In a compelling show of environmental advocacy and national pride, the Africell Impact Foundation on Monday 16 June 2025 joined forces with the Commonwealth Games Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Tourism to host the symbolic King’s Baton Relay ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Held at the Africell Sports Zone at Lumley Beach Road, the event served not only as a sporting celebration but as a clarion call to tackle plastic pollution under the slogan “Kip Am Klin.”
Speaking during the ceremony, Kippy Debs, Director of the Africell Impact Foundation, emphasized the urgent need to protect Sierra Leone’s coastal ecosystems from plastic waste.
“Sierra Leone is at a crossroads—one that determines the health of our beaches, oceans, and future generations,” Debs noted, adding that: “Plastic waste has become an insidious threat, suffocating marine life, polluting our shores, and eroding the natural beauty we are so proud of.”
Debs stressed that the nation’s beaches were not just places for recreation, but critical ecosystems supporting biodiversity, local livelihoods, and tourism. With millions of tons of plastic entering oceans globally each year, she declared it was no longer about awareness but about action.
The Foundation, she said, had been leading grassroots environmental campaigns focused on recycling, education, and sustainable policy advocacy. “We have empowered communities to reduce, reuse, and recycle—turning awareness into measurable action,” she added.
Calling on all Sierra Leoneans to be part of the solution, Debs encouraged participation in beach clean-ups and the adoption of environmentally responsible habits, assuring that every effort counts toward a cleaner and healthier environment.
She concluded by urging athletes heading to Glasgow in 2026 to bring home trophies and national pride while leaving behind no trace of plastic.
Prince Sualley, President of the Commonwealth Games Sierra Leone, lauded the Africell Impact Foundation for its steadfast support, describing the organization as a “permanent fixture within the sporting circle.”
He explained that the King’s Baton Relay was a key tradition that occurs every four years ahead of the Commonwealth Games, with each of the 74 member countries receiving its own personalized baton. Sierra Leone’s baton, he said, was designed by Foday Dumbuya, a renowned London-based designer, and proudly features the national colours—green, white, and blue.
“This isn’t just a symbolic event,” Sualley said. “It’s a meaningful opportunity to promote unity, sustainability, and national identity. The beach setting and environmental theme reflect the pressing issue of plastic pollution in our oceans,” he added
The event concluded with a community beach clean-up exercise along the Lumley-Aberdeen stretch—reinforcing the “Kip Am Klin” message with real action on the ground.