By Foday Moriba Conteh
On the 26th February 2021, the European Union Delegation wrapped up its five days intensive hands-on training for environmental journalists with a certification ceremony at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown.
It was five days intensive work as the trainees learnt theoretical aspects of #climatechange as well as its impacts on Sierra Leone’s overall ecological health and the European Union’s actions in supporting Government to mitigate those problems.
The field trips served as an ‘eye-opener’ for the trainees and exposed them to the stark realities of environmental degradation and the challenges of biodiversity conservation particularly in the Western Area Peninsula National Park – with its diverse flora and fauna – serving as the main water catchment source for Freetown and its environs. Additionally, the vast coastline along the peninsular – famous for its pristine beaches and wetlands is similarly under severe threat due to sand mining, deforestation and other unregulated social activities. Those issues were largely observed and captured in the pitched articles and stories presented by the print and electronic media practitioners on the last day of the training.
As Salifu Chernor Kamara, who reports for African Young Voices television, puts it, “This training was impactful and very timely. It is time for us to act collectively to prevent future disasters by regularly reporting environmental issues, to not only raise awareness but by also ensuring accountability and transparency in the sector to save our planet.”
The trainees also visited the EU funded ‘Freetown Tree Town’ project sites managed and implemented by the #FreetownCityCouncil, an action that seeks to grow more trees around the mountains of Mount Aureol, Freetown Amusement Park and other locations where hundreds of fast-growing trees have been planted to re-forestate degraded areas in the municipality.
EU Ambassador Tom Vens noted, “It was very encouraging to listen and watch your presentations. I also noticed that after these five days of training, you have become advocates and not only journalists. I am really happy to see the level of enthusiasm you have demonstrated to protect the environment.”
Tom Vens reminded the trainees that environmental issues are ‘aligned causes’ that call for the involvement of all, while underscoring the significant role the media has to play to heighten public understanding about environmental hazards and its impact on people’s wellbeing.
He encouraged the journalists to continue to report on environmental issues upon return to their local communities and to use the networking opportunities created at the training to provide further support to the entire group. He further promised that the EU would continue to look for more opportunities to support the media in performing its critical function to society.
