Children from across Sierra Leone converged at the Multipurpose Hall, Fourah Bay College, on July 6th and 7th, 2026, for the National Children’s Summit, a two-day event organized by the Youth Panel Circle with support from ChildFund Sierra Leone. The summit was held under the theme “Our Climate, Our Future: Empowering Sierra Leone’s Children to Shape Tomorrow.”
The event brought together young people, child rights advocates, and development partners to examine the growing threat of climate change and to position children as active participants in the fight to protect the environment.
A key speaker at the summit, Dr. Hindolo Tonya Musa, Director of Communications at the University of Sierra Leone, addressed participants on the causes and consequences of climate change in the country. He explained that climate change refers to long-term shifts in weather patterns, and pointed to recent flooding and the Motomeh mudslide as stark examples of its impact on communities.
Dr. Musa noted that rising heat levels and a noticeable shift in the country’s traditional rainy and dry seasons are visible signs that the climate is changing. According to him, human activity, more so than natural causes is the leading driver of this shift. He cited deforestation and construction in high-risk areas as major contributing factors, alongside greenhouse gas emissions, septic tank waste, and carbon monoxide from fossil fuels and vehicles.
Dr. Musa highlighted water scarcity as one of the most direct ways climate change affects young people, explaining that shortages often force children to travel long distances to fetch water, journeys that expose them to accidents and increase their vulnerability to exploitation.
He also raised concerns about coastal degradation around Freetown, warning that unregulated activity along the coastline threatens local biodiversity and puts children at future risk of flooding, while also cutting them off from knowledge of the ecosystems in their own backyard.
Dr. Musa called on children to take responsibility for safeguarding their right to clean water and a healthy environment, and urged them to advocate to policymakers for stronger enforcement of existing environmental laws and greater involvement in city planning decisions. He added that meaningful change begins with a shift in mindset, challenging children in attendance to become champions of climate advocacy in their schools and communities.
Also speaking at the summit, Mrs. Ariana called on every child to play a part in the fight against climate change. She encouraged young people to take up recycling, urging them to follow the example of other African countries where waste is being creatively transformed into useful goods.
She pointed to Sierra Leonean inventor Kelvin Doe as an example of the kind of ingenuity children can bring to environmental problem-solving. Mrs. Ariana also reminded participants that the books they use are made from trees, and urged them to help curb deforestation. She closed with a challenge to the young audience: to reflect on what each of them can do, individually, to stop harming the planet.
The two-day summit closed with organizers and partners reaffirming their commitment to amplifying children’s voices in Sierra Leone’s climate and development policy discussions going forward.
