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OP-ED – Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact 

In April 2019, Ambassador Maria Brewer announced the opening of a new skills lab, library and computer lab at the School of Midwifery in Makeni, a project supported by PEPFAR.

-Ambassador Maria Brewer

The United States Ambassador, Maria Brewer has stated that the United States joins Sierra Leone in observing World AIDS Day 2020 on December 1st.

According to her annually on this date since 1988 they as emissaries pause to remember those lost to HIV/AIDS, to reflect upon the global journey towards ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and to renew their shared commitment to an AIDS-free future.

Based on what she revealed, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States has saved more than 18 million lives worldwide and prevented millions of HIV infections.

She intimated that working together with their  partners in 54 countries, including Sierra Leone, which is the U.S. latest partner PEPFAR country, they have moved the HIV/AIDS pandemic from crisis towards control – community by community, country by country.

She highlighted that in Sierra Leone, an estimated 1.6% of the population – approximately 78,000 people – lives with HIV. Furthering that seventeen years ago when PEPFAR began, HIV was a death sentence in many parts of the world.

“Now, for the first time in modern history, we have the opportunity to control a pandemic without a vaccine or a cure.  But to go forward, we must go together.  Partnerships are the cornerstone of PEPFAR’s success, and we need all sectors and diverse partners working together to achieve our collective goals,” she pointed out in a straightforward matter.

These goals include increased impact and enhanced resilience for all.  As there is no vaccine or cure, epidemic control is needed to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.  PEPFAR is dedicated to ensuring that all ages, genders, and at-risk populations know their HIV status, receive life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services, and are virally suppressed if they are living with HIV.

More specifically, the epidemic control is achieved when 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of these HIV positive people are on continuous treatment, and 95% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression, meaning that the virus is not replicating and thus cannot spread to others.  Known as the HIV treatment cascade, this approach emphasizes a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS that promotes sustainable results.

Strengthening the HIV treatment cascade is critical to achieving widespread impact, which is why they are innovating at the community level to reach populations that are often being left behind, including young women, younger men, and other key populations.  According to them they are working closely with local partners to realize a future where HIV is a manageable chronic disease, and where new infections are rare.

Citing an example, it stated that  PEPFAR is supporting interventions in Sierra Leone for people living with HIV, specifically in key high-risk populations, by focusing on health facilities in high-burden districts in Western Area, Port Loko and Kambia, areas which account for the majority of HIV treatment in the country.

PEPFAR’s life-saving work is made possible through the U.S. Government’s unwavering commitment to the program and the American people’s compassion and generosity.  Thanks to the leadership of the U.S. Government, PEPFAR’s investments have also strengthened the systems that drive effective, efficient, resilient, and sustainable health care.  Those efforts have helped make the world a more secure place by better equipping partner countries to confront HIV and other health challenges, even in times of adversity.

APRM Boss Praises Sierra Leone’s Handling of COVID-19 Pandemic

By Theresa Kef Sesay

Ambassador Dr. Inonge Mbikusita the Head of Delegation of the African Peer Review Mechanism, (APRM), Targeted Review Mission from the Continental Secretariat, Ambassador Dr. Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika, on the 30th November 2020  has congratulated His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio on Sierra Leone’s exemplary efforts at managing COVID-19.

“We are amazed at your strategy and the many gains. Sierra Leone has set the pace for other member States of the APRM to improve their health sector during this pandemic,” she noted, adding that the mission team, comprising the lead panelist for Sierra Leone, three local and one international consultants,was visiting to enhance the capacity of APRM member countries to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Continental Secretariat has identified four APRM member states: Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Niger and Chad to conduct Targeted Reviews on National Response to COVID-19. Thank you President Bio for the opportunity to have firsthand knowledge and experience of the country’s efforts in the fight against COVID-19,” she said.

She further stated that the team explored measures and strategies employed by the Government of Sierra Leone to mitigate the spread and consequences of COVID-19 and now share the country’s success story with other African States and the rest of the world.

“There is effectiveness in the fight against COVID-19. The lessons are quite amazing and we are pleased to tell you that Sierra Leoneans are quite honoured by your stance, particularly the involvement of youths and women in the fight against COVID-19,” she explained.

At the same time as when he was introducing the APRM members to his boss, Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, said the team had spent days in the country to review the nation’s gains in the fight against Coronavirus, especially around the achievements made, lessons learnt and challenges surmounted.

In his remarks to the findings, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio welcomed the mission team to the country, extended best wishes and thanks to the APRM Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Eddy Maloka, and congratulated them for selecting Sierra Leone, among other APRM countries, for the country assessment.

“Sierra Leone is encouraged by international assessments that help us evaluate our progress along key indicators. We recently passed 13 out of 20 indicators in the Millennium Challenge Corporation scorecard. I am also gratified that the Centre for Diseases Control has listed Sierra Leone as one of only 4 countries in Africa rated as Level 1, which is low,” he said.

He said when his Government anticipated the outbreak they had to plan before they activated all national response structures like the Emergency Operations Centre and eventually desegregated the structure in all districts.

“We engaged and collaborated with partners, intensified preventive public health communication at all levels and set up social mobilisation and risk communication teams. We instituted lives and livelihoods-first approach that always and only used well-considered decisions, made sure that all our decisions and actions have been intentional and informed by data and science,” he said.

President Bio further emphasized that before and immediately after the outbreak his Government set up a scientific and technical advisory team to regularly meet and make decisions predicated on real-time epidemiological and scientific data. He said they also set up a situation room to aggregate surveillance and contact tracing data on a daily basis and developed protocols by taking into consideration the worst-case scenarios.

What Christmas And Christianity Mean For A Deeply Troubled World…

By Amin Kef Sesay

Exactly twenty-three days from today, Christians of all continents, tribes and denominations will be joined by the Muslim brothers and sisters to celebrate a Day that the whole world as come to associate with festivity.

Here in Sierra Leone, regardless of whatever trials, tribulations and sorrows might have visited Christians and the their Muslim compatriots, everybody takes time off to be good to self, neighbors, families, loved ones and ordinary folks by being kind to each other with Christmas cards, gifts, food and messages of goodwill.

This shows that in our country, the eternal message of Jesus Christ to love your neighbor as yourself shines bright in our hearts; regardless of whatever seeming differences and quarrels we have that is mostly only exacerbated by politicians in search of power whose most potent weapon is to both gain and stay in power to divide and rule the people.

Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ is very symbolic of a world in desperate need of peace and safety as seen in the three Magi who not only journeyed from a far distance to worship the new born King but to guide him and his parents away from sure death by a very devilish political system.

Today, two thousand and more years after his death at the hands of those who feared his spiritual power, followers of Jesus still have undying hope in a troubled world. Paul describes it as “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Another way of saying this is that whatever mankind goes through, life is not marred by the brokenness all of us know and are experiencing right now in terms of poverty, disease, oppression and gross violations of human rights by the powerful against the weak and helpless.

This glory that followers of Jesus carry with them in whatever circumstance they find themselves in is what the world wants to be redeemed from the punishments of a sinful nature – that is, for mankind to live in a better world, a safe world, a glorious world that will last forever.

The world-changing announcement that Paul spoke of is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. And this marvelous truth holds out hope for every person in the world today.

The glorious message that Christ gave that God Almighty will always be near and close is what we have just seen in the announcement by three pharmaceutical companies in the USA and Britain that a vaccine has been invented against COVID-19. Finding a vaccine to the corona-virus is a world-changing gospel.

And here’s why. Our hope is “laid up for [us] in heaven. Of this [we] have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel (Col. 1:5).

This hope is not wishful thinking. Instead, it is a solid reality because it is rooted in the death and resurrection of Jesus, “the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you (Col. 1:5-6).

This hope is stored up in heaven. It is the hope of glory – the joyful anticipation of a world with no viruses, no injustice, and no pain – and it is grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

There’s more. Hope gives birth to faith, and it also gives birth to love, the kind of faith and love that enables us to live both for self and for others and not only for self; which if we look carefully is the cause of all the wars, pain, misery, poverty and suffering in a world flowing with God’s endless abundance.

Thus, as Christians and as worshippers of God, Christmas and Christianity should always remind us that Jesus loved us with a love that sacrificed everything for us, and when we know that love, we will be able to love others, even when it is costly.

We will be free to love a person who aren’t like us; which takes away hate, fear, jealousy, envy, bigotry, xenophobia, tribalism and cultural dogmatism – and that’s what we are called to do in the church – to understand and live wherever we are as part of a community that loves one another as Jesus loved.

NP-SL Bags Widespread Commendation for Resilience in Petroleum Marketing Activities

By Amin Kef Sesay

The National Petroleum Limited, NP (SL-Ltd) deserves praise as a resilient business entity that had been rated as the country’s foremost importer and dealer in petroleum products, which includes petrol, diesel, gas as well as lubricants of various types and is always poised to give its ubiquitous and esteemed customers the best in terms of giving them value in return for money.

The company’s competent and result-oriented Managerial think tank, currently headed by its indefatigable Chief Executive Officer, Kobi Walker, in tandem with the Board of Directors, have always endeavoured to be at the pinnacle of affairs within the petroleum landscape in this country, looking at best options, in order for effective service delivery to be executed timely, excellently, all geared towards enhancing good business relationships. If there is any outstanding feature for which the company is identified with then it is giving customers satisfaction to the fullest  which is why it has earned the enviable reputation of ‘1st for Customer Care’.

Prioritizing customer care is considered very paramount out of the strong conviction that the company will be nowhere without its cherished customers.

It is along that line that the company has a customer care unit that primarily interface with members of the public. Concerns and recommendations channelled through it are raised in certain management meetings, discussed and the way forward mapped out.

Regarding their customers as priceless jewels, NP-SL Ltd always ensures that to give them optimal satisfaction, value must be derived from their monies spent. It was thinking along that line that prompted the shareholders of the company to replace their old fashioned pumping machines to calibrated pumping machines of high standard which transparently pump the requisite quantity of petrol or diesel demanded for. Confidence is now high among its customers that they are getting exactly what they are paying for.

Still within the domain of 1st for Customer Care, the company is always in position to enter into payment plans with its reliable and dependable customers including Ministries, Departments and Agencies for fuel and lubricants supplies as long as all the necessary modalities have been put in place. When cognizance is taken of the fact that some of these institutions receive intermittent budgetary allocations then such an arrangement is very significant. Its significance in real terms borders on functional continuity of those institutions as they will be assured of supplies of petroleum products in as much as they keep honouring their obligations.

In this country today, for one to see a successful business entity that is owned mainly by Sierra Leoneans and having a maximum number of indigenes as members of staff is like trying to find a lost needle on the beach, although there are some that could be identified.

For NP-SL Ltd this has been a big achievement as the company is strongly adhering to the country’s Local Content Policy. Making use of local brains has been identified as one of the conduits through which developing countries like Sierra Leone could attain economic empowerment. Correspondingly, if there is a continuation of the colonial mentality that it is only by importing foreign ideas and skills that we will get there then such could be a very sad mistake.

By providing job opportunities for hitherto jobless Sierra Leoneans, NP-SL Ltd continues to help in alleviating poverty by putting monies into pockets which could be utilized to take care of responsibilities.

For those who have not tried NP Gas for the first time it is now time to give it a try. Designed in sizable varying cylinders and sold at various NP Filling Stations, this cooking device has been rated as one of the best that is on offer for sale. NP Gas is safe, user friendly and portable. Trying it will spur you to recommend it to others.

NP Smart Card is now in vogue and is one of the latest technological devices used to purchase petroleum products. Using it has attendant advantages as evident in procuring fuel at any time of the day even during times when monies could not be accessed from banks. It is secured, easy to use and very quick. It is now trending.

To crystallize proposed projects into tangible realities on the ground, Government needs the requisite financial resources to effectively do so and one sure way is from the collection of taxes which is the mandate of the National Revenue Authority (NRA).  NP is indeed one of the big time tax payers in the country and it is very compliant in that direction.

From all indications, it is crystal clear that NP-SL Ltd is here to stay in order to give the best and contribute tremendously to the socio-economic development of the country. Indeed the company is passionate and committed towards attaining those objectives.

President Bio Commissions 50 High-Grade Garbage Trucks

By Amin Kef Sesay

On Tuesday the 1st December 2020 President Julius Maada Bio commissioned 50 high-grade garbage trucks donated by the Russian Federation. The President said the commissioning is consistent with the Government’s policy on waste management and full devolution to Cities and Councils.

He furthered that Cities and Councils must be fully responsible for the safe disposal of waste generated in their communities.

To that effect, I expect that Local Governments will generate laws and enforceable policies to guide waste disposal. Public health inspectors should be able to enforce all such policies in the interest of public health and sanitation,” the President stated.

He continued that in the New Direction manifesto, they identified waste management as a key threat to national development adding how they further reiterated in the Medium Term National Development Plan, Cluster 3.4, that haphazard, unsafe, and unstructured waste disposal have social, economic, and even health implications for citizens.

President Bio noted that women bear the greatest impact of poor waste management practices.

He, however, noted that cities and towns must be supported with expertise and resources to establish safe waste disposal sites and systems that could be properly managed and improved at the local level.

The First Gentleman observed that recycling systems and separating stations that made garbage useful again and safe incinerators might be most useful in that regard, adding that the Government is ready to work with local Governments, development partners, and the private sector in providing such facilities.

“We look forward to a further deepening of our relationship with the Russian Federation especially after the Russia-Africa Economic Forum in Sochi, where we committed to promoting and enhancing trade and investments among our economies in Africa,” President Bio stated.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nabeela Tunis, said the day stood as another testimony to the excellent bilateral relations that Sierra Leone and the Russian Federation continue to enjoy since it was established 58 years ago.

“We are here to witness the handing over of the first 50 of 200 Garbage Trucks promised to the Government of Sierra Leone by the Government of the Russian Federation. This gift is yet another gesture of the hand of friendship that the Russian Federation has extended to us over the past 6 decades.

”We acknowledge the role played by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Alie Kabba, who is the current Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in New York, the Sierra Leone Ambassador to the Russian Federation and also the Minister of Local Government, Hon Tamba Lamina, for coordinating the receipt of this donation and all other partners he worked with to ensure their timely clearance from the port,” she said.

Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Mohamed Yongawo, said the two countries had enjoyed long bilateral ties, noting that the donation was a result of the visit of President Bio to Russia during the Russia–Africa Summit.

Russian Ambassador to Guinea accredited to Sierra Leone, Vadim Razumozskiy, thanked President Bio for the many gains in managing the coronavirus, adding that it was a pleasure being in the country to hand over the 50 garbage trucks that he said were specially made to support the President.

Two Former Evicted Housemates to Enter the House after Popular Voting

Housemates Salone Season 2

By Amin Kef Sesay 

Africell and AYV Media Empire In a spectacular twist of event in the ongoing Housemates Season 2 the organizers of this hot Reality TV Show have, Africell and AYV Media Empire have decided to provide a leeway for two former housemates that were previously evicted from the House to once more enter the House provided that they command majority of votes from members of the public.

During a vox-pox conducted by this medium it came out glaringly that there are ongoing behind the scenes campaigns geared towards convincing the wider citizenry to cast their valued votes for Housemates considered to be their best. The ambit of these fan clubs are  not only limited to mounting campaigns but also raising funds for members of the ecstatic fan clubs  to at this material time  to top up  mobile phones in order to be at vantage positions  to cast vote as many times as it is within their ambit.

For clarity it must be noted that it is the amount of votes that the Housemates bag from members of the public which the judges will partly consider in arriving at any decision that will define or determine their fates, that is continued stay in the House or face eviction.

All the Housemates have their unique numbers which members of the public should use to vote by sending them via SMS to: 5500 or Dial *5500#.

For International voting an individual can call: +23299005500.

Members of the public should know that their votes do matter and as a result they must step up the pace at which they are voting for their favourite Housemates, The responsibility of popularizing the unique numbers of the Housemates with the objective of obtaining public votes squarely lie on the shoulders of the various Fan Clubs of the Housemates better known as “Teams”.

What is up for grabs, as put forward by the organizers of this Reality TV Show, is the mouth-watering sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Leones (Le250M) plus undertaking a round trip to Dubai.

The Reality TV Show is designed in such a way that for every day any of the Housemates stays in the House, he or she becomes automatically eligible to earn One Hundred Thousand Leones (Le100, 000).

By all estimation it has been justified that Housemates Salone will go down the annals of this country’s entertainment industry as one of the biggest events that this country has so far staged.
The competition is indeed truly intriguing and somehow fun packed which has so for generated discussions in different quarters bordering on discussions on the performances and characters of the various Housemates as they display their different characters in the House.
If some of the Housemates appear sexy by the kind of dresses they wear then it must not be surprise simply because they are expected to display nudity.

Again, if sometimes they talk harshly then it is because they are to intermittently use strong language and acting funnily is as a result of the expectation of being humorous.

Manifesting these intrinsic values in the ongoing shows is what adding real value to what is really making this much watched Reality TV Show that is constantly aired on AYV Television Channel 34 very in entertaining  to watch providing some form of relief for viewers and serving as a therapy to reduce stresses.

The remaining Housemates, save those who have been evicted,  are  currently interacting, learning new skills, taken through certain tutorials, learning how to solve conflicts, courting relationships, playing games and doing a host of other things. It is like they are going through a thorough mentorship that would shape their characters.

Housemates Salone Season 2 is indisputably huge and very  historic which is why one should not miss the interesting episodes as they offer truly entertaining, informative and educative episodes that you cannot afford to miss.

Mass 2020 WASSCE Failure… How Laziness & Procrastination Resulted In Mal-Performance

Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education

By Amin Kef Sesay

With the dust slowly settling down after the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Ministry of Education published the results of this year’s schools WASSCE, and the disclosure that barely 5 percent of candidates had the university entry requirements of five subjects, including English and Mathematics, many academics are beginning to re-examine the reasons for this failure.

Interviews conducted by the Calabash Newspaper across the country, which included interviews with parents, teachers, students and school authorities, discovered that insinuations that WAEC has not been friendly to Sierra Leonean students seemed unfounded, and the following were discovered to be contributory factors to this malaise.

However, when you ask students what they did or did not do to make them fail, the response generally was, “the lecturer failed me”, the exam was too hard,” “we were not taught”. This and many more reasons are excuses students gave. However, the common causes of failure are interrelated and consequential. One, there is a lot of activities going on within the school environment which, if not well controlled and carefully chosen, are capable of taking up the entire time of an undisciplined student.

In anything we undertake to do, failure starts with the self. A combination of your knowledge of what leads to failure and how to avoid it should give you that desired leap of academic excellence.

  1. LAZINESS

This is one of the major reasons for failure. When you are lazy as a student, you will find it hard to get up to do important things like reading the notes given by the teacher, doing assignments and carrying out some research to expand your knowledge about that particular subject. Some students even find it hard to attend classes.

  1. PROCRASTINATING

If you have the habit of waiting until the dying minute to complete your assignments, you will always end up with little or no quality. This usually results in poor performance and grades. When you keep shifting the time to read forward, until there’s absolutely no time to read again, it will lead to rush hour preparations.  Plan your time well. Do your assignments early enough, read as much as you can, carry out appropriate research and write your essays almost immediately.

  1. OVERCONFIDENCE

As much as confidence is good, a student must be very careful not to cross the thin line from confidence to overconfidence.

Overconfident students sometimes think they know more than their lecturers. Just because you are a brilliant student doesn’t mean you will notice every twist to a particular question or topic.

The opposite of this is low self-esteem. These students don’t believe in themselves at all. Such students already have a mindset towards a particular subject, and thus, they close their minds to whatever important information will be given on the topic or subject. If you have low self-esteem, try to believe that you can understand whatever you are taught. Be open-minded to new things.

  1. BAD READING HABITS

If you don’t know how to study or what works for you, it’s simply because you haven’t taken sufficient time to study yourself and your capacity. Some students read at wrong times and in the wrong way. Self-discipline and practice makes perfect. Try as much as possible to avoid a disorganized reading habit. Start reading early enough to get used to it and recall better.

  1. LACK OF INTEREST

Another reason for the failure of students is a total lack of interest in a particular subject or topic due to being lackadaisical and unconcerned. There is absolutely no way a student who lacks interest in a particular course will pass the examinations.

  1. A WRONG MINDSET

If a student has a mindset of always failing, there is almost no way he will succeed in that examination. Why? He has given up before writing it. Have an incredible mindset that believes that no matter what the circumstances around you may be, you will pass an examination and succeed.

DOFA Feeds the Aged at Kroo Bay

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In their quest to support the less privileged in society, especially the Aged, Dorwontony Organization for the Aged (DOFA), a charitable and non-Governmental Organization that advocates for the needs and rights of the aged, on Saturday 28th November, 2020, fed the Aged at the Kroo Bay Community during a ceremony that was held at the Kroo bay community center in Freetown.

Speaking during the event, Founder of Dorwontony Organization for the Aged, Dorren Barrie, stated that the organization was founded in order to serve as the voice for the needs and rights of the aged across the country, adding that old people should not be considered as liability to society, but rather that they should be given the care they deserve, because they are the backbone of any peaceful society.

CEO Barrie furthered that the Organization has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board, where the Legal Aid Board will provide free legal support for the Aged, stating that in most cases, these old people do suffer injustices in the country, but with this partnership, it will ensure that these old people get justice.

She called on the Government, private sector and non-governmental organizations to support them in order to secure a Home for these vulnerable people, adding that they are very important people in society and should not be neglected.

Samuel Ben Turay, Outreach Officer, Legal Aid Board, assured DOFA of LAB’s support towards giving justice to the Aged, adding that the MOU is geared towards ensuring older people have unhindered access to legal aid services provided by the Board, which will enhance their access to justice, which, he furthered, will entail DOFA channeling all legal aid needs and challenges of the aged to the Board.

He stated that the Legal Aid Board of Sierra Leone was established with the responsibility to provide free legal aid services for the poor, including legal representation, advise, assistance, legal and community based outreach, alternative dispute resolution etc. He said they are currently in the 14 Districts across the country, giving justice to the people.

Councilor of Ward 431 in Constituency 125, Murray Allie Conteh, also expressed appreciation to DOFA for the gesture, adding that as a Councilor, he is very proud to see such move by DOFA, maintaining that there are lots of challenges faced by the people of Kroo Bay, especially the Aged. He also disclosed that during the rainy season, when it floods, these old people suffer the most in the community.

Isatu Kamara, a beneficiary, expressed gratitude to Dorwontony Organization for the Aged for the gesture, which she described as not only important to them, but a timely intervention, noting that this is the first time they are experiencing such care and love from an organization in the Kroo Bay community.

She called on other organizations to follow the footprint of the Dorwontony Organization in supporting the aged with food and other basic necessities, with the thought that they too are very important in society.

Caritas Freetown Gives Educational Support to Ebola Survivors

By Foday Moriba Conteh

As part of their continuous support to Ebola Survivors in the country, Caritas Freetown, with support from Caritas Germany, on Friday 27th November, 2020 gave out school items worth millions of Leones to children of Ebola survivors, as part of their bride project to enhance generating educational opportunities and well-being of Ebola survivors, in the western Area, Sierra Leone, which is supported by Caritas Germany and implemented by Caritas Freetown. The donation event took place at St. Anthony’s Boys Primary School at Skye Street in Freetown.

In her address, Outreach Officer Caritas Freetown, Kumba Genda, disclosed that the move by Caritas is to ensure that they give educational support to these Ebola Survivors.

Giving an overview of the project, Outreach Officer Caritas-Freetown, Patrick, said that this is part of their support to Ebola Survivors in the country, adding that this is not the first time they are giving such support to these Ebola Survivors, and that the previous project that gave birth to this current bride project, included generating educational opportunities and well-being of Ebola survivors in the western Area, Sierra Leone, which is supported by Caritas Germany and implemented by Caritas Freetown.

He furthered that these Ebola Survivors and their families can also access free health care services at different clinics for the period of 9 months, which started in April and will end in December, 2020.

He encouraged beneficiaries to make good use of the school items given to them, as this will help them to progress in life.

On his part, Program Manager, Caritas-Freetown, Ishmael Alfred Charles, expressed appreciation to Caritas for the initiative to support Ebola Survivors in the country, adding that this is not the first time Caritas has been giving such support to children, adding that over the years, Caritas has been supporting children from different schools that are Ebola Survivors and this is again seen in the continued demonstration of their solidarity with the Ebola Survivors at this crucial time in the history of the country.

He admonished pupils to take their studies seriously, underscoring how education is the key to success.  “Education is a process of learning that one goes through in order to become somebody in society”.

Receiving the items, one of the beneficiaries, Alberta Jones, a Pupil of the Annie Walsh Memorial School, showered praise on Caritas for the gesture, which she described as not only important to them, but timely, adding that the organization’s support will lessen the financial burden on their parents/guardians.

She admonished her colleagues to make good use of the opportunity, saying many other children want such an opportunity, also underscoring that education is the key to success and they should take their studies serious. She stressed that with education they will achieve their dreams and become great people in society.

At AGM 2020… SLAJ President Advances Reconciliation Among WIMSAL Membership

President of the Sierra Leone Journalists Association, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla

By Amin Kef Sesay

On Friday, 27th November, 2020, at the Annual General Meeting  (AGM) of the Women In the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL), held at the Swiss Hotel on Spur Road in Freetown, the President of the Sierra Leone Journalists Association, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, told female journalists that as they celebrate 13 years of existence, they should bear in ,mind that at that age the girl child is most problematic and very delicate to handle.

He furthered that at that age all sorts of problems and challenges emerge, and it is the ability to deal with such challenges that will make them strong. He furthered that the main body SLAJ is also froth with challenges, with diverse opinions and views on all subjects. Yet they have all managed to be together, and this had made the Association stronger by the day.

He also maintained that SLAJ will provide that cover and leadership to ensure that they progress.

“Age 13 is a crucial period for any girl child growing up. This is the age they start showing signs of maturity and they are open to many temptations. This is the period they need more attention and guidance. This girl child I am talking about is WIMSAL. I believe, if you stay together as women in the media, you will be able to make the right choices, take the right decisions in the interest of the general membership, and take the right direction into a future of prosperity.
As the parent body, it is the responsibility of SLAJ to provide that cover and guidance so that WIMSAL will stay united and speak with one strong and convincing voice on issues relating to the advancement of women in the media as well as women and girls across the country.”

He recalled the aftermath of the WIMSAL elections, which ended in acrimony between the various factions and an apparent disintegration in its ranks, and how SLAJ had tried and is still trying to restore that unity. He noted that there had been issues ion the organization before the elections, but noted tha breaking away is not the solution.

“Indeed, there have been issues with WIMSAL, even before their last elections. Every organization has its challenges, but I personally believe that breaking away is not the solution. In fact, it only multiplies the problem, because you are taking with you some of the problems when you leave.”

Nasralla furthered that problems or challenges are always around, but as the new body grows and members come and go, leadership changes, these challenges will emerge. He admonished them to confront the problems as a team and deal with it.

He called on WIMSAL to take a cue from SLAJ that though differences exist, SLAJ is still one strong body moving forward, and admonished them to discourage the hatred and rancor among them, appealing that as a united force, they will be able to break boundaries.

He also reminded members of the repeal of the draconian law and how this now paves the way for women to take their rightful place among their male counterparts in journalism. He furthered with this law gone, the need for capacity development of female colleagues is paramount, recalling the interview of the WIMSAL President on Radio Democracy over plans to empower female journalists with the launching of a scholarship scheme to help them enroll in professional courses, describing it as a step in the right direction. .

He expressed pleasure in being part of the program and being able to motivate and instill confidence in female colleagues and also to advocate for unity among them, and wished them happy and fruitful deliberations.

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