Looks like 2015 season wasn’t all lost. What an amazing honor to be nominated for an #ESPYS …….WOW…just WOW…. #MLS #CrewSC #NErevs #MamaSalone #AmSoBlessed

A video posted by Kei Kamara (@2k3) on Jun 23, 2016 at 3:59pm PDT

Our very own Kei Kamara who has since resigned from Sierra Leone football has been nominated for an Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award (ESPY).

In 2015, Kei was named Major League Soccer’s humanitarian of the year for his work in Sierra Leone. He also received the Sierra Leone Football dot com’s best player of the year after scoring 26 goals in 2015 league season in the MLS, the highest number of goals netted by a Sierra Leonean player in that football season.

The ESPY Award recognises individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year.

This year’s ceremony hosted by WWE Champion, John Cena will take place on Wednesday, July 13, at 8 p.m. at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Fans will be able to cast their vote online at ESPY.com up until the start of the award show. To Vote choose ‘Best MLS player’ category and select KEI KAMARA – VOTE HERE

Source- Twitter/ Facebook( Kei Kamara)

Check out the newly released trailer for “Flowers”, the latest film offering by Nikyatu Jusu and Yvonne Shirley. You remember Nikyatu right? She brought us “African Booty Scratcher” and “Say Grace Before Drowning”.

Flowers is a “coming-of-age drama set during a Brooklyn summer about a 17-year-old’s revenge prank gone terribly wrong had its world premiere at the 20th Annual 2016 Black Film Festival in June.” – Okay Africa

Hafsatu Kamara - Sierra Leone at Rio Olympics

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Hafsatu Kamara is Sierra Leone’s fastest woman and this summer she will represent the green, white, and blue at the Rio Summer Olympics in Brazil. In this interview with  she discusses her journey, the rigors of being an athlete and sprinting for Sierra Leone.

In May 2015 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, Hafsatu Kamara ran the 100 m at 11.78 seconds and set a new national record. The 100m record was previously held by  Fatmata Bangura who ran it in 11.87 seconds. At the same Meet Kamara also broke Eunice Barber’s 1996 200 meter record of 24.32 seconds. Kamara now holds the 200 meter record at 24.14 seconds.

Meet Hafsatu Kamara, Sierra Leone’s fastest women in this candid interview with Corner Yai.

How did you start in athletics ?

I started at a young age when I lived in Sierra Leone in the 90s. There’s a photo of me at the National Stadium representing the orange team. Once I was back in the US, I picked up playing other sports like basketball, softball, and soccer. It wasn’t until high school that I got back in to track and field. My senior year at Nottingham High School in Hamilton, New Jersey was a breakthrough year for me. That’s when I really realized the potential I had running and from there it continued into college and beyond.

What was your first big win?

My first big win was in 2013 at my first competition representing Sierra Leone at the West African Region II meet in Burkina Faso. I won the 100m Grand Prix invite. That feeling still lingers with me today and helps to keep me motivated.

Who inspires you?

I am inspired by Muhammad Ali, Evelyn Ashford, and Serena Williams. These individuals display what it takes to be an outstanding person and how to make a difference in the world. If I could replicate a quarter of the impact they have made in this world, than I have done well.

I look up to my parents. As immigrants from a developing country they took a chance leaving Sierra Leone in order to give us a better opportunity. As a first generation American, I admire their drive, their focus, and discipline. I hope to continue their hard work and set a platform for success for my children.

How often do you train?

I train about between 4-6 days a week depending on my competition schedule.

What about your education, are you currently in school ?

I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology Exercise Science. I am currently working towards pursuing my Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Hafsa in your spare time, What do you do ?

In spare time I am working towards learning new things. I am currently working on brushing up on my Arabic. I also love training and coach young athletes in track and field.

Who is currently trending on your playlist ?

I love reggae and dancehall; its my go to genre when it comes to music. Im currently listening to Popcaan, Movado, Vybz Kartel, Iyana, Tory, Lanez, and Wiz Kid.

During training, I like warming up to J. Cole, Drake, Devon Terrell, and Tory Lanez.

On Competing:

You represented Sierra Leone in the 2014 Commonwealth  Games and now you’ve broken Sierra Leone women’s 100m, 200m Record! How does it feel?

I am absolutely proud and humbled to be able to represent the country of my ancestors. Breaking the record was a moment that helped me put into perspective the potential I have in this sport and helping set a standard for Sierra Leone athletics.

What were your thoughts as you decide to compete for Sierra Leone in the 2014 commonwealth games? Was it to prove something to yourself as an athlete or something much deeper?

At first I went to the Commonwealth Games with a personal vendetta to prove my talents. Once I arrived in Glasgow and I met my Sierra Leone-based teammates my motivation changed. Their goals as far as athletics was to find an outlet from the troubles in Sierra Leone. I wanted to share that goal with them. I realized the unique opportunity I have to be able to live and train in the US. Now I am motivated to help young Sierra Leonean athletes find above our troubles to receive opportunities for success.

You just got back from the African Championships in South Africa,

Tell us a little about that.

It was definitely a difficult journey getting to the African Championships. Aisha Naive-Wey, Ngozi Musa, and I were able to make it out there and represent Sierra Leone despite the issues laid out in front of us. We weren’t able to run our Women’s 4×100 relay due to a lack of athletes. Individually we did our best with the position we were placed in. Aisha was able to do well for Sierra Leone and make it through the 400m hurdle finals and finish 7th overall. It is difficulties like that that encourages us all to keep pushing through the adversities and take each inch given to us.

On Sierra Leone Athletics:

How involved are you with the Athletics organisation in Sierra Leone, If any involvement?

I am well acquainted with the Sierra Leone Athletics officials and members and the National Olympic Committee officials.

Do you keep up with the news of the national team etc?

Not as much as I should. It’s hard with the limited form of communication.

Why do you think sports such as athletics don’t get as much representation in Sierra Leone as football does?

Athletics is a poor sport overall. It being an “amateur” sport with recognition only being made every 4 years during the Olympics makes it hard for us to gain continuous support. For countries like Sierra Leone, its even harder. We don’t have club teams or organizations, just individuals with goals and dreams.

What measures do you think should be put in place to bring awareness to other sporting activities in sierra leone and gain as much recognition and interest as football does?

The people need to show interest, with numbers, comes awareness. We need our families and friends to show support. To come to our meets, to spread the word, to donate to our training and competition. We need businesses to come to our aid, to advocate for the young. Youth and community outreach programs should help to be bring people together and inspire the youth.

If given the opportunity in the future, would you coach the  Sierra Leone National team and other aspiring athletes?

Yes I would! I want to start a youth athletics program in Sierra Leone. I want to be able to bring other athletes to Sierra Leone to hold training camps like they do in other countries. That would not only help us as athletes but our country in the sports business and development.

Finally, What does the future hold for you in athletics?

My personal goal is to continue breaking my record and make a name for myself as far as a top Sierra Leone Athletes no matter the sport. My community goal is to increase the number of athletes we have competing in track and field. To build and develop sports in our country outside of just football.

The Yak Jones Foundation needs to raise $5000 to get a 40 feet container of books to Sierra Leone. Read on to find out more about them.

“The Yak Jones Foundation
The Yak Jones Foundation founded by Dr. Mrs. Yakama Manty Jones is focused on promoting literacy in Sierra Leone.  Given the limited availability of public libraries and the inability of many schools and parents to afford books necessary for effective teaching, learning and even leisure reading, the Yak Jones Foundation is undertaking a text book donation drive.
The aim of this project is to get as many people as possible to donate new books, gently used books or make monetary donations to buy books or facilitate the delivery of books. Once the books are sorted out, they will be distributed to learning institutions in need. The long term goal is to establish libraries in as many institutions as possible around the country and providing them with reading coaches.

On May 1st 2016 the Yak Jones Foundation partnered with Sierra Leonean fashion house, Madam Wokie, to officially launch the Yak Jones Foundation with a garden party and text book drive at the Madam Wokie Showroom at 14 C Syke Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone. The foundation has made donations  to Cefsalone for Children in Dukono Village school, Nenie Chiefdom, Koinadugu District and planning presentations to other schools in need.

The Yak Jones Foundation is in the process of organising a shipment of a 40 ft container of books (for all levels of learning) including solar powered book lights (w/battery and charger) to Sierra Leone and your supported is greatly needed.
Please support this initiative by making a donation on their gofundme page: https://www.gofundme.com/yakjonestextbookdr
You can also contact the foundation:   info@yakjonesfoundation.org   or +23279121480 if you want to make an offline donation. “

Josephine Kamara, 22, is Miss Earth Sierra Leone. This graduate of Milton Margai College is passionate with women and the environment and she is on a campaign to raise awareness around the 5Rs of conservation.

The Miss Earth Sierra Leone is licensed to Natasha Beckley’s IAM SL Pageant Agency.

Miss Earth Sierra Leone (Josephine Kamara)

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Earlier this year Mr. Franklin Ibemessie was the keynote speaker at Recipes for Success II, a business networking event for professionals in Sierra Leone. The video above the full presentation and Q&A segment.

Here are the 10 things we learned from Franklin Ibemessie

• Life is not determined by how good you can stride but how well you can huddle.
• You will fall but you have to rise and you have to dig deep to move. If you start digging deep, after a while, it becomes a habit in your brain and it becomes muscle memory for your body.
• There is the past, the present, and the future, but the most important thing is the present. The past is a reference point for you to focus on the future. If you focus on the past you will never move from the present. The future is non existent in itself because the future starts in the present.
• You create the future, don’t wait for luck. Luck is a factor of intent and your luck is improved depending on how hard you can work towards something.
• How smart you think you are is the foundation, how resolute you are is the rest of the building. It is like love, love is only the foundation.
• No matter where you find yourself there will always be people who don’t like you. However, your job should be to focus on the prize, to get to where you want to go. If you focus on fighting the people in your way, then you become exactly who you do not like, you become them. So focus on you!
• Find your points of Reference – who is near you that can speak to you in the way you feel you need to be spoken to, who are the people who make you better?
• You don’t need to strive to be innovative to be successful, you just have to commit to continuous improvement; putting one foot ahead of the other every day, take baby steps and move forward.
• You are not known by the company you keep, you are known by the company you avoid.
• You are not defined by the things that stand in your way, you are define by how you deal with them.

If you find these tips to be helpful please click here to find out how you can join us for Recipes for Success III on October 29, 2016 in Freetown. 

About Franklin Ibemessie

Sierra Leone Brewery Limited joins the rest of the continent with the launch of the rebranded Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. Lovers of the internationally renowned black beer should look out for “fruit and caramel flavors, smoky notes and a vibrant bitterness to follow.”

The campaign for the new Stout dubbed #MadeofBlack was launched at the Bintumani Hotel in Freetown by Mr. Willy Ngana, Managing Director, SL Brewery. He said that Guinness had a long standing and respectable history with the people of Sierra Leone going back to when the first bottle was produced in 1967. Today Guinness is the beer of choice for Sierra Leoneans with a thirst for adventure; those who are #MadeofBlack.

#MadeofBlack is not about color. It is about the spirit of individuals who aren’t afraid to express themselves.

Launch of Guiness Made of Black

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Welcome oh my sista, my broda, welcome! It is not a dream. It is not Juju. Donald Trump is going to be the next President of the United States of America. Yes O! He was not joking. I see you’re thinking about relocating to your parents house. Congratulations! As a returnee 2x over I have put together a 30 mins presentation for you. I cover everything you need to consider before you cut up your Green Card.

Lumley Beach is more than just a major tourist attraction, it is also a market place where artisanal fishermen, and “fishuman dem” fish-women  meet their customers. The men who fish and the women who sell work on a system of distribution of labor, trust, and teamwork.

Artisanal Fishing Sierra Leone

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On any given day, fishermen at Lumley beach work together in groups of up to 20 men each with one net, standing on opposite sides of the beach. There is a fisherman at the very back of each line acting as an anchor, as he and his fellow men play a game of tug of war with their net, against the fish. Bringing in the net to shore against the currents is very laborious but in Africa we say if you want to far you go together, alas that is how they manage, by working together.

While the men on land work to pull in the net, another heads out (in this case) in a red and white canoe. Known simply as ‘OBlacks’, his job is to push the line from the sea offshore for those drawing the net. This toing and froing with the net and canoe can last as long as 3 hours. They start work at about 5am and are often wrapped up and gone by 8 am.

The days catch are sold to fish-women who retail the fish right there on the beach. The earnings from the fish are distributed using an already established system developed by the fishermen. In the payment structure, the captain is at the top of the ladder and he knows who to give what according to their labor and effort.

Sally Cole who is the chairlady of “One Pole Fish-women” cooperative explains that in 2016, they were approached by a local organization; Sisters Keeper. They are an organisation that focuses on empowering women. They donated funds to the business, constructed a “baffa” for the fish-women to help them stay protected from the harsh sun rays as they go about cutting, cleaning, and selling their fish. The Tourist Board were reportedly also invited for a special ribbon cutting ceremony.

Most often, the fishermen bring in fish like; barracuda, snapper, bole fish, crab, shrimp, and grouper.

Buyers do stop-by, make a selection and fish sellers such as Fatmata Vackie, and Adama Kanu clean and sell the fish to them. Ms. Vackie says that on the days when they acquire large amounts of fish, they tend to take them down to be sold at Dove Court. They also dry ‘smoke’ fish for customers travelling abroad. In addition, Ms. Vackie expressed that red fish tends to be the customers’ choice in the Lumley area. One Pole Fish-women buy one dozen snapper from the fishermen for around Le 290,000. They will then add 10% on top for retail. One grouper weighing in at around 3kg can sell for Le 500,000.

These hard-working men and women make it possible for tourists and locals to have a taste of the various types of fish Sierra Leone’s beaches have to offer. If you’re in need of fresh fish from Freetown, make sure you stop by at Lumley beach to get fresh fish of the day’s catch.

ILEAD – 50 MOST INFLUENTIAL YOUNG SIERRA LEONEANS

The Institute of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Development (iLEAD) has officially released the list of the 50 Most Influential Young Sierra Leoneans. This revelation was made at a press conference held at the Ministry of Youth Affairs’ conference room.

The CEO of iLEAD, Mr Alex Nallo Jr, says the selection process lasted for 21 days, by a panel of five youth development professionals.

“These people were categorized based on four criteria: how many people they impact; how large are their network and audience are; how much they have shaped Sierra Leone and how much they are likely to shape Sierra Leone in the future,” said Mr. Nallo jr.

“The group of 50 have been selected because they are at their prime, and are in the best position to positively influence the youth and therefore the future of Sierra Leone,” he continued.

These 50 Most Influential Young Sierra Leoneans will help promote and encourage the youth of Sierra Leone, thus giving them the determination and support they need to excel.

iLead is a high-impact social venture established with the vision to raise the next generation of Sierra Leonean leaders. They believe that if young people need to be given the necessary tools they need to be successful and self-sufficient. Some of these tools include; helping young people have a smooth transition from college to securing employment, offering opportunities for youth to turn their passion into a business, creating  platforms for networking, having access to business incubation and startup capital, and lastly training young people to give back to their communities through positive social actions.

The list of 50 Most Influential Young People in Sierra Leone includes people from all works of life; Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad. The list features the likes of Vickie Remoe who is the Managing Director of Vickie Remoe & Company; Ambassador Anthony Navo Junior who is the CEO of Africa Young Voices media empire; Samuel Valcacel Deputy Director General SLBC; Hawa Kamara, Miss Universe Sierra Leone 2016; Amadu Lamrana Bah who is a journalist and a host of other great personalities.

Mr. Nallo also expressed that, iLEAD believes in young people, and nurturing their skills and talents to make a change. When speaking about Family Planning, he said that the youth deserve the right to education on Family Planning this includes full choice and full access.

iLead is an organization that seeks to train young and upcoming business professionals and help them solve immerging problems in Sierra Leone.

The official ceremony will take place on 25^th April 2017 where the selected individuals including their names and accomplishments will be made available to the public.  

Pastor Emmanuel A. Momoh a miner in Kono District Eastern Sierra Leone found a  a 709-carat diamond, the second largest diamond found in Sierra Leone since the 969 ct star of Sierra Leone which was found in 1972, and handed it to the government.

A press release from State House says the president will ensure that the diamond is sold to the highest bidder in a transparent manner.

SwitSalone was in the streets of Freetown to ask everyday citizens two questions: Who owns Sierra Leone’s Diamonds? What you you do if you found a diamond?

Kathy Sesay, 25 from Freetown:

WHO OWNS DIAMONDS IN SIERRA LEONE?

“I think the diamonds are owned by the people through the government, because if someone finds a diamond and give to the government, the government would be able to sell and use the money to develop the country.”

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU FIND A DIAMOND?

“If I happen to find a diamond I will hand over to the government on the grounds that the government ensures that the due legal process stated in the laws of Sierra Leone with regards to the sales of diamonds is followed, and that I can personally benefit from the sales of the diamond depending on the size. If the diamond is not too big I won’t bother taking it to the government but will sell it legally to an authorised diamond dealer.”

Trevor Jex King, 28, from Freetown:

WHO OWNS DIAMONDS IN SIERRA LEONE?

“Diamond in Sierra Leone is owned by the people not the government, since it’s the people that own the lands. Most of these lands are owned by Chiefs and elders in the villages.  Government and these mining companies are just taking advantage over the fact that these local people do not have the mechanism, machinery and man power to mine diamonds.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU FIND A DIAMOND?

“If I find a diamond I will sell it for my own gain to better my life rather than taking it to officials for little or no commission. It is rare for one to stumble upon such precious gem just like that without digging and shifting dirt over and again.  I won’t put in so much effort into mining and happen to find a diamond after toiling for years, just for me to take it to government, and I don’t want to be told in the end that it’s not a diamond but a stone. So why won’t I just go to any private individuals and sell it myself and have something to sustain my life and have a big investment? Than to take it where I would be told it’s a stone or given little or no commission for finding it.”

Hassan Tejan Mansaray from Port Loko:

WHO OWNS DIAMONDS IN SIERRA LEONE?

“The questions of who owns the diamonds; people or Govt? I think the Government owns the diamond.  Simply because the government is charged with the responsibility of representing the people of Sierra Leone. Since the government is issuing all licenses for mining of diamonds, notwithstanding that the laws say it all that diamonds valued above 50 carats should be reported to government. Since the government is always being asked the question “why is it that we have all these mineral resources but Sierra Leone is still poor?”. So, to find an answer to this I think all diamonds are owned and should be managed by the government of Sierra Leone.’’

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU FIND A DIAMOND?

“Looking at my pedigree my first option is to consult my Lawyer for advice, because I don’t know all. Based on the advice, I will act accordingly. But again, based on the lack of trust of certain officials, I will smuggle the diamond out of SL and sell to other people.”

Titus Joseph Simbo, 23, from Freetown:

WHO OWNS DIAMONDS IN SIERRA LEONE?

“Before any individual starts to mine diamond in Sierra Leone, that person is supposed to have gotten a diamond mining license from the government so I think diamonds in Sierra Leone are owned by the people and it can only be owned by the government if the person that finds it has no legal diamond license to prove that he/she is not a legal miner.”

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU FIND A DIAMOND?

“If I find a diamond and I have a legal permit which is license, I’ll sell it myself and not give it to the government. I see no reason for me to give that to the government.’’

How She Made It

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Education, hard-work, and fearlessness are what it takes to succeed no matter where you are and what you’re up against. These were the words echoed by Dr. Fatu Forna, lawyer Michala Mackay, and Marketing Executive Ms. Aminata Dumbuya when they spoke at the forth edition of Swit Salone’s Recipes for Success in partnership with GoWoman Magazine at the Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel on 25 March 2017.

Ms. Michala Mackay, who is the CEO of Corporate Affairs Commission, said she qualified as a lawyer some fifteen years ago, after returning to Sierra Leone from England to “look after my mother who was very sick at the time”. On her return, she worked at Celtel before taking up her current job at Cooperate Affairs Commission.  She also revealed that one of the things that have always made her stand out from the crowd was her ultimate confidence and belief in herself.

“…I always say my mind in any situation; and I don’t fear anyone”.

She encouraged women of all works of life to always see each other as a source of strength and to always be reaching out to other less privileged women in need of help. She emphasized on the need for women to learn to speak up and always give a helping hand to other women. Among other things, she credited her success to education, hard work and self-confidence, saying these are the main ingredients in her recipes for success.

Ms Aminata Dumbuya, who is the CEO for Power for All Campaign, said she decided to come back home after the war to “help contribute to the country’s social, psychological and infrastructural development in my own small way”. On returning home she worked at Standard Chartered Bank and at Sierratel for a few years before setting up her own company. Ms Dumbuya said because she is not afraid to fail, she doesn’t fear anything.

“I give everything my best shot. If I fail, I learn the lessons and try again but I am not afraid to fail.  I only fear God and fear is not an option if you want to succeed in Sierra Leone as a woman.”

She encouraged women to embrace each other in other to put a united force against the forces of society that discriminate against women. She encouraged women to develop a high sense of purpose, and extreme hard work in their area of expertise if they are to make it in a “male dominated world”.

Dr. Fatu Forna finished medical school fifteen years ago, she works with the World Health Organization and is also a Fellow at the Centre for Disease and Control.  Together with her husband, she started the Mama Pikin Foundation in the provinces to “help women and their babies get basic medical assistance, which was badly lacking in those areas at the time”.  She credited family support, education and a liberal mind as her advantage over fear in life.

“Women should see each other as a source of strength and not of competition. Let us not be shy to ask for genuine help from other women when we are in need of anything.”

As she concluded her presentation Dr. Forna had this to say: “Education, hard work and self confidence are the key things that have helped me climbed the ladder of success as such, I encourage every woman and girl out there to embrace those three qualities if they want to make it in a society like ours.”

Vickie Remoe, Managing Director, Vickie Remoe and company, thanked the speakers for taking time to speak at the event and the audience.

Recipes for Success is an event designed for business owners, professionals and young entrepreneurs to network, connect and learn from the experience of the speaker(s) who have succeeded in their respective careers.

The next Recipes for Success will take place in June 2017. The keynote and date will be announced later. For any inquiries re RFS please email: marketing@vickieremoeandco.com

Jenneh Amara Bangali is on a mission to build a playground for children in Sierra Leone and at Fashion for Play at Radisson Blu she showcased fashion collections to raise funds for her Playground Foundation. He playground once completed will be the only public playground in Sierra Leone.

Mrs Amara Bangali says the idea for the fashion event was to use her talent in creative design to help raise funds for her Foundation. The Playground Foundation will be a safe place where children can play and learn life long skills like gardening and how to live in harmony with the environment. She says education is important for every child but so is play.

“Play is important to childhood development,’’ said Mrs Amara Bangali.

The Playground Foundation isn’t just going to build one playground but many all across Sierra Leone.

“The Playground Foundation was established with a vision to create safe stimulating environment for kids all over sierra Leone”, she added.

Mrs Amara Bangali says that the children in the provinces deserve to have the same opportunities to play and develop as those in the Capital City.

Fashion for Play was a family friendly fundraiser. There were models well as real mummies, daddies, and event grandparents on the runway. The fashion show featured men and women clothing from Hudson Martin Designs and Mrs. Amara Bangali’s own fashion brand, Swank Couture.

MONAJ

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Almost a million young Sierra Leoneans are Unemployed or Underemployed but a new generation of young entrepreneurs are on the rise.  Ramona Sankoh, 25, could not get a job a full year after graduating from the University of Sierra Leone, Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) with a degree in Applied Accountancy in 2013. Although she now works for the National Revenue Authority (NRA), she was inspired to start her own business in 2014 after struggling to land permanent employment.

She founded MONAJ, an fashion accessories start up for men and women by watching online video tutorials. MONAJ sells bags, jewelry, sandals, purses and more. Ms. Sankoh sources the raw materials such as hooks and chains from an online store in China and the textiles she gets locally from Sackville Street and elsewhere.

Not wanting to rest on her laurels, Ms. Sankoh continues to perfect her craft. Last year she took her online studies off line and spent a month studying production and design at Arts Center in Accra, a market for artisans and crafts in Ghana.

The prices for MONAJ accessories range from SLL 40,000-SLL 150,000 ($5-$15) Ms. Sankoh delivers all the orders herself and takes payment in cash, upon delivery.

The life of a young entrepreneur in Sierra Leone is not without its challenges. She has to balance her time between her salaried job, and her small business. And then there is the struggle to convince local Sierra Leoneans to purchase their African accessories from a local brand. She says many people just don’t believe that a Sierra Leonean can do something like this as good as those made in say Ghana or Nigeria. Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora seem to have a lot more faith in the made in Sierra Leone brand, MONAJ had an order for a 100 bags from one client in the US.

She is not the only local small business to face these challenges, and that’s why she is a part of a growing network of female entrepreneurs who support each other, and spread the word about each others’ businesses.

In the next five years, Ms. Sankoh aspires to have established business relationships with stockists around the country to increase her sales and distribution. She would also like to train others in who may be interested in learning the trade.

Want to get in touch with Ramona and place an order? Follow MONAJ on Instagram @MONAJ247, and Facebook @MONAJ.

Latoya Bianca Gerber is a very busy young woman. At age 22, she’s juggling her third year of law at Fourah Bay College, an internship at the Ministry of Lands and growing her company Toya Creations in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She specializes in custom gift baskets; including everything from flowers, perfumes to local fruits and vegetables. There is something for everyone, and a gift basket for every occasion. There’s even a coffee lover’s basket for the caffeine junkies out there.

Social media has been really important to the growth of Toya’s Creations. She has a combined following of about 10,000 on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, a noteworthy feat for a new start up.  Her customers are young and old, including Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora who want to send gifts to their family members back home. The bulk of the sales come from social media, people see her posts and contact her to make an order.

She started out after her mom encouraged her to do a couple snack gifts baskets. They did well and so it inspired her to continue. Mom is her chief supporter and de-facto business partner.

Toya Creations by Latoya Grber

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Even though most of the gift items include the usuals like perfumes, and chocolates; her stand out product is her local calabash fresh gift basket. She buys the fanners in bulk and then uses banana leaves for the base and the sides. She sources the fruits and vegetables from Regent, Grafton, Leicester and other communities in rural Western Area. The baskets are truly original and unapologetically Sierra Leonean, with fruits such as malombo, kushu, carambola (star fruit), tombi (tamarind) and other rare and local favorites. The calabash baskets also come loaded with traditional snacks like coconut cake, benni (sesame) cake and congu.

So far business is growing. She can deliver up to 50 orders in a month. Her next target is to get businesses to order branded baskets from Toya Creations. When customers ask for their orders to be delivered, she makes sure she does it herself, to add a personal touch and ensure that each person as a good experience. For now she has an assistant and a driver and she does everything else from sourcing to marketing on her own.

Toya Creations retails at a shop at 36 Sanders Street in Freetown but by November this year, she hopes to relocate to a family owned store at Pa Demba Road.

What keeps Ms Gerber going isn’t just the profits, its the satisfaction she gets from knowing she is providing a much needed service. She believes that there is a gap in the market for the local gift options both with regards to availability and price. There are gift items from as little as 50,000 ($7) and as much as 1,5 million ($200).   Miss Gerber loves to see a happy customer.

“When I get large orders, I don’t eat. I want to be a household name, with positive reviews,” says Ms Gerber whose ultimate goal is to run the largest gift shop in Sierra Leone.

We are stoked to introduce the wanderlust, and Salon cool Instagram feed of Julian Renner. What we really like about his images are the post processing. Anyone could take these pictures but in post Julian has an eye for shadows that really accentuate his point of focus. Everyday ordinary Salone things just look better under his lens. Don’t believe it? See for your self!

Boy with perspective. Nikon d5300.

A post shared by Joulesverne (@joulesverne) on May 2, 2017 at 3:57am PDT

Sorry. Had to make an adjustment to downtown Freetown. Nikon D5300.

A post shared by Joulesverne (@joulesverne) on May 21, 2017 at 6:10am PDT

Another rainy day in Freetown. Nikon D5300. @joulesverne

A post shared by Joulesverne (@joulesverne) on May 20, 2017 at 4:41am PDT

A post shared by Joulesverne (@joulesverne) on May 3, 2017 at 12:42pm PDT

A post shared by Joulesverne (@joulesverne) on Apr 25, 2017 at 6:50am PDT

There comes a time in each of our lives when a song perfectly captures your mood and Drizilik’s Di Mammy e moni foh komoh is that for me.
The fact that the video is simple, and authentic and the flow is dope is just icing on the cake. This song should be played everywhere and sent to everyone who owes you money. #IssaFact Di Mammy e moni foh komoh.

Drizilik is that stage name for Sierra Leonean music artist Benjamin Menelik George.
Here is more about him from Music in Africa: “His musical style is a combination of hip-hop, afrobeat, dancehall and fusion. Dizilik focuses his energy on live performances and multilingual lyricism which is rarely practiced by hip-hop artists in Sierra Leone. He is also a member of the Freetown Uncut Band and Grandmark Records.”

Images via – Envizage Concepts