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Showing posts from April, 2017

Young Life in Freetown | After the fire at Susan's Bay

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S ince Monday April 3rd, when fire raced through Susan's Bay, hundreds are still coming to terms with the disaster. Thanks to the World Food Program (WFP) in Sierra Leone, survivors have gotten by on donations of rice and cooking oil. The WFP also helped put up makeshift tents.   Sanoh Yasaneh said she’s grateful to the WFP for giving whatever support they can. However, she said, not everyone got supplies. There also aren’t enough tents, according to Sanoh. "We're over fifty, sharing a tent,” she said. “What if there's disease, wouldn't we all fall victim? Eyes need to be drawn here or else, we might not survive this crisis," she said.   Momodu Turay complained that his family didn't receive supplies either. Momodu said getting a bed in the tents is difficult because they are so overcrowded. “We need help. It is not safe.  My family and I have given up,” he said.   Nancy Sowa said Susan's Bay  is a mess because there are no public toilets. ...

Young Life in Freetown | Journalist’s death puts healthcare under spotlight

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The death of a 33-year-old Sierra Leonean journalist has put healthcare under the spotlight. Arthur Ben Tucker, whose articles have been published in local and international newspapers, died Saturday while being treated for an unknown illness by a traditional healer, according to social media reports. A former reporter for The New Vision Newspaper, Tucker specialized in court reporting but covered politics, community and human-interest stories, a colleague said in an obituary posted in Native Think Tank’s WhatsApp group. Tucker’s death sent shock waves through the Native Think Tank (NTT) community and was trending on WhatsApp, where he used the handle @NativeIsatu. “Arthur hid behind a veil,” noted one obituary. “This veil turned out to be the most ignored of species— the female. In death, that decision has only enlarged his status.” Isatu is one of the most popular girl names in Sierra Leone. @Peebeck said in a news release that he watched Tucker grow from a young Four...