By Amin Kef-Ranger
The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) on the 14th February 2022 officially launched the SLAJ Golden Jubilee Journalism Welfare Fund at the Harry Yansaneh Hall on Campbell Street in Freetown which was well attended by members of the Fourth Estate, veterans as well as active, practicing members as well as other stakeholders within the media landscape of the country.
President of SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, in his statement intimated the audience that they are witnessing an important day in the history of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) maintaining that like the celebration of the Golden Jubilee last year 2021, he feels humbled, honored, and privileged to be a key character in the history-making event.
Nasralla continued that SLAJ was founded on the 5th June, 1971 primarily to cater for the welfare of journalists and to seek opportunities for training to build their professional capacities to be able to advocate for, promote and protect freedom of expression and of the Press.
He furthered how for the past 50 years, SLAJ has spent all of its energy and resources to promote and protect free speech and free media, defend journalists from abuse by State authorities and influential people with little attention, if any, paid to the thorny issue of journalists’ welfare especially as membership has grown from just a handful of practitioners to the current roll of about 800, spread across the country, following the just concluded golden jubilee membership drive.
The SLAJ president underscored how a new and very important chapter will be added to the SLAJ mission: the SLAJ Golden Jubilee Journalism Welfare Fund.
He said it is something they have been working on for the last two years and thanked God that the activity is now taking place.
“When I decided to contest for the SLAJ Presidency about two and half years ago, the first thing I did was to go across the country with my small team to solicit the views of journalists on what kind of leadership they wanted at SLAJ and what were their priority needs,” he informed disclosing how the majority spoke about welfare, welfare, welfare, and welfare.
He said without even knowing how he would address that he decided to include it in his manifesto as an action point.
“And I was honest and sincere enough to state to my colleagues that I would not be able to solve the welfare problem of journalists but I would make conscious and genuine efforts to seek the welfare of all journalists,” he stated frankly.
He said as God would have it, with the historic repeal of the criminal libel law came the passing of the IMC Act 2020.
According to him, the IMC Act 2020 is a huge step towards addressing welfare issues of journalists as every media house/owner is now required by law to pay journalists under their employ regularly and above the minimum wage, and their social security contributions.
“So the IMC Act 2020 seeks to address one aspect of the welfare of journalists in Sierra Leone bordering on conditions of service,” he informed.
The SLAJ President said, however, there is another important aspect of welfare that the Journalism Welfare Fund is seeking to address which, he said, has to do with journalists covering emergency situations and the likelihood for them, as frontline workers, to get injured or face harm physically or psychologically in the process.
He went on to state that there’s also the aspect of independent journalism, which seems to be dying rapidly in the profession maintaining how the fund will support independent investigative reporting to reinforce the role of journalists (and the media) to hold leaders to account and expose corruption in both Government and private sectors, and influence policy decisions referencing the Ebola reporting under Kelvin Lewis, and tracking of SDGs.
He then posed the question: So how do we fund such a program when we are not a profit-making organization?
In answering the question he said the funds that are in various accounts are all tied to specific project activities for which they have to report on and be audited. He continued that he then thought about opening a special savings account in one of the indigenous banks and investing in bearer bonds stating how the idea of a welfare fund for journalists suddenly fell into place and he shared the idea with his Executive and they were in for it 100%.
He pointed out that the fact is that the very survival of democracy depends on journalism, and the very survival of journalism depends on the welfare and wellbeing of journalists.
Nasralla said in Sierra Leone, such has not been easy, as journalists face innumerable pressures, more than in many other countries where journalism is more established.
The SLAJ President told the audience that at this critical time, characterized by economic instability for most media houses, journalism is also facing several severe external challenges.
He informed how Sierra Leone is very vulnerable to environmental and public health disasters having had its own share of disasters, such as the Ebola outbreak (2014-2016), the land/mudslide (2017), COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent Wellington fire disaster, to name but a few.
“Journalists are routinely called upon to cover disasters after disasters and under tremendous economic and wellbeing pressures,” he asserted giving for instance, a recent Bournemouth University-SLAJ study that looked into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and showed that 86% of journalists in Sierra Leone were under significant financial difficulties and 76% faced increased psychological ill-health.
Nasralla said the JWF is open to registered and paid-up members of SLAJ only, who have suffered distress or injury in the line of duty: physical injury or psychological trauma.
He then revealed how a special savings account for the JWF has been opened at the Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB), Siaka Stevens Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone saying 80% of the seed fund shall be invested in Bearer Bonds which will yield dividends annually, in addition to the bank’s interests for savings.
The SLAJ President also informed that there shall be an independent Welfare Committee and a Welfare Officer to manage, coordinate, and review issues relating to the JWF adding how the Welfare Committee shall serve as an Advisory Board for the administration of the fund, and shall suggest ways of attracting more funders to contribute to the fund.
“We are working with our partners at Bournemouth University, the MRCG, and the Mass Communications Department at FBC, USL, to develop a policy around the fund,” he also informed stating that the ambition is to make sure SLAJ develop a sustainable fund, one that will last beyond his leadership.
For this, he stated how they are working with national and international partners who have a genuine interest in strengthening democracy and democratic institutions in Sierra Leone maintaining that SLAJ needs their cooperation also calling on organizations to support the initiative as journalists look forward to doing fundraising events in the near future.
He also called on the Government of Sierra Leone, which has shown tremendous goodwill for the development of the media, to also contribute to the fund just as they did for the National Sports Development Fund.
He extended special thanks to the three Foundation sponsors namely Mercury International, Orange SL, and Rokel Commercial Bank for believing in the initiative and committing contributions from their limited resources to see the fund kick-off.
Nasralla also extended special thanks to SLAJ’s academic partners at Bournemouth University with whom they have been working since 2021, from COVID-19 to this fund, and also helping with reporting guidelines on disasters, including the Wellington fire disaster.
He disclosed that the BU has been providing research and policy consultancy to strengthen journalism and disaster resilience in Sierra Leone.
“We also want to thank the MRCG and the Mass Communications Department at FBC, USL for also providing technical advice, to the SLAJ Advisory Council, especially Kelvin Lewis, Umaru Fofana, and Dr. Julius Spencer for the necessary advice on such initiatives,” he expressed gratitude.
He also thanked his Executive, the Regional Heads of SLAJ North, East, and South, and heads of affiliate bodies for their support and cooperation throughout.
The SLAJ President concluded by stating that good journalism needs support saying the fund is for good journalism. He maintains that a welfare support scheme is critical for journalism, which in turn is essential for the country’s democracy and for a strong and vibrant society.
“It is a small beginning but we hope it will grow beyond expectation,” he expressed hope.
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