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British High Commissioner Refutes Claims of Meddling in Sierra Leone’s Election

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The British High Commissioner, Lisa Chesney, in 98.1 FM Radio Democracy interview, conducted on the 23rd March, 2023 stoutly refuted a recent allegation made by Dr. Sylvia Blyden, accusing her of meddling in the local politics of Sierra Leone.

During the interview, Chesney made it categorically clear that the UK and she have no interest in influencing the outcome of any election in Sierra Leone, whether it is won by the current Government or any other party. She stated that the UK-Sierra Leone partnership is a long-term relationship and should work irrespective of whosoever is in power.

Asked whether it is right that she sent a tweet using the official account of the High Commission, the High Commissioner stated that there was nothing that was re-twitted or liked on that account or hers. Her response left more to be desired as to whether the allegation was wrongly directed.

Chesney emphasized that her role is not to endorse any candidate, but to engage with all political parties, Civil Society groups and businesses that care about the issues that matter. She reiterated that the people of Sierra Leone deserve free, fair, and multi-party elections, and that the High Commission will support the attainment of that goal.

The High Commissioner acknowledged the concerns of the Government, opposition, civil society and diplomatic partners related to the accusations of partiality and the rise of hatred on social media. However, she stated that her priority is to ensure that the democratic process is transparent and inclusive, and that all voters have the right to cast their ballots without any hindrance.

Chesney stressed the importance of voter education and the need to remove any obstacles that might impede the voting process.

She also recommended the creation of space for independent observation and commended the efforts of Civil Society Organizations in that regard. Chesney added that the High Commission would organize a Voter Observation Mission to monitor the process and ensure that every vote is counted fairly. She stated that the High Commission would work closely with international partners to achieve that goal and to prevent any violence or social unrest after the elections.

Chesney concluded by saying that the UK-Sierra Leone partnership is based on shared interests and values, and that it is essential to maintain it irrespective of political affiliations. She urged everyone to focus on what is needed to ensure a free and fair election, where every voter has a genuine democratic choice.

The High Commissioner concluded by reiterating that the High Commission has no interest in meddling in domestic politics but rather is committed to promoting democracy, human rights and good governance in Sierra Leone.

Founder & Director of WOME Dilates on Promoting the Rights of Women in Mining

By Millicent Senava Mannah

There have been different women organizations promoting the rights of women in the country and one of such organizations is Women in Mining and Extractives.

This medium spoke to the Founder and Director of Women in Mining and Extractives (WOME), Esther Finda Kandeh, an organization promoting the rights of women in the mining sector. According to her, though the mining sector is a male dominated sector, however, there are women who are still engaged in it.

‘’ We work in three different segments, we work with women artisanal miners that are physically engaged in mining activities, we also work with women that are affected by mining activities in mining communities, some of them can’t farm anymore because their land has been taken away from them, we work as well with women that are employees in the mining sector.’’

Esther Finda Kandeh pointed out that Mining communities are in very remote areas in the country and the women are the most vulnerable in those communities.

According to her, they have carried a number of activities like training, capacity building for women, as well as educating them about their rights and how they should stand for their rights, and how they must also contribute to policy reforms in the country.

‘’If a woman don’t have resources her vulnerability would be higher, she won’t have the confidence, she is at the mercies of her man and the community. So what we do is to build the capacity of these women,’’ she further disclosed.

The Founder and Director also revealed that there are some communities that are engaged in animal husbandry and they buy animals for them further pointing out how in other communities they buy rice mill machines for them but went on to say that they don’t interfere with their businesses as they just oversee what they are doing.

‘’There are some women that are being abused sexually in the mining communities, we carry out psycho-social support for them, we don’t leave them like that, we support them financially to undertake agricultural businesses or whatever is there choice of business.’’ Esther Finda Kandeh stated.

She maintained that, these sexually abused cases are connected to mining, in areas where artisanal mining is going on underscoring that some of these women are being brutally raped and some were gang raped.

‘’They are going through a lot and some of them are having lots of medical issues to be attended to because of that. We are bringing those that are artisanal miners together to what we call safety , by forming them into cooperatives, so that they don’t mine alone among men,’’ she stated.

She continued that they divided these women into groups and offered them seed money stating that they are happy with the results from these women as they see them working together adding how they just want the capacity of these women to be built and for them to have confidence in themselves.

‘’Wherever you find yourself as a woman no matter the community you find yourself, even in a rural community, you should be strong, financially capacitated and socially knowledgeable about  issues,’’ she maintained.

She further disclosed how they have taken few women out of the country to see what is going on outside, and how they came back empowered averring how such exchanges build the confidences in them.

Esther Finda Kandeh expressed the view that as the GEWE Bill advocates for women to be financially capacitated they want to see more people undertaking endeavours that will help them to develop their financial capacities.

“We are looking for more women to step up and champion the issues of their fellow women,” she expressed optimism and hoping to see more space given to women in the country.

UN in Sierra Leone to Facilitate Joint UN Engagement to Leverage AfCFTA Opportunities

The Ministry of Trade and Industry was recently briefed on plans by the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) to facilitate a joint UN engagement and informed advocacy to support the country to leverage better the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as part of the country’s drive for economic recovery and sustainable development.

United Nations Resident Coordinator (RC), Babatunde Ahonsi, disclosed such moves to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Edward Hinga Sandy, in an engagement at the Minister’s Youyi Building Office in Freetown, accompanied by UN Women’s Head of Office, Ms. Setcheme Mongbo and UNCDF’s Country Manager, Wycliffe Ngwabe.

The Resident Coordinator stated that the UNCT is aware of the economic challenges developing countries, including Sierra Leone, are facing because of global shocks’ impacts, “including the prolonged effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and most recently the war in Ukraine.”

He further said that despite those economic challenges, the UN believes that the country can benefit from several opportunities presented by the AfCFTA agreement.

“As the implementation of AfCFTA started on the 1st January 2021, it is important that Sierra Leone seriously and speedily seeks to explore intra-regional trade opportunities and maximize economic growth advantages offered by AfCFTA, the world’s largest free trade agreement by the number of participating countries,” he emphasized.

He stressed that a collective and more systematic engagement by the UN System in Sierra Leone would better enable the country to significantly and beneficially grow its exports and imports from other African countries through the enhanced opportunities and arrangements offered by AfCFTA.

The UNCT, the UN Coordinator disclosed, has already identified a number of critical steps that will push forward that initiative based on the leadership of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

In his response, the Minister thanked the RC and the UNCT for opting to support the Ministry in its efforts to operationalize AfCFTA in Sierra Leone and noted that they are ready to work with the UN to strengthen the institutional framework and strategy for fully implementing the AfCFTA agreement.

He also informed the RC that the structures are already in place in his Ministry but would need to be strengthened through technical collaboration with the UN.

Dr Sandy called for the involvement of other players, including the private sector and the media, to intensify public dialogue on the national AfCFTA Strategy and acknowledge the need to prepare the private sector to produce and ensure they have access to raw materials and to be able to compete internationally.

The Minister agreed with the UN RC on the need for enhanced intra-African trade and support to strengthen local businesses. He believes this will trigger job creation for Sierra Leone’s youthful population further noting that for every revenue Government loses in the form of concession to the private sector, there should be a corresponding benefit of job creation in the country.

Dr Sandy ended by acknowledging that all the issues the UN Resident Coordinator raised are very important and that his Ministry is ready to work with the UN to ensure Sierra Leone benefits from the AfCFTA agreement.

The meeting with the Minister was informed by prior consultations among several UN agencies on how best to support the country to operationalize AfCFTA.

Recently, the RC had a virtual meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Accra-based AfCFTA Secretariat. At that meeting, he obtained clarity on what the UN could do to best support Sierra Leone to intensify its operationalization of AfCFTA at the country level.

It also brought to the fore the sort of support that is available at the Secretariat for member States to fully implement AfCFTA, and the steps being taken to ensure that the informal sector, women, and youth issues are adequately factored into AfCFTA processes.

Key takeaways from that meeting which would require collaboration between the UN and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, include broad-based validation and popularization of the national AfCFTA Implementation Strategy to secure the buy-in and engagement of all relevant MDAs, private sector, development partners, and other relevant stakeholders.

Also, the need for a National AfCFTA Coordination Office as a high-level inter-ministerial and multi-stakeholder oversight and management mechanism for AfCFTA implementation, and the urgent need for the country to participate in the upcoming Intra-African Trade Fair in Abidjan in November with the strong involvement of the private sector.

Additionally, there is need for official outreach to the Secretariat to identify the products that businesses in Sierra Leone may wish to export and import as part of intra-Africa trade with preferential tariff arrangements with other countries under the Guided Trade Initiative of AfCFTA.

Orange SL Accelerates Digital Business Transformation

By Abubakarr Harding

The world of business is rapidly evolving, with digital technologies and tools transforming the way companies operate. Orange-Sierra Leone, one of the leading telecommunications service providers, recently held an engagement to showcase their commitment to helping companies accelerate their digital transformation drive through their cloud and ICT solutions on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 at the Orange Digital Centre in Freetown.

In her address, Annie Wonnie Katta, Deputy Chief Commercial Officer (B2B) at Orange SL, highlighted how cloud, collaboration, big data, and analytics are fundamentally changing the way businesses operate. She emphasized that every company is becoming a digital business and needs a network that is flexible, efficient in cost and performance, and future-proof.

She said to stay competitive, companies need to adopt digital technologies that can help them collect, store, and process data effectively.

“This is where Orange SL comes in, as a leading digital and communications service provider,” she exclaimed furthering how Orange SL is committed to helping its customers operate more efficiently through its unique products and services.

Their B2B ICT cloud solution is currently evolving to meet the needs of customers and make their business lives easier, she also pointed out.

The CEO of Orange SL, Sekou Amadou Bah, reiterated the company’s commitment to providing its customers with the best possible solutions for their digital needs. He stated that their goal is to lead individuals by developing solutions that respond to growing customer needs and meet the standard of excellence and service guarantee.

“Despite the challenges of exclusion of the use of technologies, the level of threats of Cybersecurity and the increasing demand of customers, Orange SL is committed to providing the building blocks to prepare customer companies for the future, from cloud to Cybersecurity,” the CEO assured.

He disclosed how Orange SL’s Cloud and ICT solutions offer features and benefits designed to meet all client business needs saying with the help of Orange SL customers can achieve better business outcomes through agility, cost control and efficiency.

“The company’s commitment to providing its customers with the best possible service is evident in its efforts to deepen its space in telecoms not just within Sierra Leone but globally,” the CEO said.

The Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Solomon Jamiru Esq, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to make an impact and highlighted the importance of B2B cloud-based services within the context of the African Union’s digital transportation strategy.

He said as a Ministry they aim to validate Orange’s efforts in deepening its space in telecoms not just within Sierra Leone but globally. The speaker mentioned that they were sold on the idea and would take the next step to experience it.

The Deputy Minister concluded that Orange SL has proven its commitment to being a reliable partner for an enhanced digital experience.

He maintained that the gathering showed their customers that they are not alone and that they are their partners in leading Sierra Leone to the technological revolution that is taking place in the world.

“As a company that is constantly evolving, Orange SL is committed to meeting the needs of its customers and leading the way in digital business transformation,” he said continuing by saying that with its Cloud and ICT solutions, Orange SL is paving the way for companies to thrive in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

NP (SL) Ltd Receives Meritorious Award from the Sierra Leone Business Council

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

One of the motivating factors that has been identified as one of the driving forces behind the monumental successes of NP (SL) Ltd has to do with the candid as well as genuine appreciation shown and the plethora of commendations that the petroleum marketing company has so far bagged, over the years, for its excellent customer care posture or stance and offering of cutting edge services that have continued to provide utmost satisfaction for majority of its numerous and esteemed customers that are spread right across the country.

It was indeed quite a big pleasure for Management of the company when it was notified that NP (SL) Ltd has been nominated to receive a meritorious award for its outstanding performance by the Sierra Leone Business Council, of which event place at the Radisson Blu Hotel on the 18th March,2023 during a black-tie banquet dinner and red carpet reception marking 6th annual National Business Awards (NiBA) of the Sierra Leone Business Council.

NP (SL) Ltd received the prestigious Award for the company’s unwavering dedication to business growth, excellent corporate services and outstanding performance in the private sector.

Representing the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Kobi Walker, was a Senior employee of the entity, who, on behalf of the Shareholders, Board Members and Management expressed profound thanks and appreciation for the honour.

He intimated how grateful they are for the recognition and consideration promising that they will continue to work diligently in order to ensure that petroleum products are not only available but are also accessible to all and sundry.

NP (SL) Ltd is widely known for being 1st for Customer Care. It is in every way strongly incontestable that as the leading petroleum marketing company in the country, NP (SL) Ltd has become very endearing to many.

This becomes even indisputable when cognizance is taken of how Management is very keen on optimizing and maximizing customer satisfaction in its service delivery trajectory.

Members of staff of the company are very mindful of the fact that it is the customer that comes first and therefore needs the utmost attention and always ensuring that transactions are conducted under a congenial atmosphere that always results in win-win situations.

Majority of the Filling Stations bearing the NP logo both in Freetown and the provinces are well built and mostly kept tidy with the Station Managers and Pump Attendants very polite to customers to such an extent that many customers have expressed the desire to continue to do business with the company after getting the first experience.

With the company’s introduction of the use of the NP Smart Card customers are saved the hassle of having to always move with large physical cash just for the purpose of purchasing fuel. By crediting and debiting the amount contained in the Smart Card fuel transactions are done timely and conveniently.

The company also markets NP Gas, a cooking gadget that is manufactured in different sizes which has been tested to be environmentally friendly and with a high performance rate. It is sold at different Filling Stations and by authorized dealers across the country.

NP(SL)Ltd is renowned for enhancing the implementation of the country’s Local Content Policy always ensuring that employment preferences are given first to Sierra Leoneans before considering foreigners.

It is one of the entities that regularly pay its taxes to the Government.

Bagging another Award, therefore, did not materialize just out of the blues but as a result of the commendable strides that the company has been making to ensure that petroleum products are available as well as accessible.

 

SLMA Strengthens Cooperation With Egyptian Maritime Safery Authority 

The Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation, Rex Bhonapha, was the head of a delegation that held fruitful discussions in Egypt with officials of the Egyptian Maritime Administration on the 20th March, 2023.

Received by Rear Admiral Hussein Moustafa el Geziry, Chairman of the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety in Alexandria together with Rear Admiral Mohamed Farouk El Samahi, Vice Chairman EAMS, Captain Ehab Ebada , Head of Central Department, Consultant Ahmed Fatoh, General Manager of General Department of Legal Affairs and other senior members of the institution at the head office in Alexandria on Monday,20th March 2023, the Sierra Leonean delegation held discussions geared towards strengthening bilateral cooperation on Maritime safety and regulation.

The visit was part of efforts that were been made to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve the capability and transformation of the  Sierra Leone Maritime Administration into a Blue Economy.

Welcoming the delegation, the Chairman, Rear Admiral Hussein Moustafa el Geziry gave an overview of the successes of the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety (EAMS) and declared that they were fully prepared to move the partnership proposal to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the formation of technical committees.

He opened the floor for Sierra Leone to state clearly the pathway the partnership should go. His statement was backed with a comprehensive video presentation on the successes, challenges, future targets, collaborations, and areas of cooperation.

On his part, the Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation, Rex Bhonapha, expressed thanks and appreciation to the Government of Egypt through the Authority for the vision and expressed optimism for a successful take home. He presented the technical lead of the delegation to speak on their relevant needs.

In his presentation, the Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, Paul Sobba Massaquoi gave a comprehensive narrative of SLMA and justified why the delegation was in Alexandria, Egypt which is directly linked to an invitation from the Egyptian Maritime Authority to SLMA through the Sierra Leone Embassy in Cairo, Egypt.

He declared that the purpose of the visit to Alexandria was to undertake a 5-day working visit to Egypt underscoring that key amongst the places to visit was the Egyptian Maritime Authority disclosing how the aim is to establish an administrative and technical collaboration between the two Maritime Institutions in order to improve Sierra Leone’s Blue Economy.

The Executive Director remarked in his preamble that the Maritime Administration of Sierra Leone was established by an Act of Parliament as an autonomous body in 2000 adding that the institution is a partner to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Regional Maritime University(RMU) and are fully prepared to establish bilateral and technical cooperation with strong Maritime Agencies beginning with the Egyptian Maritime Authority in order to improve the technical competence of its staff.

He added that the motive of choosing Egypt is to strengthen the long-standing relationship between the two countries that will lead to some sort of agreements in the field of maritime administration in order to clear the path for key solutions and help in lifting restrictions on international maritime transport that will promote quality shipping values prevalent globally.

The Executive Director said such moves will help to enhance collaboration between the two maritime agencies for the mutual benefit and strengthen the technical capacity of staff of both institutions through exchange of programs and trainings, improve the technical capacity of staff by enrolment in maritime courses in Egyptian Maritime Institutions and finally, getting Sierra Leonean seafarers to be accepted on board Egypt flagged vessels conversely. He assured that Sierra Leone is on the verge of becoming an IMO Standard of Training Certificate and Watchkeeping (STCW) White Listed Flag.

He highlighted special areas of cooperation needed between the two sides vis-a-vis technical capacity building for the Shipping and Marine Environment Protection.

He stated that, the Department of Shipping and Marine Environment Protection is responsible amongst others for undertaking inspection on operating vessels, to frequently update and test the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan and the National Oil Spill Emergency Plan, to liaise with the Safety Department for the issuance of registration certificates and licenses to vessels operating within Sierra Leone’s coastal and inland waterways as well as to monitor and assess cargoes being discharged and loaded in ports in Sierra Leone.

The Executive Director suggested amongst others courses like Marine Pollution Inspection and Surveys Training, Oil Spill Surveillance and Tracking Training, Practical Training on Oil Spill Preparedness and Response, Cargo Tracking and Surveillance Training, Verified Gross Mass of Cargo Training, Cargo Survey Training and STCW Mandatory Courses.

He reiterated the Government’s reliability on the Local Content Policy for the benefit of Sierra Leoneans and was frank to mention that over 480 ships are currently flying the Sierra Leonean flag with no Sierra Leonean Seafarers onboard those vessels.

Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to Cairo, H. E. Sadiq Silla, thanked the two sides for the sincere efforts they are putting into the discussions and promised to facilitate the process to its logical conclusion.

The Deputy Minister was accompanied by other senior members of SLMA and the Sierra Leone Embassy in Cairo.

Lands Minister Engages Okada/Kekeh Riders at Various Parks in Freetown

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The most outstanding Minister in the Cabinet of His Excellency Rtd Brigadier, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone for in terms of the impressive and meaningful demonstration of pragmatism and practicality in a down to earth manner with regards lands administration countrywide is the indefatigable and going-strictly-by-the-rules Minister of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Dr. Turad Senesie. His ability to interact with all classes of people in such an impartial way in the discharge of his duties with always a sincere and vital sense of purpose has always left many with utmost satisfaction further yearning for a political administration in which leaders of his calibre and style of leadership will be at the forefront.

It therefore came with no surprise when the Minister of Lands, Housing and Country Planning Dr. Turad Senesie stormed the streets of Freetown unannounced in the afternoon hours of Wednesday March 22 2023 and visited various Commercial Motorcycle (Okada) and Tricycle (Kekeh) parks in Freetown.

The Minister was zestfully on a public education mission to sensitize the riders about the land allocation opportunity the Government has identified for them.

The Minister categorically informed the Okada and Kekeh Riders across the country that they are now eligible to apply for State Land in the Western Area, which the State will allocate to them through the Land Raffle Model that was introduced by him in December 2021.

He gave them the good news that applications are open until April 14 2023.

According to the Minister, the forms are available at the Front Desk of the Ministry and the website of the Ministry (www.molhcp.gov.sl) to be obtained and downloaded free of cost to qualify any rider to take part in the Land Raffle Draw that is scheduled to take place by the end of April 2023.

He further intimated them that this Land Raffle is meant to ensure that citizens become land owners in a transparent and equitable manner in line with the vision of President Maada Bio.

That was the message that the Minister took to the various parks in Spur Loop, Wilberforce, Babadorie Junction, Beach Road, Regent Road Lumley, Model Junction, Mountain Cut Junction, Benz Garage and Ferry Junction.

Civil Rights Activist, Alphonzo Manley, who was with the Minister during the tour called on the riders to make good use of the opportunity, which, he said, is happening for the first time in the history of Sierra Leone.

The Minister is scheduled to continue the tour across the country.

Lebanese Union Offers Iftar to Muslims  

A newly established entity called the Lebanese Union in Sierra Leone formed by some Lebanese nationals residing in the country has on Tuesday, 21st March, 2023 donated 120 bags of rice and 120 (20-liter) gallons of oil to Muslims at the Central Mosque in Freetown.

Chairman of the Union, Abass Khazem, stated that the donation forms  part of their way of supporting the Muslim community in Sierra Leone during the Holy month of Ramadan.

He revealed that despite the fact that the Union is only a month old, its members thought it fit to help Muslims in their own little way.

“The world is undergoing serious economic challenges and now is the time more than ever before for people to render whatever assistance to their compatriots because they need it, ” Chairman Abass Khazem underscored furthering how they will continue to contribute in their own little way as a union in a bid to ameliorate the sufferings of Sierra Leoneans.

He appealed to other organizations, goodwill people in society to also step in with other forms of support to help the society from the current economic challenges facing Sierra Leone and the world over.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the Muslim Jamaat, the Chief Imam of Central Mosque, Sheik Mohamed Alie Sesay, thanked the Union and its leadership for such what he termed as a significant and timely gesture as it came at the right time as Muslims are preparing for the Holy Month of Ramadan.

”Many of our brothers and sisters in Islam are complaining that they will not be able to observe this year’s Ramadan due to the hardship in the country and the world over”, he noted adding that with such a gesture from the Union and hopefully others, it will go a long way in addressing some of the challenges they’re facing.

He therefore called on other goodwill ambassadors to emulate the good gesture of the Lebanese Union in a bid to help the Muslim Community.

SLPP, APC, ECSL & Other Stakeholders Sign the ‘York Declaration’

 By Amin Kef (Ranger)

During the opening session of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sierra Leone Bar Association which was held at Fabulous Resort in York Village, the  two major political parties – SLPP and APC on the 17th March,2023 together with the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, the Honourable Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the National Security Coordinator ONS, PPRC, Bar Association and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists signed the York Declaration on Free, Fair and Non-violent multi-tier elections slated for June 24, 2023.

The York Declaration, which has been an initiative of the Sierra Leone Bar Association to promote free, fair and non-violent elections on 24th June, was the first major declaration to be signed by key stakeholders ahead of the June 24th elections this year.

The Declaration contains as follows: “Whereas  the Sierra Leone Bar Association convenes its 2023 AGM at the Fabulous Resort, York Village, in the Western Area Rural District of the Republic of Sierra Leone from 17 – 18 March 2023 on the theme: “Promoting Free, Fair and Non-Violent Multi-tier Elections on 24th June 2023”,

“Reaffirming that the authority to govern shall be based on the will of the people as expressed in periodic elections,

“Acknowledging the fundamental principles relating to free and fair elections including the right of citizens to freely choose their leaders and representatives, to vote in such elections by secret ballot  and to put forward political views individually or in association with others,

“Recognizing that the holding of free, fair and non-violent multi-tier elections reaffirms Sierra Leone’s commitment to deepening democracy and peace consolidation,

“We hereby declare as follows: To promote and support free, fair and non-violent multi-tier elections on the 24th June, 2023”.

Expressing a view on the significance of the York Declaration, the President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, Michaela E Swallow (Ms) stated that the signing of the York Declaration demonstrates the commitment of stakeholders in promoting free, fair and non-violent elections.

“It is our hope that such a declaration will serve as a constant reminder of our collective determination to promote free, fair and non-violent elections,” Michaela Swallow stated.

FAO Supports First Cohort In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET)

 After a four month long training exercise, eleven trainees drawn from national, and district level Livestock and Veterinary Services, Ministry of Environment and Njala University, graduated from the first country In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET) on the 9th March, 2023.

These frontline animal health professionals are now skilled in applied epidemiology, One Health approach and community engagement capabilities for better control and management of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases, through use of new diagnostic and surveillance skills.

The four-month long training entailed a month-long class work that focused on epidemiological surveillance, field investigation and response, epidemiological methods, preparedness, ethics and professionalism, disease prevention and control and One Health.

All trainees successfully completed practical field trainings in their respective work stations and participated in producing weekly surveillance reports, conducting data quality audits and field case studies to address county-specific animal health needs.

FAO Deputy Representative to Sierra Leone, Harding Wuyango, congratulated the graduands for completing the in-service training and encouraged them to put into practice what they had learnt over the last four months for the benefit of their immediate community and the country. He promised that “FAO will continue to work very closely with the Government of Sierra Leone to support the livestock sector”.

He also acknowledged the continued funding support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aimed at strengthening animal health and One Health in Sierra Leone.

In her remarks, Dayo Walter-Spencers, the USAID Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Advisor, said that field veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals were an indispensable human resource to ensure animal health and economic growth in the sub-sector.

“Field investigation is critical to curbing animal disease outbreaks; these frontline animal health service providers detect and respond to potentially zoonotic infectious diseases at their source.” She added that “ISAVET training will empower the Livestock and Veterinary Service Division to strengthen the national surveillance system and improve detection and reporting of endemic, emerging and re-emerging diseases”.

Mohammed Alpha Bah, the Director of Livestock and Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, who represented the Minister, lauded the significant contributions of ISAVET to animal health service delivery in Sierra Leone.

He said, “The milestones would not have been reached without the great work put in by various ISAVET stakeholders”. He took the opportunity to thank the trainers and mentors for the selfless works. He lauded the on-the-job training program that addresses critical skills needed to effectively conduct surveillance and respond to animal diseases at the local level, focusing on improving disease detection, reporting and response.

“The ISAVET training has built my skills in disease surveillance, data management and outbreak investigation,” said John Kamanda Conteh, an ISAVET graduate from Karene district.

“As an ISAVET graduate, I will utilize these skills in improving the epidemio-surveillance system in my country for prevention, early detection and timely response of priority zoonotic diseases such as anthrax and trans boundary animal diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease, which are of concern to the county,” Josephine Satta Fillie, one of the graduands added.

With this graduation, the first cohort of ISAVET trainees join the global network of applied field epidemiologists with improved skills to collect, analyze, and interpret data and contribute to evidence-based interventions, and decisions.

The programme is implemented through the USAID-funded Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). The ISAVET programme provides “training through service” to the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment through training of field veterinarians and para professionals in disease detection, reporting and response to zoonoses and animal-specific diseases.

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