Author: gleanernewspaper

The atmosphere at the Bo Women Skills Training Centre was charged with joy, gratitude, and hope as the LANYI Foundation proudly hosted its first graduation ceremony for vulnerable women and girls. This significant event marked the successful completion of a 12-month intensive training program focusing on tailoring and producing eco-friendly sanitary pads, which was generously funded by the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. Under the inspiring theme of “Empowerment Through Skills,” the ceremony brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including partners, community leaders, beneficiaries, and supporters, all united in commemorating a transformative journey that is already reshaping lives. The graduation…

Illustration by Joanna Andreasson for New Lines Magazine. (Photo credit: Erik Cleves Kristensen Creative commons. By-Oliver Dunn By-Josef Skrdlik It was just after 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day, 2023, when Hussein Fawaz joined the growing line outside Scarlet, an exclusive nightclub at a seaside resort in Freetown. The evening air was warm and humid, and the crowd at the entrance was growing thick. Fawaz, the nephew of one of Sierra Leone’s Lebanese tycoons, was tipsy after several rounds of toasts at a family party. When an athletic-looking white man in his early 30s began edging past the queue with…

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has welcomed a high-level delegation from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other agricultural partners who paid a courtesy visit to discuss expanding collaboration in Sierra Leone’s agricultural transformation efforts. The delegation included Donald Brown, Associate Vice President of IFAD; Enoch Chikava, Director of Agriculture Delivery Systems at the Gates Foundation; and representatives from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and McKinsey’s Africa Agriculture Transformation Initiative (AATI). During the visit, Mr. Chikava praised President Bio’s strong support for food security through the Feed…

Sierra Leone and the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) are intensifying efforts to strengthen natural resource governance and combat the estimated $90 billion Africa loses annually to illicit financial flows (IFFs). A four-day high-level seminar, which concluded last week, yielded concrete recommendations aimed at tackling this critical economic challenge. Over 70 stakeholders, including representatives from the government, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations, convened at The Place Resort in Tokeh. The seminar, themed “Harnessing Africa’s Wealth: Curbing Illicit Financial Flows for Resilient Growth and Development,” underscored the urgency of addressing IFFs as one of the continent’s most pressing…

By Abdulai Braima Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Hon. Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, today held a high-level meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, at the Commonwealth Secretariat headquarters in Marlborough House, London. The meeting, a follow-up to a similar engagement between His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio and Secretary-General Botchwey in May this year, marked a further step in advancing Commonwealth collaboration and enhancing Sierra Leone’s development agenda. In her opening remarks, Secretary-General Botchwey warmly welcomed the Vice President and congratulated President Bio on assuming the Chairmanship of ECOWAS. She commended Sierra Leone’s growing leadership role in regional…

Kadijatu Balaima Allieu was held down and subjected to FGM in Sierra Leone. Photograph: Umaru Fofana The Ecowas court of justice has ordered the West African country to criminalise female genital mutilation after hearing the case of a woman brutally forced to undergo the practice. As Kadijatu Balaima Allieu walked to a neighbour’s house in her village in Sierra Leone, she had no idea that what was about to happen would alter the course of her life for ever. It was a beautiful September morning in 2016 and Allieu, 28 at the time, had gone to resolve a dispute she had…

By Jeneba A. Conteh Sierra Leone has officially launched its inaugural Uterine Health Fund, marking a watershed moment in the nation’s healthcare for women. This groundbreaking initiative aims to address the pressing reproductive health challenges that women face and represents a significant step forward in the fight for reproductive rights across the country. On Friday, July 25, 2025, the launch event was held at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, with a diverse audience of health professionals, policymakers, and advocates. JESS The uterus, a vital organ in the female reproductive system that is essential for menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth, is central…

Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister has met with executives from Groupe Banga, a leading Pan-African construction and real estate development company, to discuss potential strategic collaboration on large-scale social housing projects throughout the country. The engagement is consistent with President Julius Maada Bio’s national development agenda, which prioritizes affordable housing, job creation, and economic development. Mr. Joseph Munda Sandi, General Manager of the Sierra Leone Housing Corporation (SALHOC), stated at the meeting that the purpose of the visit was to begin discussions about a potential partnership to help address the country’s housing deficit. He stated that such collaboration contributes to President…

His Excellency, Sierra Leone President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has issued a resounding call for decisive action on United Nations Security Council reform, highlighting Africa’s legitimate and long-overdue request for permanent representation. President Bio described the Sixth Summit of the African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government (C-10), held virtually on Friday, as a watershed moment in Africa’s two-decade-long quest for equity and justice in global governance. “As a continent historically excluded from the highest decision-making body on global peace and security, our call is not for charity but for fairness,” Bio’s president said. “Africa will no…

Aidan Fitzpatrick, Ireland’s Ambassador to Sierra Leone, paid a farewell courtesy call on His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio, marking the end of his two-year diplomatic mission in the country. In his remarks, Ambassador Fitzpatrick thanked President Bio for welcoming him and took the opportunity to congratulate him on his recent election as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Reflecting on his time in Sierra Leone, Ambassador Fitzpatrick praised President Bio’s efforts to advance women’s rights. He also praised the Sierra Leoneans for their warmth and hospitality, as well as the country’s growing international recognition…