Kamayama is a partially remote community in the suburbs of Western Urban Community in the West End of Freetown. The community is situated immediately after Malama, clustered in-between the two hills of Juba and Hill Station. The only motorable road leading to Kamayama after Lumley is terrible, to say the least. Private, commercial drivers and passengers grumble their way through the rocky and shabby road. The poor condition of the road, according to inhabitants, has frustrated development strides in the community. As a result the community relies mainly on neighboring communities such as Lumley and Malama to access water, health facility, market, a cemetery and electricity.
The community, with its vastness and growing population cannot boast of any government learning institution to make education a priority.
Inhabitants are conspicuously disgruntled over this unsightly development pervading their community. Elders have sought means to redress the situation by letting their plight known to concerned institutions but every attempt has gone down the drain.
In an hour’s interview with Mr. Foday K. Conteh who happens to be the council chairman of the Kamayama Community, he disclosed that over the years they have been informing institutions about their condition but all has fallen on deaf ears.
He sadly disclosed that “if one does not have money to access pipe borne water which cost above a million Leones, then one resolves to fetching water down the hills. The water we secure from the hills is not pure since there have been reported cases of cholera and other related sicknesses”.
On the aspect of terrible road in the community, he said that “since all attempts to get help from the government and other institutions have been dwindled, we have resorted to tasking ourselves for the construction of the road. At present we have issued letters to inform the community about a contribution to purchase cement and sand to construct drainage on the main road. We are waiting for replies and as soon as we receive positive responses from members the project will start”.
Mr. Conteh in conclusion rendered an appeal to the government and concerned institutions to assist in the provision of basic social amenities to improve the standard of living of the populace in that community.