By Kelfala Kargbo
Freetown, September 8th 2025– A flagship youth empowerment initiative designed to create jobs and combat drug abuse is under scrutiny following revelations in the 2025 Performance Audit Report. The Ministry of Youth Affairs’ Car Wash Project, touted as a cornerstone of the government’s promise to deliver 500,000 youth jobs, has been flagged for critical implementation failures, including the absence of water facilities and stalled construction sites.
Published in February, the audit exposes a disconnect between project promises and on-the-ground realities. Despite contractual agreements, water infrastructure such as boreholes and hand-dug wells were never built at several car wash centers. “Contrary to signed agreements with contractors, water facilities were not constructed,” the report states, citing findings from the Project Works Engineer’s documentation.
For youth like Abdulrahman Kamara, who works at the Progressive Car Wash on Syke Street in Freetown, the impact is immediate and frustrating. “The shortage of water is our biggest challenge,” Kamara told Truth Newspaper. “Government has not provided us with water facilities, so we car washers have to find our own.” He added that the situation worsens during the dry season, often slowing operations to a crawl.
The audit team conducted site visits and spoke directly with beneficiaries, confirming widespread water shortages and noting that some centers, such as those at Brima Lane and Tombo Highway, have shut down entirely due to the lack of water access.
The Car Wash Project, part of the SLPP’s 2024 Big Five Gamechangers manifesto, was launched to provide vocational training and employment while reshaping public perceptions of youth as dropouts or drug addicts. According to Issa Munda, National President of the Sierra Leone Car Wash Union, the initiative has reached 38 centers nationwide, with 18 located in the Western Area and each employing 35 to 40 young people.
While Munda commended the project’s intent, he voiced serious concerns about its execution. “There are centers that don’t even have access to Guma Valley water,” he said. He also highlighted logistical challenges in monitoring operations, citing the lack of transportation for supervisors tasked with visiting remote sites.
The audit further revealed that construction at sites in Bonthe, Kono, Mile 91, and Lungi has stalled, despite contractors receiving up to 70% of their payments. In the Western Area, centers in Aberdeen and Allen Town remain incomplete due to unresolved land disputes with local stakeholders.
A memorandum of understanding between the Sierra Leone Roads Safety Authority (SLRSA) and the Ministry of Youth Affairs was meant to streamline land acquisition and site evaluation. However, poor coordination led to centers being built along narrow roads and congested parking areas, compounding operational difficulties.
As of press time, the Ministry of Youth Affairs has not responded to requests for comment on the audit’s findings or the challenges faced by youth at the car wash centers.
With the government’s job creation pledge under the spotlight, the audit raises pressing questions about oversight, accountability, and the lived realities of Sierra Leone’s young workforce. For many, the promise of empowerment remains just that, a promise, waiting to be fulfilled.
