Feature

By Abu Bakar Jalloh

Sierra Leone is no exception to contentions between science and politics over COVID-19, the global pandemic that has infected nearly 12 million people and claimed more than 542,000 lives across the world as of this week.

However, Sierra Leone, like many other African countries, is an exception to the exponential growth of coronavirus cases seen daily in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil and Russia.

Brig. (Rtd) Kellie Hassan Conteh is the Interim National Coordinator of the National Coronavirus Emergency Operation Center (NACOVERC).

Kemo Cham spoke with him about the response effort from the onset, the successes, the challenges and the future.

By Abdul Tejan-Cole

On Saturday, June 27, Lazarus resurrected again. Many would recall the story recounted in the holy Bible in John 11:1-44 about how Jesus Christ raised Lazarus of Bethany from the dead four days after he had been buried in a tomb. One of his modern day namesakes, Prof. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, completed a great comeback to emerge as the winner of Malawi’s Presidential elections defeating incumbent President, Peter Arthur Mutharika.

By Dr. Alpha T. Wurie

By Aroun Rashid Deen in New York City

There are sometimes challenging moments that would grip a whole community making things appear to be at a complete loss. That was exactly what happened to the Sierra Leonean community in New Jersey in the United States in the wake of the COVID-19.

The pandemic hit Sierra Leoneans there hard. But when all seemed lost, the leadership from across all sections of the community in the state stepped forward and brought some calm, hope, and reassurance that all wasn’t lost.   

By Dr Alhaji Umar N’jai

On Tuesday 23^rd June 2020, President Julius Maada Bio announced at a press conference at State House the easing of the Covid19 inter-district travel ban and pushed back the curfew time from 9PM to 11PM nationwide. This announcement came 85 days after the Covid19 index case had been recorded on 31 March.

By Bartholomew Bockarie Kamara

Women of all ages continue to be subjected to many different forms of violence at the hands of men. In all of Sierra Leone – from family members to colleagues and complete strangers – violence is employed to maintain male dominance over women. Despite growing public attention and government pledges to eradicate this century-old scourge, violence against women remains widespread in Sierra Leone.