9rivermedia

John Keita will vote for the first time in 2018 March 20 was the date set by Sierra Leone’s National Electoral Commission, or NEC, to begin registration for the 2018 Elections. All citizens of Sierra Leone who are 17 years or older have been asked to register. Only those people who are on the Voters’ Register and present a Voters ID Card will be able to vote in the 2018 Elections. Young Life spoke to young people in one electoral ward. Some of them voted in the last elections. Others are looking forward to voting for the first time.   Juliet Thomas voted in 2012 and she's hoping to vote again in 2018. She had just turned eighteen when she voted in the last elections. Almost six years on, is she better off? Juliet says she had plans to go to college but couldn't because her mother was out of work. Juliet still hasn’t been able to raise enough money to pay her college fees. She also said things were much cheaper five years ago. For example, a cup of rice used to b...

Many people sustain their lives through small business ventures. In Freetown, young people are starting their own businesses with little capital. Christiana Coker sells medicine around the city.  One of her products is Kofsil, which is good for whooping cough and sore throats. She also sells Alafia Bitters for Le2, 000.  Bitters are a tonic used as a cure-all for malaria, constipation, body aches, and pains. Christiana has a permit to sell drugs issued by the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone. The board is a regulatory agency and it ensures the protection of public health.  As a legal vendor, Christiana is able to advise her customers on the right dose for children and adults, and possible effects on the body. She said business is not always good. Sometimes she doesn’t make any sales because there are a lot of other vendors so there’s always competition. She has been trading for two years and makes about Le200, 000 a week. Her taxes average Le5, 000 each month. Christi...

The Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation works to empower women and girls. Their mission is to help communities live free from violence, to value and respect people in their households and in areas where they live and feel at home. Mohammed Jalloh is the founding director of the Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation.  He said the organization is named in memory of his friend, Ellen, who loved helping women and girls in Sierra Leone. Ellen was born in Norway in Scandinavia. She died in 2009 from complications with cancer. Mohammed said it was Ellen, who first came up with the idea of an organization set up to help vulnerable women and girls. Lady Ellen Women’s Aid ensures that, alongside women and girls, they sensitize men and boys on bullying and the penalties of crimes against the person. “Our vision is based on the premise that everyone has a right to live free from fear or intimidation,” Mohammed said. The organization also helps women and girls do savings and loans...