Freetown Dworzark Community Profile (2022)

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Dworzark Settlement Profile 2023

1

The settlement profile was compiled by the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC) with the support of Architecture Sans Frontières UK (ASF-UK), in collaboration with the Federation of the Urban and Rural Poor Sierra Leone (FEDURP-SL) and the Centre for Dialogue on Human Settlements and Poverty Alleviation (CODOHSAPA).

The research underpinning this publication was carried out as part of the Knowledge in Action for Urban Equality (KNOW) programme. KNOW is a fouryear UKRI grant funded research programme tackling global inequality, led by The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, UCL.

Suggested citation: Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre. Dworzark: Settlement Profile (Freetown: SLURC, 2023).

TABLE OF CONTENTS What is a Settlement Profile?

4

Dworzark in context

6

Conditions in Dworzark

10

Settlement demographics, tenure and ownership

16

Public and environmental health

18

Economy and livelihoods

24

Household risk vulnerabilities

28

Community priorities

30

Key findings

31

Towards a Community Action Area Plan

32

References

33

Contributors

34

What is a Settlement Profile?

A settlement profile provides information about an area to encourage community groups, civil society organisations, professionals, and government authorities to better understand the place with the support of a strong evidence base. This settlement profile has been produced to inform and strengthen the outputs of Community Action Area Plans (CAAP): a new planning tool for the upgrading of Freetown’s settlements. A CAAP is a document that provides a framework for future development within a community, and that is produced in partnership with the members of that community and their organisations.

Creating a profile for Dworzark The content for this profile was produced by the Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC), with the support of Architecture Sans Frontières-UK (ASF-UK) and in partnership with the Federation for the Urban and Rural Poor (FEDURP) and under the Knowledge in Action for Urban Equality (KNOW) programme. KNOW is a four-year UKRI grant funded research programme tackling global inequality, led

by The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, UCL. This document was created through a process of community-based settlement profiling, where local community members play a substantial role in all stages of the process and retain control over the information being produced. The collection and analysis of data by the poor for the poor leads

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to more accurate information, on which to make decisions around resource allocation, policy design and urban development activities. Based on this approach, the residents of Dworzark and their organisations were fully integrated into the research process that led to this profile, by shaping questions, providing and collecting data, offering interpretations of findings and acting as champions for impact.

The profiling methodology included quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Quantitative methods used consisted of household surveys using structured questionnaires. Qualitative methods included individual interviews, in-depth interviews, direct observation and focus group discussions. A range of participatory tools were used, including transect walks, participatory mapping, settlement timelines, photo diary and ranking exercises. These tools combined manual and digital techniques to reveal the diverse needs and aspirations of the community.

This document This document includes three sections. The first section describes what a profile is and how this profile was created. The second and main part of the document presents the findings from the profiling activities that were undertaken in Dworzark in 2018.

This includes its context, conditions, settlement demographics, tenure and ownership, public and environmental health, economy and livelihood, risks and vulnerabilities, and community priorities. The third section highlights the key findings from the settlement profile and discusses how the profile links to the Community Action Area Plan that the residents of Dworzark and their organisations developed in 2018 with the support of SLURC and ASF-UK.

A community-based profile contains data, information and knowledge produced together with local inhabitants of the neighbourhood.

The aim is to better understand the issues faced by the community and plan for future improvements.

Participatory Mapping

24 community members involved 595 facilities mapped

(2 in 8 20 interviews 396 surveys (33 in each zone) zones and 1 in the rest)

COMMUNITY-BASED SETTLEMENT PROFILE

1

Transect Walk

24

sessions (2 in each zone)

72

2

Individual & Focus Group Discussions group community 2 focus discussions 24 members involved

WC

3

community members involved

4

Priorities & Ranking (1 in every 3 zones, 6 sessions 1 general and 1 for women 72 community members involved

Timeline (1 in each zone, 14 sessions one general and one for women) 168 community members involved

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Household Survey & In-depth interviews

5

Dworzark in context Where is the community located and how did it develop in time?

Dworzark is the biggest informal settlement in Freetown covering an area of approximately 126 hectares. It is in constituency 127 and in wards 434 and 435. It is bordered by Sumaila Town in the east, Leicester in the south, New England Ville in the

west and Brookfields in the north. The community is approximately 5km from the Central Business District (CBD) and it is accessed via the George Brook road, which is the only formal road to the community and ends at the bottom of the valley.

The community is in the northernmost fringe of the peninsular mountain with a topography ranging between 57m at the lowest point to 316m at the highest point, incline in some of the settlement’s highest slope is as steep as 71% gradient (De Carli et al, 2018). Dworzark is characterised by ‘large boulders

which have become free over time by deforestation, soil erosion, stone mining and construction of houses in unstable places that led to flooding, mudslides and rock falls’ (Cumming and Harrison, 2012:15).

There is a natural drain that collects water from upstream communities into George Brook River. The settlement is characterised by poorly constructed housing together with poor road networks and sanitation facilities. Land ownership in the settlement is contested and this hinders investment in improved housing and public infrastructural development.

The community has unofficially been subdivided into twelve zones for the convenience of the residents.

These zones have been named after countries that qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They include Nigeria, USA, Spain, Cameroon and Germany which are in the higher terrain of the community. France, Italy, England, Brazil, Morocco, Argentina and Holland which are the urban core of the settlement where the density is highest.

Cotton T re e

Dworzark

Aberdeen

Beside: Satellite view of Freetown and Dworzark

Year of moving into Dworzark 1986-1990 1991-1995 1996-2000 2001-2005 2006-2010 2011-2015 2016-onwards 0%

0 6

1

2km

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Most people settled in Dworzark during the Civil War and in its immediate aftermath

60%

Historic growth of Dworzark The community was first settled in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1941 the Dworzark family sold off part of their land to Freetown Cold Storage Limited. The area attracted a lot of young and educated people who were looking for a job. In 1945, the family established the Dworzark Company which was mainly involved in agriculture and extracting stones to help in the building of Freetown. The inflow and outflow of people in the community increased. The area quickly became a convergence point for most people who

worked in these two companies and those who render services to them. Most of the people who worked in the Dworzark Company stayed either in the farm or around the quarries. In 1960 the settlement started forming because those who worked in the two main companies stayed in the community. A school was built in 1964 and that was followed by a church almost around the same time. However, since the 1980s, rapid urbanisation has outstripped investments in social infrastructure.

Dworzark most developed core area follows the George Brook Road and George Brook River. This strip of land which starts at Dworzark junction and ends at the community playing field contains the highest density buildings and the majority of the community residents. As the community has grown, new settlers have constructed new homes adjoining the settlement, the pattern of which has pushed many new residents higher up the valley slopes.

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Development of Dworzark over time

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Freetown Cold Storage

First Church built Dworzark community established

Dworzark company established

First Dam

>> POSITIVE EVENTS

First entertainment centre

Dworzark divided into twelve zones

First church in the community UMC primary school

Major vaccina campa

Bridge linking Italy to community with spring water

Community healthcare constructed

First Mosque

Local tribal head crown in the community

Mass migration into Dworzark

Landslide in Italy

First flooding in the community

Major water shortage in the community

Political events in the community Disaster events in the community Other Important events in the community Environmental events in the community

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1997

1994

1990

1989

1986

1978

1975

1968

1964

1960

1945

NEGATIVE EVENTS EVENTS << << NEGATIVE

1941

Transport station established

Socially positive developments in the community

8

Changing in housing condition

2004

Dworzark Community Timeline

Windstorm, rolling boulder movement

Embankment collapse

Fire disaster

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2008

2007

Community centre built (YMCA)

Cholera outbreak

Fire disaster

Cholera outbreak

Cholera outbreak

Collapse of mud houses

Mudslide and flooding

Ebola outbreak

Community relief assistance to victims

Construction of public toilet by Red Cross

Tree planting exercise Police Post at the community centre established

Major drainage rehabilitation by Catholic Relief Services

Fire outbreak and flooding

Bridge collapse (oldest)

Fire outbreak

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

FEDURP (Savings group formed)

Road pavement (Spain)

2019

Police Partnership Board Formed

Solar Powered borehole constructed by INGOs

2018

Community market constructed by the Sierra Leone Bottling Company

Reconstruction of collapsed bridge

2017

By-laws forcing community people to build their own toilet Extension of electricity to other zones

Mass wedding ceremony organised by the community (20 couples)

Installation of four electricity transformers in the community

Construction of tarmac road in the community

2016

Major vaccine campaign

2015

ation aign

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kitchens and drainage emerge as a main iss

Conditions in Dworzark

the local surroundings.

Conditions of housing and basic facilities

What are the current conditions of housing and community spaces in Dworzark?

The process of upgrading structure in Dworzark is inclusive and requires inter-family consultation about plans before construction or modification. In order to add a new room to a property the family in question discusses several factors including where it should be located, the size, the cost and who will occupy it.

How would you rate the condition of your house / of the following facility?

The urban form of the settlement is characterized by buildings laid out in an unplanned organic style with dirt or grit footpaths separating homes. Buildings are often tightly packed together and have irregular evolving layouts as many inhabitants modify their properties to fully utilise allocated space as the need arises. There is also an almost constant need for residents to maintain a network of drains and ditches outside their houses to avoid localised and large scale flooding.

The settlement is very highly populated with buildings which are low in height and massing (mostly houses with one storey and in some cases two or three). The steep topography has enhanced the legibility within the site, however there are very few local landmarks. Dworzark’s building materials are predominantly characterised by pan body (corrugated iron sheet), mud bricks, mud cement blocks, tarpaulin, concrete/cement, local stone, car tyres and local timber. The materials themselves can make homes extremely hot in the summer months and can leak in the rainy season.

Residents are actively engaged in construction of recreational facilities, such as cinemas, bars, and football fields. There have also been community-led initiatives to install street lighting, and to cut steps in certain necessary areas of the settlement. Dworzark has a system of household savings groups. Residents explained that ‘Osusu’ savings groups are intended for upgrading household structures and improving

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3,5%

Very poor

11.9%

Poor

36.6% Fair 43.4%

Good

4,6%

Very good

Toilet Bathroom Kitchen Drainage Electricity Access to road

S.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80% 100%

Dworzark Zones

BRAZIL CAMEROON ITALY

ARGENTINA SPAIN FRANCE

GERMANY

MOROCCO HOLLAND ENGLAND

USA

NIGERIA

Previous page: view over Dworzark

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Dworzark’s zones were created as a result of a football tournament that was held within the community. Dworzack was separated into many zones that were each given a country name in order to assure the participation of the entire community. The participating teams in the football competition came from these zones (countries). They include Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Morocco, Nigeria, Spain, and USA.

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Access and transport

Accessibility Map

LEGEND

Dworzark has developed in an unplanned and sporadic manner. This has resulted in the proliferation of makeshift roads and dirt’s paths as key mobility routes within the settlement and only one formal road: George Brook Road, with pick spots for public transport operators (SLURC and ASF, 2018). Due to the makeshift nature of the roads within the settlements, they are often inundated or washed away by episodic flooding, leading to large economic, accessibility and quality of life losses (Nelson et al., 2019). This has implications for residents in the upper elevation zones who suffers from poor infrastructural connections and unpaved roads, thereby resulting in considerable time constraints and poor connectivity links.

Kekeh (tuk-tuk) station

Taxi station

Okada (motorbike) station Poda poda (bus/van) station

P Parking space

BRAZIL CAMEROON ITALY

P

There is a variety of public transport operating within and from the community including minibuses (podapoda), motor bikes (okada), tricycles (kekeh) and taxis.

Despite its location 5km away from the city centre, vehicular movement in the community is restricted due to lack of formal roads either because the gradient is too steep, or the roads are demarcated on large boulders. From the study, most resident use mini-buses or poda-poda (34.1%) or okada/kekeh (29.0%) and shared taxi (23.7%) modal share to their place of work. Only a few of the household heads are reported to use government buses (0.5%0 and privately-owned transport (1.5%). Meanwhile, those who walk (11.1%) are likely the few ones whose place of work is within the community.

ARGENTINA FRANCE SPAIN

P P GERMANY MOROCCO

HOLLAND

ENGLAND

USA

NIGERIA

0

12

P

100

200m

Dworzark Community Community Map Map

COMMON SPACES AND SOCIAL SPOTS Secret Mosque society Church Court Barrie Focal area

LIVELIHOODS

FACILITIES

Informal market

Clinic

Shop Workshop

Pharmacy Pre-school

Primary school Secondary school

Big tree Gardens Street light

Police post

The area around the old market has evolved into a motorbike and taxi pick-up point for people entering the community.

Similar to the old market, the new market's surroundings have grown into a sizable motorbike park for passengers heading to other zones but most importantly Germany and Morocco.

The DW community field, which is located in Holland and England, is used for a variety of community activities, including football, petty trading, and a station for vehicles (Okada, taxi, and podapoda).

The Jumu Hall Sport Centre, located in Spain, has grown to be a popular location for recreational activities and is occasionally used in place of the community centre.

COMMUNITY PROFILING DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Dworzark community centre doubles as a gathering place and a place for entertainment, and the area around it is used as a parking space for vehicles.

13

A walk through Dworzark Several market spaces exist across the settlement

Larger homes have been built on hilltops above the settlement

Streams cut through the settlement these can cause flooding in the rainy season

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Example of a terrace stone wall with vegetation

Power lines in the settlement

Steps for access cut through the hillside

Small shops exist in most areas of the settlement

Homes are terraced on the steep slopes

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Pathways for access between dwellings

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Settlement demographics, tenure and ownership Who is living in Dworzark?

Dworzark is home to approximately 50,000 residents, with 2003 structures and 5236 households which makes the average household size roughly 9 persons per household (CRS Report, 2018). Recent report from NEC suggests that the community falls within two wards (Ward 434 and 435) within an estimated population of 49,000 people (NEC, 2018).

The estimated household average or household size at 6.37 individuals per household. Household composition on the other hand provide information on the number of household members by sex and age category. Overall, the proportion of female per household (51.0%) slightly exceeded those of the males (49.0%). Also for all age categories except for those in the age bracket 26-35 years and 0-5 year, there are more females than males at the different age categories. Also large proportion of the residents moved into the Dworzark community from other parts of the country, and they mostly came from the Northern Province (29.0%) followed by the southern province (26.0%), then the Western Area (24.0%) and those who came from the eastern province (21.0%).

This number may be lower than others probably as a result of the long distance from the Eastern Province.

Tenure status Unlike some of the informal settlements in Freetown’s coastal areas, Dworzark is recognised by the Freetown City Council and many residents can legally own land

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Gender of household heads 27%

Household size

6.37

Place of origin

Women

persons per household

21%

73%

Eastern Province

29%

Northern Province

Household composition by gender and age Over 60 years

Men

49%

46 – 59 years 36 – 45 years 26 – 35 years 15 – 25 years 06 – 14 years 0 – 5 years

Women

51%

Reasons for staying in the community Rent is cheap

16.4%

Close to friends /relatives Located close to the city centre I’ve lived here since my childhood days

7.8%

Marriage

4.5%

Eviction

2.1%

Others

0.8%

33.6%

34.8%

26%

Southern Province

“

24%

Western Area

The migratory patterns of our community are quite diverse because the community receives people from three fronts spanning rural-urban migrants, low-income earners relocating from other parts of the city because of high rental costs as well as seasonal migrants from slums communities to escape flooding disasters. Even though the community is situated on the mountain top, it is still better than the slums both in terms of safety as well as development.

- In-depth interview, Dworzark

Housing tenure status

Land ownership “Does your household own the land on which the structure sits?”

16% 3% 44%

Family owned Own the house

together with another household

36% 1%

Yes

No

Privately owned Rent free

with owner consent (occupied rent-free)

Pay rent

(tenant/lease)

61.9% of Dworzark’s households have land ownership; unlike in other informal settlements, eviction is not perceived as a major issue here.

Fear of risk of eviction from community

91.6% No

8.4% Yes

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

through title and permission. The SDI reveals that 50% of the settlement is privately owned, while 25% is owned by the municipality, and 25% customary land (SDI, 2017). Analysis of the data generated by the study on housing tenure revealed that majority in the community (43.9%) were paying rent for the use of the house, while considerable proportion (35.6%) lived in privately-owned house. Some occupied familyowned houses (16.2%), and 3.0% reported they own the house but together with other household. For some, housing tenure was temporary. This includes those who are living “rent free” with consent from owner (1.0%) and those who are squatting (0.3%).

Despite land ownership in the community being quite high, there are several ownership disputes where land is contested. These disputes often hinder investments in improving housing and public infrastructure development (Koroma et al., 2018).

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Public and environmental health What are the conditions of health, sanitation, and waste disposal in Dworzark?

Public health Public health and environmental management are two important issues within Dworzark. The most prevalent health problems are malaria (98.3%) and typhoid (79.3%) followed by diarrhoea and gastrointestinal problem (39.7%) related to water and sanitation, as well as skin diseases (36.6%). Like many communities, Dworzark was affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak, and has had outbreaks of cholera in the area with a small number of fatalities. The majority of the households do not have adequate access to health care services (82.1%).

Water access and quality Access to drinking water is limited across all the twelve zones. They have no connection to the main water pipeline, and local dwellers mainly depend on the George-Brook stream and unprotected spring/

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Challenges to improving sanitation arrangements

Most prevalent health problems Malaria

Lack of finance

Typhoid Diarrhoea /gastrointestinal problem Skin diseases

Lack of knowledge on how to do this Lack of interest of other household members Lack of skilled people to construct Landlord does not want to invest

STI’s Respiratory Tract Infection Allergies Anaemia

[...] The topography of the community makes it impossible to access pipe-borne water, and the community is dominated by wells and boreholes that normally dry up during the dry season.

- In-depth interview, Dworzark

Others

GBV 0%

20%

40%

60%

80% 100%

47.7% of households experienced diseases and health problems at the time of the survey.

Don’t know

Though sanitation is identified as a major problem, improvements are hindered by a lack of finance, know-how, and mobilisation.

Water sources map

Quality of water LEGEND

3.3%

49.5%

47.2%

Good

Satisfactory

Bad

Bore hole

Tank water

Pipe water

Well

Spring

Stream

Sources of water supply Bore holes

0.2%

Streams

7.7%

Communal water standpoint Piped water connected inside house Piped water connected outside house Protected spring

0.8% 0.5% 0.8%

BRAZIL CAMEROON ITALY

ARGENTINA FRANCE

25.4% Spring water 56.8% Unprotected spring /wells

SPAIN

Location of water sources

GERMANY MOROCCO

In own dwelling

2.3%

In own yard/compound

7.8%

Elsewhere –outside slum

4.3%

HOLLAND

ENGLAND

USA

Elsewhere – somewhere inside slum 85.6%

NIGERIA

Springs are the main sources of water provision. Only a minority of households has immediate access to water, with most people having to fetch water outside in the community. .

Previous page: a woman fetching water from a well

0

100

200m

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

7.8%

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wells to serve their daily water needs, in addition to the 20 public water points which serve more than 4000 residents every day. The level of difficulty to access water is heightened by the peak of the dry season when water levels reduce significantly, causing huge pressure on the water sources people coming from the other sections of the community.

They however expressed that the quality of the water was generally bad, but a very small proportion of them said the quality of the water was good (3.3%).

Sanitation and toilets The lack of sanitation is a critical problem for people living in Freetown. Despite increased efforts by the Freetown City Council to expand sanitation coverage, Hundreds of thousands of residents of Freetown lack access to safe sanitation facilities.

A well, a toilet, and a drainage stream in Dworzark.

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Even though some people still practice open defecation and use black buckets as alternative toilet facilities, sanitation is far better than it used to be. Previously, about five households shared single structures with two or three clusters. [...] The types of toilets we have in our community are pit latrines that are commonly shared and pour flush, but we still need to improve our sanitation facilities in order to have a more sanitary environment.

- In-depth interview, Dworzark

Yes

Waste and sanitation map

LEGEND

Access to sanitation and other services in house or compound

Sanitation Hanging Toilet Public toilet (Flush) Public toilet (Pit latrine) Showers/Wash facilities

No

Water supply Toilets

Waste Waste disposal site Open dumping

Electricity Bathroom Kitchen Waste disposal Health care 0%

20%

40%

60%

BRAZIL

80% 100%

CAMEROON ITALY

Most residents have direct access to toilets (the vast majority pit latrines). Water supply, bathrooms for cleaning, and health care services are lacking.

SPAIN

GERMANY MOROCCO

In own dwelling

HOLLAND

ENGLAND

In own yard/compound Elsewhere –outside slum

USA

Toilet facility NIGERIA

0.5%

Bucket latrine

16.2% Flush toilet 0.5%

Flying toilet

75.3% Pit latrine 7.5%

Shared toilet

0

100

200m

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Improving access to water, health care and sanitation are among the main priorities in the community.

ARGENTINA FRANCE

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The health consequences of lacking access to safe sanitation are many, including diarrhea; one of the leading causes of death in children under five as well as other diseases such as cholera and typhoid. While access to sanitation is a city-wide issue, there is large disparities in access across Freetown and its informal settlements like Dworzark. The lack of access to sanitation in the community falls disproportionately on women and young girls. Females are often the most vulnerable to the effects of poor sanitation partly because of their biology (e.g., menstruation and pregnancy) and partly because they are, due to their lower social and economic status, less likely to have access to good sanitation and hygiene (WaterAid 2013).

Only 16.2 % of household use flush toilets and over 75.3% of Households use pit latrines. The high percentage of pit latrines has the potential to affect

water quality because most water sources are within close proximity to wells and boreholes. The conditions of the toilet facility were generally rated fair (38.9%) and good (38.6%), very few describe the condition of their toilet to be very good (2.8%). About 20% rated their toilets to be poor (12.6%) and very poor (7.1%).

Waste disposal Dustbin/ own refuse dump

Communal refuse dump/open space Others

21.7%

7.1%

Waste is mainly disposed of in dustbins or own refuse dumps, but a lot of it also goes into the drainage.

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28.5%

In drainage

Waste disposal The natural environment within Dworzark is poorly maintained, with residents often dumping domestic waste into the George Brook River. There are no official garbage collections from the settlement, however, there is a common dumping area inside the settlement (SDI, 2017). Domestic dumping poses an environmental risk to residents living at the bottom of the George Brook River Valley in both Dworzark and

42.7%

Most community members dispose of their waste by burning it, while others take it to strategic points where tricycles can access it; they normally pay between 1,000 and 5,000 Leones for garbage collection, while others throw their garbage in drainage channels and gutters or open spaces in the community due to the lack of dumping sites.

- In-depth interview, Dworzark

Kroo Bay. Waste can contaminate the watercourse which people rely on for drinking water and cause localised flooding.

The survey revealed that the most popular method of dumping refuse by households in the Dworzark is by depositing in dustbin or own refuse dump (42.7%), in drainages (28.5%) and communal refuse dump in open space (21.7%). Households located near garbage disposal sites are reported to encounter series of problems. Prominent among the problems are those related to the breeding of mosquitoes (90.9%), houseflies (79.0%), bad odour or smell (68.9%) and to a limited extent breeding of rats (50.5%) which posed the most serious problems encountered near the garbage disposal site. Only 28.3% of households reported problem of filth.

The electricity sector in Sierra Leone is still challenged with its generation, transmission and distribution systems. On the other hand, electricity connection rate is quite high in Freetown and its informal settlement. In Dworzark about 92% of households have electricity connections in their homes and 89.6% of households are connected through a pre-paid metering system. Few of the electricity consuming households are illegally connected (1.8%), while 8.6% had no electricity.

Traditional uses of biomass, mainly in the form of charcoal and firewood dominate the energy mix for household cooking needs in Freetown, with 72.7% using charcoal and 26% using firewood. Kerosene, LPG and electricity account for less than 1% for cooking needs (RECP, 2018). This trend has been slowly changing over time. In Dworzark, 94.9% of

households use charcoal as energy source for cooking, 1.5% of households uses firewood, while 2.3% of households use LPG or natural gas as energy source for cooking. Charcoal stoves are more commonly used, with the traditional all-metal stoves being most commonly used and more recently the increased use of “wonder stoves” which are much safer and efficient (RECP, 2018).

“

Approximately 80% of residents have access to electricity in this community though the electricity is not reliable and unstable.

- In-depth interview, Dworzark

Above: electric poles in Dworzark. Previous page: a natural stream, strewn with garbage and encroached upon by the foundations of some buildings.

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Energy

23

Economy and Livelihoods How do the residents of Dworzark make a living?

Unemployment in the community is high, mainly among youth and most of those in employment are in informal trade. Most of those in employment are in the informal occupation (64.4%) compared to 35.6% in formal occupation. The settlement’s location is suitable for those engaging in informal trade because it is close to the Central Business District (CBD) and local residents frequently visit the CBD for groceries, education and employment (causal and formal). The most common forms of livelihood activities in the community are petty trading or table top business (home-based enterprises), manual and

Main occupation 24.7%

Civil servant

9.6%

Construction worker

3.1%

Daily wage labourer /porter Not working/ disabled

9.3% 2.8%

Servant/maid

8.1%

Student

38.6%

Trader

3.8%

Transport worker

Nature of main occupation

Educational status of the household’s heads

35.6%

83.3%

Formal

Formal education

64.4%

16.7%

Informal

Household monthly income

0%

The main occupation for Dworzark’s inhabitants is petty trading, but there are also many civil servants and construction workers.

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Informal education

100,000-250,000 251,000-500,000 501,000-750,000 751,000-1,000,000

20%

40%

1,001,000-1,250,000 1,251,000-1,500,000 1,501,000-1,750,000 1,751,000-2,000,000

>2,000,000 don’t know

60%

80%

100%

84.8% of Dworzark’s households’ monthly incomes is below 1,000,000 Leones (100USD as at 2019).

Above: tailor shops in Dworzark.

and resorting to coping strategies especially reducing food intake.

737,000 Le average monthly income per household

Monthl y household income map

LEGEND 0 - 500,000 Le 500,000-1,000,000 Le 1,000,000 - 1,500,000 Le 1,501,000 - 2,000,000 Le >2,000,000 Le

Dual carriage road Primary road Secondary road Footpath

Number of people with form of income in household 14.6%

No income

36.6%

1

BRAZIL CAMEROON

31.7%

2

ITALY

3 4 5

8.3% 3.5%

ARGENTINA FRANCE

0% 5.3%

SPAIN

With an average monthly income of 737,000 Le, almost 3/4 of households don’t manage to meet their basic needs or save some money.

GERMANY ENGLAND

USA

Perception of household livelihoods generally 26.5%

NIGERIA

Not meeting basic needs Meeting all basic needs but not saving Meeting all basic needs and little saving Meeting all basic needs and accumulating assets

21.7%

HOLLAND

49.5%

0

100

200m

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

MOROCCO

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Monthly expenditures 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0

re al) ity ce od ter ort ion ing Fo enan ctric nsp ucat harco loth Wa th ca l a t e r C c l a d n i T E E od/ He ma wo nt/ e r Re fi y( erg En

Difficulty to satisfy the household’s basic food needs

29.5% No

70.5% Yes

Coping strategy Borrow money Take food on credit Reduce food qualities Reduce food quantities Go hungry Others From Businesses/family support 0%

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25%

50%

75% 100%

labour-intensive jobs like stone mining, construction work and potter. There is a formal market in the community, which is grossly inadequate considering the number of people and businesses who need space to conduct commercial activity. This has brought an opportunity for residents who own properties along the main road to run shops on the ground floors of their properties, either for their own home-based businesses or for other entrepreneurs renting their space. Moreover, some of Dworzark women are involved in agricultural activities along the bank of the George Brook Stream.

Food is the largest expenditure for households, with 71% experiencing difficulties in satisfying their needs and resorting to coping strategies especially reducing food intake.

The survey revealed that the average monthly household income is Le. 736,914.16 with a standard deviation of Le. 869,966.67 and a median of Le. 500,000.00. The average monthly expenditure was Le. 1,636,302.87 with a standard deviation of Le. 2,590,485.31. the survey estimated that expenditure on food was the highest with a mean household monthly expenditure of Le 501,022.73 than education, transport, healthcare and clothing. Average monthly expenditure was low for electricity and energy for cooking and lowest for rent and water. There are some disparity and a considerable variation among respondents with regards their household average monthly income and expenditure.

Note: Income and expenditure estimates are in old Leones. 10 New Leones = 10,000 Old Leones.

Below: an informal shop in Dworzark

Stone quarrying in Dworzark Due to the historic availability of rocks as an open access resource, stone quarrying is an established livelihood in the hillside settlement of Dworzark. Over the past decade, due to the increasing population density, stone have ceased to be an open access resource and are now considered to be ‘owned’ by the owners of the land on which they sit.

Along with city government restrictions on stone mining in public spaces, banning ‘street mining’ has resulted in changes to the way stone is quarried within the community. The ‘crack-crack’ workers who do initial stone extraction may sell it to the site’s landowner at a discounted price, or buy the stone from landowners, or caretakers. Also, Dworzark residents increasingly mine stones outside of the settlement in areas where stones remain an openaccess resource. Men, women and children all work in the sector, but in distinct nodes of the value chain.

Extractors and initial breakers are mostly young men, while the transferring of stone to breaking sites and breaking into smaller sizes is largely done by women and children.

“

In the Dwarzack community, people engage in several livelihood activities unlike in the past when stone breaking was dominant, people now have livelihood options like Bike Riding, Kekeh Riding, Petty Trading (small tabletop business), Driving, Carpentry, Manson, and Electricals.

- In-depth interview, Dworzark The various livelihood activities in the Dwarzack community are stone mining, and metal shops; most of the youths are engaged in these livelihood activities because the community has limited job opportunities and most of the jobs available cannot be carried out by the community youths because a good number of them did not go through the formal education.

- In-depth interview, Dworzark

On the right: stone quarrying in Dworzark.

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Most respondent’s perception of household livelihoods generally varies. That notwithstanding, the majority (49.5%) perceived household livelihoods do not meet their basic needs. Overall, there was a clear division between those who perceived household livelihoods meeting all their basic needs and little saving (26.5%) and those who perceived household livelihoods meeting all their basic needs but not saving (21.7%). Only 2.3% of the respondents reported household livelihood to be meeting all their basic needs while at the same time accumulating assets.

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Household Risk Vulnerabilities What risks is Dworzark facing?

There are various dimensions of shocks influencing urban poor livelihoods in Dworzark. About 44.4% of the respondents are vulnerable to diseases or health problems (average mean of 3.4 and a standard deviation of 3.12). Common health problem among respondents include malaria, typhoid, diarrhoea and skin diseases. These illnesses are associated with the poor sanitation infrastructure and the general environmental conditions of the community.

The incidence of fires is reported to be on the increase (40.0%) in the Dworzark informal settlement.

About 27.5% of the respondents have experience flood incidence in the community. The effects of flooding on the poor residents in the community is low, but the settlements poor drainage and weak infrastructure services renders several areas and development at risk of flooding associated with slope failures. Loss of jobs (25.5%), waste dumping (26.8%), and in some cases violence (19.9%) and crime (14.1%) were other forms of shocks experienced by residence. Other vulnerable situation seldom reported were windstorms, loss of social network and threat of eviction or actual eviction.

A view of Dworzark’s slopes.

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“

As a community prone to fire outbreaks, rolling boulders, and flooding disasters, we usually mobilize ourselves into groups engaged in cleaning drainages, road maintenance, sensitizations, and awareness-raising activities on DRR, and we also come together to help victims in times of disaster. We also occasionally advocate for state actors and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to assist us in mitigating community risks [...].

- In-depth interview, Dworzark

Diseases/ health problems

Fires

Flooding

Pollution /waste dumping

Loss of job/ unemployment

Violence

44.4%

39.9%

27.5%

26.8%

25.5%

18.9%

Loss of property

Crime

Windstorms

Loss of social network

Threat of eviction or actual eviction

15.4%

14.1%

10.1%

7.1%

3%

The main vulnerability for Dworzark households is health problems, followed by disasters such as fires and flooding.

Pollution, waste dumping and unemployment are other relevant risks.

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Household vulnerability to shocks

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Community Priorities What are the most important issues for Dworzark community?

Through identifying community priorities, three main issues have emerged that need to be addressed in future upgrading of Dworzark. These were identified based on the following characteristics:

#1: Access to water Affecting everyone: these issues are affecting the whole community, and dealing with them will improve the lives of all Dworzark residents, not only few people.

Community-wide: these issues are observed across the entire settlement, though more serious in some areas than others. Tackling them means working at the settlement scale, and the effects will be felt in the whole Dworzark.

Long-term: these issues need sustained engagement and work and may not be instantly fixed, but dealing with them will have a lasting impact in time, and generate more positive effects on the long run.

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Due to the terrain, water supply for the community is inadequate. This also leads to other social problems like teenage pregnancy. The water they get is mostly from hand dug wells and springs.

#2: Access to health facilities There is one health facilities which is difficult to access by many. The distance and terrain makes it difficult for most residents and this makes it difficult to access health services especially during emergencies.

#3: Waste collection and management The environment is poorly managed with no assigned or regulated wastedumping site in the community. This has led to household and domestic waste being mainly deposited openly along the George Brook River, clogging the drains and river and thus increasing the risk of flooding.

What can we learn from this information?

addressed. The fragile ecosystem on which the settlement keeps encroaching has been affected by ongoing urbanization, which in turn had rapid and damaging effects on local livelihoods.

Precariousness Throughout the profiling process, a few key themes emerged. These are not ‘community priorities’ in themselves, but rather, cross-cutting issues that we can observe from all the data collected.

Environmental degradation Against the backdrop of Freetown’s pollution mismanagement and the global climate crisis, Dworzark appears to face serious environmental challenges. Water pollution, waste disposal, and sanitation infrastructure urgently need to be

An overarching theme cutting across the lives of Dworzark’s inhabitants is the multidimensional condition of precariousness. Multiple factors concur to build up vulnerability, such as insecure land tenure (with the constant threat of eviction), unstable and often insufficient incomes, the risk of natural or manmade disasters, and weak social safety networks.

Mobility and accessibility

Dworzark is not easy to access. Steep roads, unpaved walkways, and no public transport means that for the community inhabitants, accessing transport and the wider city is difficult. Coupled with the absence of basic services within the settlement, this translates into a physical and social isolation.

Land tenure As an unauthorized and low-income settlement, Dworzark’s households do not own the land where their houses are built and are at risk of eviction due to urban pressures. This is a key element in the community’s condition, as it prevents investment and generates insecurity.

Due to its position and the way it developed,

Wellbeing and quality of life People in Dworzark face many hardships, both on a daily basis and in more extreme episodes: from the time spent in fetching water to the risk of fires or flooding, widespread diseases and overcrowded dwellings.

Residents of Dworzark take part in the definition of their Communty Action Area Plan.

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

Key findings

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Towards a Community Action Area Plan Key findings (emerging from the Profile) Environmental degradation

Precariousness

Integrated Principles (from Community Action Area Plan) 1

Resilience from natural hazards through maintenance and improvements

2 Equal access to services and amenities

3

Improve roads, streets and pathways for an accessible settlement for all

Mobility and accessibility 4 Creating space in the settlement for important community buildings and spaces Land tenure

Wellbeing and quality of life

5 Improving community cohesion and managing effective relationships with city stakeholders

6 Improvements to buildings and spaces for safety and beautification

The Community Action Area Plan (CAAP) contains integrated principles for planning which address the key issues emerging from this profile.

The CAAP is available at SLURC’s office in Freetown or online from this link.

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REFERENCES Cumming, L and Harrison, L., 2012. Youth volunteerism and disaster risk reduction. Y-Care International.

Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre and Architecture Sans Frontières –UK (2018). Change by Design: Dworzark Community Action Area Plan 2018.

Freetown: SLURC Publishers.

Nelson, E., Alwang, J and Thomas, T. S., 2019. The role of social capital in community-based disaster risk reduction: A critical evaluation. Disasters, 43(1), 26-47. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12285 Catholic Relief Services Report 2019. Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in Dworzark informal settlement. Catholic Relief Services.

NEC, 2018. Boundary delimitation of constituencies and wards.

Koroma, B., Rigon, A., Walker, J., Sellu, S A., 2018.

Urban Livelihoods in Freetown’s Informal Settlements.

Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre. Publication 005. ISBN: 978-0-9956342-4-4. URL: https://www. slurc.org/uploads/1/0/9/7/109761391/ urban_ livelihoods_in_informal_settlements_-_report_web_ quality.pdf WaterAid, 2013. Financing the water, sanitation and hygiene sector in Freetown, Water Aid RECP, 2018. Support to the Sierra Leone Ministry of Energy with the preparatory phase of a household cooking energy plan. Online, available at: http://www. euel/pdf.org/sites/default/files/field_publication_ file/Sierra_Leone_Draft_HH_Energy_Policy_Final_ Report_and_Roadmap.pdf (accessed 19 December 2022)

DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

SDI, 2017. “Know Your City Dworzark”. Slum Dwellers International. Accessed online (05/10/2022). http:// knowyourcity.info/settlement/1860/13581265.

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CONTRIBUTORS Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre Braima Koroma, Joseph M. Macarthy, Sulaiman F. Kamara, Ibrahim Bakarr Bangura, Ansumana Tarawally, Abdulai Turay

Architecture Sans Frontières UK Beatrice De Carli, Tamara Kahn, Sophie Morley, Louisa Orchard, Francesco Pasta, Niki Sole, Charles Wright

Data collection team and participants to the workshop Aminata Kabba, Alpha Amadu Bah, Jamiatu Sesay, Umaro Kanu, Idrissa Saffa, Sallay Kamara, Yeanoh Samura, Abu Bakarr Kanu, Mariama Mansaray, Abu Turay, Mohamed Kamanda, Osman Sillah, Mohamed Rogers, Isha Kamara , Umu -Hawa Bangura, Alusine Turay, Yeabu Turay, John Bangura, Mathew Bangura, Lamin Sesay, Robert Bangura, Hawanatu Kamara, Alieu Bangura, Thomas Samura , Ibrahim Conteh, Adama Conteh, Makaiay Sesay, Adama Conteh, Mariatu Kamara, Mohamed Jalloh, Franklin Conteh, Lamin Conteh Charles Kabia, Isha Bangura, Sorie Sesay, Emmanuel Kanu, Mohamed Tarawallie, Wullaymatu bah , Mamusu Thullah, Mariama Sankoh, Issa Thoronkah, Marie Turay, Salifu Barba Kamara, Yirah O Conteh, Mary Mansaray, Abu Sessay, Alfred Kanu, Ibrahim Conteh, Isatu Kanu, Marie Sesay, Abdul

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Rahman Kamara, Rugiatu Koroma, Fatmata Kanu, Joseph Kamara, Mohamed Mansaray, Adama Sankoh, Mohamed Koroma, Edmond M Kandeh, Sheka Sannoh, Adama Bah, Osman Thoronkah, Marie Turay, Salifu Barba Kamara, Vadella George, Abdul Sesay, Ibrahim Y Turay, Brima B Samura, Samuly M Nyameleh, Sinneh Turay, Jeneba Jalloh, Mariama Saffa, Korka Bah.

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DWORZARK • SETTLEMENT PROFILING

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