Sewa News Stream

The Government of Sierra Leone's Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender & Children's Affairs and its partners plan to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) in the Western Area Rural District for the first time. "The choice of a rural setting this year was directed by President Koroma," read a statement from the national IWD Committee. "Sierra Leone has 60 percent of its women living in rural areas. This year's celebrations are for all rural women to be reminded that they are very special," the press release said. Western Area Rural District Local Government Chairman Alhassan Cole and other rural residents are reportedly excited as this will be the first-ever national event to be hosted in their administrative area. Popular bands have joined together with the Sierra Leone Female Musicians Association, which has the support of Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden,  minister of Social Welfare, Gender & Children's Affairs. "Willie Jay an...

Edward Blyden, who mentored his daughter Sylvia Olayinka and watched her grow into one of Sierra Leone’s most successful newspaper publishers and entrepreneurs, died Tuesday, February 14, at his home in London, England. He had been suffering from diabetes for some time.  Two summers ago, Mr. Blyden, a retired pensioner, suffered a heart attack on a London bus. He was admitted at Homerton Hospital before family members were contacted leading to a nationwide search. In announcing her father's death, Sylvia, current Sierra Leone minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs, said in her WhatsApp message: “Sad to report that we just lost my father, Edward Babatunde Blyden.  He died peacefully in London at 7:30 p.m. this evening 14th February.” Edward Babatunde Blyden was born June 12, 1943, in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He would have turned 74 this year. “Amongst his wide array of service to our country is the fact that he wrote the Sierra Leone National Pledge with...

Undated, archive photo of Abdul Fatoma Chernoh Alpha M. Bah, author of The Ebola Outbreak in West Africa ,  asks why Abdul Fatoma,  a human rights activist with a proven record of reporting on economic and social rights and the head of a civil society organization in the U.K.,  was blasted by angry Members of Parliament in Freetown and locked up. For several days now, the civil society activist and human rights campaigner, Abdul M. Fatoma, has been the center of ugly news in Freetown. He is the recent victim of political intimidation and harassment in Sierra Leone; a practice that has increasingly become the feature of governance since Ernst Bai Koroma and his APC entered the State House in 2007. Abdul Fatoma’s drama started when police officers, without warrant, arrested and frog-marched him from a radio studio, where he was being interviewed, and took him forcefully into the walls of parliament. Once inside the walls of Sierra Leone’s parliament, Fatoma was...

In this photo released by State House Tuesday, President Ernest Koroma welcomes Liberian Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Julia Duncan Cassell at State House. According to Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, Sierra Leone’s Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs Minister (in blue) the purpose of the visit was to present Ms. Medina Wesseh, the incoming Secretary General of the Mano River Union. Ms. Wesseh is a former senior executive assistant to President Ellen Sirleaf, and was senior program development officer for the United States Agency for International Development’s Liberia Transition Initiative. Ms. Wesseh has also consulted for numerous international organizations, including the UN Economic Commission for Africa/African Centre for Women and the UNIFEM-sponsored Research on Voices of Liberian Women in the Peace Process. During Ms. Wesseh’s tenure as chairperson of the National Task Force on Prioritizing Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment, t...

Haja Zainab Hawa Bangura is a Sierra Leonean politician and social activist. She was appointed as Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict in September 2012.  "Today, on this very solemn day, I want us to remember all those who gave their lives to save the city after the January 6 attack. " By Christmas Day 1998, the rebels led by the late Solomon A.J. Musa were at Waterloo and Freetown was under siege. As though by some divine intervention, S.A.J Musa died a mysterious death on the outskirts of the city before the year rolled over.  His death delayed the attack on the city as we were later informed.  Following reports of his death, we knew it was just a matter of time before all hell broke loose. The civil society coalition was now working with ***ECOMOG, the *** Kamajors and many more people. We no longer had an Army. Our military had turned against us and they were on the move to slaughter us. Severa...

Robbers who broke into a house in Marjay Town in the west of Freetown strangled the 78-year-old owner and tied up the maid. According to the Sierra Leone Telegraph, some suspects were arrested at Funkia Junction, a few miles south of Marjay, driving the stolen vehicle of Imran Rahman, who presided over Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1  during the Tejan-Kabbah administration. "His murder has once again raised serious questions about the ability of the government, as well as the capacity of the police in maintaining law and order in the capital Freetown. How safe is Freetown tonight?" The Telegraph editorial asked. Magistrate Rahman's killing comes just two days after retired military chief Lieutenant General S.O. Williams was shot dead by armed men at his home in the east of the capital . According to Sierra Leone Telegraph, Barrister Rahman comes from the storied Rahman family in the Foulah Town community of eastern Freetown. The majority of Marjay Town’s resid...

Jobs and businesses sustain lives, bring in incomes, and provide independence for people in Freetown. But it’s not always easy balancing work and family and friends, as well as relaxation. Samuel Swaray owns a building and contracts construction business, which he has been running for eight years—sometimes in places far from home. He said he doesn’t like it when he's away from his family, especially his mother who lives in Newton, but he has to support them, even if that means working hundreds of miles away in neighboring Liberia. Sometimes when Mr. Swaray comes home for a break or for the holidays it breaks his heart when he doesn’t get along with his family.   Mr. Swaray said he loves his job as well as his family and doesn’t want to choose. "Life is unstable without a job, " said Mr. Swaray, who is pictured with one of his contracts.    Abibatu Sesay resides at Calaba Town. Everyone calls her   “Babie” for short.   She owns a small store, a...