By Ibrahim Mansaray
Freetown, 6th August 2026- Namsa Thoronka, a Rotary Peace Fellow, has engaged the people of Crab Town in the west end of Freetown, in what was her second such engagement in her social change initiative that aims to foster political tolerance, promote unity, and increase civic awareness.
“My social change is geared towards transforming the political landscape in my community,” Thoronka, a student of Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, told Truth Media. The programme forms part of her postgraduate studies, which also included an eight-week on-site programme.
Young people, officials from the Political Party Regulation Commission (PPRC), the National Commission for Democracy (NCD), and community leaders participated in the gathering, where speeches were made, experiences were shared, questions were asked, and commitments were made to be tolerant of one another.
Presentations from government officials centred on the event’s theme, ‘Promoting Political Tolerance through Civic Education and Community Engagement,’ emphasising messages of peace, unity, and cohesion while discouraging violence, intimidation, and hate speech.
Thoronka said that although Sierra Leone is a relatively peaceful country, clashes between supporters of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the All People’s Congress (APC) – the two giant political forces – have signified the need for more engagements to eliminate the threat of violence, pointing out that diverse opinions can peacefully coexist and that every voice counts.
“Being that I hailed from Kamayama, I decided to start there and move to Crab Town, which is a seaside community whose youth are battling drug addiction and are prone to violence,” Thoronka said, explaining how and why she chose the communities she has engaged in the last couple of months.
Princess Samba, who was part of the engagement at Crab Town, told Truth Media: “I learnt a lot. “I was reminded that as a citizen, you should not engage in violence whether you win or you lose.”
Youth Leader Abdul Karim Suma appreciated the opportunity to be in the same room with community leaders and government officials. Recounting a history of violence, Suma said things have significantly improved. Thanks to the effort of community leaders. With Thoronka’s engagement, he is optimistic that things will get better.
Community Chairman, Ibrahim Conteh, whose leadership has helped the community to be largely free from political violence, was full of appreciation for both the message taken to them and the turnout at the gathering. His message has been simple and clear: peace, unity and love.
For Thoronka, things are not ending after the Kamayama and Crab Town gatherings. “I want to transform these engagements into an organisation,” she said. “I would like to engage more communities nationwide.
