Destiny Village

Summary

Home Leone’s vision is of a sustainable movement that sees the end of slum living in Sierra Leone. Its first pilot “Destiny” Village develops a new community, relocating over 2,500 people from across Freetown’s 72 slums, to new secure low cost homes. Home Leone adopts a holistic approach, providing jobs, education, social infrastructure, community utilities and health facilities. Its community design and layout, environmental considerations, social justice initiatives and skills training ensure this innovative, community-led relocation model provides a great opportunity for resident’s life change.

Built on 30 acres of land in Newton, we are building a community village, containing 344 culturally relevant affordable low-cost homes.  It’s a place enabling livelihood, opportunity to live in a quality and safe home. This pilot village forms a new community with a business park, schools, health centre, and other community and social infrastructure. Solar power, potable running water to each home and an effective sewage system means village health indicators are above average. This initiative also develops innovative eco-friendly solutions with waste/resource management, and recycling.

We have now built the first 70 homes, established 6 businesses and moved the first 300 people .  families in and completed a clean water supply for all the village. The first 12 classrooms are a place where children, hungry to learn, build life foundations.  Our primary and secondary schools at Destiny Grace Academy teaches over 360 children.   We have established a triage and pathway service as we gather healthcare data.

Looking ahead, with the concept now proven, we would like to work with partners to redevelop a slum in Kissy which is home to 16,000 people.  they continue to bank land (put rubbish in the sea and build on it).  This is dangerous.   By adopting our approach we could upgrade the safe land and relocate many to a new village.

The Vice President visited the village and complimented Home Leone on its “amazing progress”.

In September 2023, the minister for Western Area became the 20th government minister to visit the village and brought a TV crew.  He again was highly complimentary.