Freetown (AFP) – Between the mountain slopes and the Atlantic Ocean, Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown is struggling to accommodate a growing population, now estimated by city authorities to be 1.5 million. Faced with the challenges of housing, the impoverished residents have found a solution: building on the sea. This is called ‘banking’, an illegal method that allows construction on the water. However it is not regulated and comes with risks, from flooding to fires, as well as a lack of access to basic services.
