PI-CREF CTA Calls on Funkia Graduates to Become Champions of Sierra Leone’s Green Future
Funkia Community Centre, Goderich, 5 June 2026 | The Funkia Community Centre was filled with pride, colour, and applause as participants of the Gender-Anchored Climate-Resilient Growth Program (GACRG) celebrated their graduation in a ceremony that also showcased what communities can achieve when they are given the tools, skills, and trust to lead their own development.
The program, implemented by Craving 4 Development, brought together women and young people from the Funkia community and equipped them with practical skills in tailoring, textile innovation, urban gardening, pastry production, recycling, business development, and environmental restoration.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF), Chief Technical Adviser Dr. Patrick Kormawa conveyed greetings from PI-CREF Chairman, Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, and delivered a message that resonated throughout the hall: the work being done in Funkia is exactly the kind of initiative Sierra Leone needs.
“Today is more than a graduation ceremony. It is a celebration of vision, resilience, innovation, and community leadership. It is proof that when communities are empowered with the right knowledge, skills, and opportunities, they can transform challenges into opportunities and build a better future for themselves and generations to come,” Dr. Kormawa stated.
The address drew particular attention to the environmental achievements of the graduates, including the cleanup of a local river, the removal of waste from the community, and the transformation of that waste into recycling and entrepreneurship opportunities. The keynote underscored that what began as an environmental challenge had evolved into a source of income and community pride.
Speaking on behalf of PI-CREF, whose mandate spans climate resilience, renewable energy, and food security across Sierra Leone, Dr. Kormawa urged the graduates to view climate change not merely as a threat to be endured, but as an opportunity to be seized. “Do not wait for change,” he told the graduates. “Become the change-makers who create climate-smart solutions for your communities.”
The ceremony also placed a strong spotlight on women and youth, not as passive beneficiaries of development, but as its architects. The GACRG program, with its deliberate focus on gender inclusion, received particular praise from Dr. Kormawa, who challenged the outdated notion that women and young people are merely recipients of progress rather than drivers of it.
“For too long, development efforts have viewed women and young people as passive recipients of assistance,” Dr. Kormawa said. “Today, you have proven otherwise. You are innovators, entrepreneurs, environmental stewards, and agents of change.”
PI-CREF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting initiatives such as this as part of Sierra Leone’s broader transition towards a green, inclusive, and sustainable economy.