The National Executive of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) paid a courtesy visit to Orange Sierra Leone as part of its ongoing engagements with corporate partners and key institutions. The visit, which took place on Monday, October 27, 2024, at Orange’s Head Office on Hill Station in Freetown, sought to reaffirm and strengthen the longstanding collaboration between the telecommunications company and the country’s umbrella media organization.
Welcoming the delegation, the Company Secretary of Orange Sierra Leone, Madam Danetta Younge, expressed appreciation for the visit and described SLAJ as a strategic partner in national development. She highlighted the company’s commitment to maintaining a positive working relationship with the media, noting that Orange Sierra Leone has maintained contractual partnerships with over ten media houses in the last five years.
“Orange Sierra Leone values the contribution of the media to our success and to national progress. Every year, we make budgetary provisions in our Stakeholder Relations Fund to support SLAJ’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and other institutional initiatives,” Madam Danetta Younge revealed. She congratulated the new SLAJ Executive and encouraged them to build upon the legacy of the previous leadership under Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, assuring them of Orange’s continued support.
SLAJ President, Alhaji Manika Kamara, expressed gratitude to Madam Danetta Younge and her team, including Public Relations Officer Alfie Barrie and Public Relations Support Officer Akuna Paul Mohamed Koroma, for their warm reception. He described Orange Sierra Leone as one of SLAJ’s most dependable corporate partners and commended the company for its past scholarship support, which enabled five SLAJ members to pursue doctoral degrees in Mass Communication at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
He appealed for the continuation of such initiatives, this time through undergraduate scholarships for aspiring journalists struggling to finance their education. “If Orange Sierra Leone could establish a dedicated fund to support first-degree students in journalism, it would be a remarkable contribution to strengthening professionalism in the media,” he said.
Alhaji Manika Kamara also briefed the Orange Management on the ongoing rehabilitation of the SLAJ National Secretariat, which he said is being transformed into a resource and training center for journalists. He called for Orange’s assistance in providing reliable and affordable internet connectivity to support the operations of the Secretariat and other media institutions across the country.
The meeting ended on a note of mutual commitment, with both parties pledging to sustain their partnership in promoting ethical journalism, professional development and effective communication for national growth.
