Stories about Sierra Leone
Ebola Strips Africans of Their Cultural and Human Values
A social anthropologist and sociologist Ginny Moony explains how Ebola outbreak strips off Africans of their humanity: The way West-Africans care for their sick and deceased, supposedly differs significantly from that of the rest of the world. This is far from true. All over the world, the essence of care...
Surviving Sierra Leone's Three-Day Ebola Lockdown
Some point out that cultural practices in parts of Sierra Leone aggravate risks, such as bathing in water used to wash Ebola victims, believing it will bring good luck.
Questioning Weekend's Media Silence About Ebola
“When will Ebola news go 24/7?,” asks a US/Canadian professor Crawford Kilian: I have long been used to outbreak news dropping off on weekends. The media, government agencies, and NGOs all knock off on Friday afternoon and show up again Monday morning. But after the last few weeks of Ebola,...
Are Madagascar's Health Care Facilities Ready for Possible Ebola Outbreak?
Fifteen African countries including Madagascar are potentially at risk since they have the same environmental characteristics as affected countries. The prime minister says Madagascar is prepared, but others are doubtful.
The Ebola Truth
The Ebola Truth is a Facebook page that aims to document the situation with the Ebola virus on the African continent.
From Liberia to South Korea, West Africa's Ebola Outbreak Is Met With Ignorance and Paranoia
A pub in South Korea posted a notice turning away Africans "due to Ebola virus," and a Nigerian millionaire preacher is offering to cure Ebola patients with his special water.
African Ebola Survivors Share Their Stories of Recovery and Stigma
"Thank god for the doctors. They gave me a certificate that indicates I am free of Ebola in case anyone would still doubt."
Deadly Diseases, Violent Conflicts and White Saviors: Hollywood's Skewed Portrayal of Africa
The film "Outbreak" about a fictional Ebola-like virus hit theaters nearly 20 years ago. Has Hollywood's perception of Africa evolved since then?
4 Infographics on the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
4 infographics to know about the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
Mapping the 567 Ebola Cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone
On June 16, 49 new Ebola cases, 12 of them deadly, were reported by the WHO. Bart Janssens, director of operations of The international NGO Doctors without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF)) released a statement saying that: The epidemic is out of control, with the appearance of new sites in...
From Fiji to Italy, Global Eco-Tourism Communities Blossom
TribeWanted has developed a model for self-sustainable eco-retreats that are co-funded by members and operated together with locals at a growing number of worldwide locations.
News Websites Indicted over Land Grab Report
News Websites Rue89 and Basta Mag are indicted [fr] following charges by French investment and industrial holding group Bolloré over a report in which they implicate Bolloré [fr] in land grab activities [fr] in Africa. The report lists the group's activities in Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Politis, a weekly analysis website, reacted...
‘Tribewanted’ Creates, Connects Eco-Villages
Renewable energy, permaculture and green building, along with local traditions and eco-tourism: welcome to Tribewanted – an online community launched in 2006 based on the idea of “global citizenship” and harnessing the energy of social media to meaningfully connect and practice positive behavior change. Thanks to crowdfunding strategies, the project plans...
Sierra Leone: Mapping Out Real-Time Election Data
Sierra Leone holds its third national election since the end of their civil war on 17 November, 2012. A coalition of monitoring organisations in the country, National Election Watch, will map out real-time election-related data using OneWorld's monitoring technologies. The idea is to help civil society diagnose, anticipate and prepare for immediate action in the event of fraud or violence.
Concern over Subterranean Water in the Sahel
We are told that miners do everything to waterproof the soil and ensure that waste does not contaminate subterranean water. But it must be recognized that there is always a risk, as they can never be completely sure that they are not contaminating subterranean pools. Moreover, with the impact of...
Sierra Leone: Is Ami Musa the Saddest Pinterest Page in the World?
One blog, Lovelyish, considers a Pinterest campaign about a 13-year-old girl Ami Musa from Sierra Leone by UNICEF UK to raise awareness about children living in poverty in Africa "the saddest Pinterest page in the world." Another blogger, Tom Murphy, argues that Pinterest represents a bit of a brave new world for NGOs to reach newer audiences.
2012 Paralympics: A Successful Start, Remarkable Stories
Martine Wright, a survivor of the London bombings, Rim Ju Song, the first North Korean participant who, a few months ago, could not swim; and Hassiem Achmat, who survived a shark attack. Just some of the remarkable Paralympic athletes.
Africa: African Women on Fire
Rumbidzai Dube explains why 2012 is the year for African women: “2012 has been a progressive year for African women in global politics. In April Joyce Banda of Malawi became the first ever female president of Malawi and the Second Female president in Africa […]Just yesterday, Dr Nkosana Dhlamini-Zuma became...
Sierra Leone: Reflections on Charles Taylor and Justice
Robtel Pailey reflects on Charles Taylor's verdict: “What Charles Taylor’s verdict signifies for me is the need to reconfigure Africa’s domestic systems of justice, so that we don’t have to rely on the West to judge when, where, and under what circumstances we can punish for transgressions that we deem...
Africa: Calls for Transparency Over Marked Increase in Land Deals
Almost 5% of Africa's agricultural land has been bought or leased by investors since 2000. Observers are increasingly worried about the fact that such land deals usually take place in the world poorest countries and how they impact its most vulnerable population, the farmers.
Sierra Leone: Postcards From Freetown: Then and Now
Babak uses old postcards from Freetown, Sierra Leone to compare what was then to what is now: “The series of “Once Salone: Freeown’s then and now” is a photography project that sent him sometimes to the most unlikely places to identify the locations.”