By Ibrahim Sangba
“There is immense power when a group of people (the Hook Street community) with similar interests gets together to work toward the same goals,” Nigerian author Idowu Koyenikan wrote in Wealth for All Africans. That spirit of collective action is now on full display in the Hook Street community in Kissy, where residents have mobilized to concrete an approximately 300-meter stretch of road linking Kissy Bypass Road to Blackhall Road.
Driven by a shared desire to uplift and transform their neighborhood, elders, youths, and women of Hook Street and the surrounding areas have united to embark on this ambitious, fully community-funded road project.
Project Chairman Mohamed Sumah told the press that the initiative emerged after consultations among key community stakeholders, including Pa Alhaji Kandeh, Mr. Cole, Mr. Cooleh, and Mr. Sam Cassel.
“We kick-started this project on Saturday, 1st November, and the work will continue every Saturday until we achieve our aim,” Sumah said. He added that the community initially raised NLe 50,000, which has already been fully utilized. He appealed for further support to ensure continuity.
Lead engineer for the project, Abu Bakarr Sesay, commended the strong manpower turnout from residents each week but highlighted a persistent challenge: the shortage of construction materials.
“Labor is not our problem,” Sesay noted. “What we need most is sand, granite, cement, and other materials. I am calling on fellow masons, carpenters, and construction professionals living in and around the Hook Street area to join us every Saturday. Together, we can complete this massive development.”
Youth representative Alpha Jalloh reaffirmed the commitment of young people in the community, noting that they prefer contributing to development rather than falling into negative habits such as drug abuse.
“It is our pleasure to serve our community. We only need the resources to keep going,” Jalloh said.
Mobilizer Ibrahim Turay, who leads the door-to-door fundraising efforts, outlined several challenges facing the project, including inadequate financing, limited materials, and the absence of food support for volunteers.
He issued a heartfelt appeal to the government, NGOs, philanthropists, political leaders, and well-meaning individuals to support the initiative.
“We are doing our best with what we have, but we cannot complete this important community project alone. Any support, financial, material, or moral, will make a difference,” Turay said.
The Hook Street road concreting initiative has become widely recognized as a model of community ownership and grassroots development in the Kissy area, demonstrating how collective effort can drive meaningful change.
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