierra Leone suffered the worst landslide in memory in the small West African state. After days of heavy rain, a mountainside collapsed, burying entire neighborhoods in the country's capital, Freetown. There were 1,141 fatalities and tens of thousands of people lost their homes.
That day, economist Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr decided that, after several decades working in finance in London, she would return to her country of birth to fight the two roots of that disaster: poverty and the climate crisis.
A year later, and despite waving the flag of the opposition party All People's Congress (APC), he won the elections for mayor of Freetown and made the fight against climate change his main crusade.
Today Aki-Sawyerr, 56, is one of the most authoritative African voices in international forums to fight climate change due to his activism and the success of his main campaign, launched in January 2020: plant a million trees before the end of this year.
The mayor herself confirmed last week from her X account that they will achieve the goal half a year ahead. “977,000 trees have already been planted and are being monitored. “The project will reach our goal of one million trees before June!”
His team, led by the young Sierra Leonean Manja Kargbo, adds an even better fact: since the neighbors receive a payment for caring for and monitoring the stems, the survival rate of the seeds is more than 80%. The project was a finalist last year for the Earthshot Prize, with the support of Prince William, which rewards innovative solutions to care for the environment.
Aki-Sawyerr's green determination has also convinced the residents of Freetown, who last year made her the first mayor, of any gender, to be re-elected to her position.
In addition to the overwhelming character of Aki-Sawyerr and her groundbreaking speeches for equality and the independence of women, her campaign to recover thousands of trees in the capital – baptized
In the last half century, Sierra Leone's main city has experienced an unprecedented demographic explosion and its population will reach two million inhabitants by 2030. Unbridled growth, especially in neighborhoods with tight pockets and tin roofs, has resulting in the loss of 70% of the trees around the city, as many residents cannot afford charcoal and turn to nearby forests for wood for cooking.
The disappearance of tree roots, which previously supported the soil, has multiplied soil erosion and aggravated the damage caused by meteorological phenomena. As a consequence, catastrophic floods and landslides such as the one in 2017 are becoming more frequent.
The million tree project, in addition to others with an ecological nature such as the construction of the first waste treatment plant at sea or a social one such as the creation of 3,500 jobs for young people, have earned Aki-Sawyerr international applause. . Two years ago, the mayor was included in the list of Time magazine's 100 leaders of the moment or in the BBC's 100 influential women, which recently dedicated an almost one-hour special program to her on BBC Africa Eye.
In the documentary, Aki-Sawyerr also stands as a spokesperson for women's rights. “There is not an interview – the mayor protests – where they have not asked me: So you think this job can be done by a woman?”
Although the battle against the climate crisis continues to be her banner, Aki-Sawyerr accepts the role of inspiration for new generations of girls. “It wasn't in my plans, it wasn't even in my mind when I ran for office, but it has been a significant part of who I have been and the impact I have had has excited me.”
