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Manty Sulma Marah is a young woman with a seemingly far fetched dream but unlike most dreamers, she was determined to bring it to life by any means necessary. Manty Marah is a designer of used stuffs that other people have discarded such as slippers, sandals, broken chairs etc. but she didn't start out all knowing or with the idea of it becoming a trade. She started out of necessity. Manty who hails from a poor background explained to this medium that her craft of designing, reared its head when she would see old, worn out trousers and think up ways to transform them into beautiful skirts or shorter designed trousers, that people seemed to appreciate. That became an outlet due to the unexpected illness of her father which made her drop out of school and couldn't fulfill her plans of completion of higher education and thereby couldn't continue her work as a part-time teacher. Despite all this happening at the time, she never stopped creating new designs. It was during this phase that she was spotted by an admirer of her talent, who decided to sponsor her to study home economics at Young Women Christian Association, to ensure she acquires more skills to aid her work. It was during her training that she discovered she could put her transformation skills onto other wears like slippers, shoes and eventually chairs in 2014. As she got better at it, she had the urge to test herself more nd she enrolled to learn tailoring, thinking rightly that this could better her wrapping skills and this led to the beginning of her upholstery work in 2021. In full designer mode, she decided to share her recently acquired knowledge with younger versions of her and it was this that led to the establishment of Sulma's design, where young people interested in arts and designing could learn. Currently Manty is focusing on recycling tires, chairs and other similar items and transforming them into beautiful furniture as her passion project and in hopes of improving environment protection through limiting of wastages. According to Manty, her greatest challenge is the lack of support in her work, except for friends and relatives who believe in her but she lamented that acquiring materials used for her work sometimes prove itself as a herculean task given the cost of it.

Musician Fantacee Wiz, real name Fanta Kamara has served executive members of her football club Fantacee wiz Fc and her fans an Iftar meal as a sign of friendship and thanks for their commitment and dedication towards her craft. The meal serving was done at her home and meals were prepared by her mum. According to the singer, the club had registered as a community based organization and she had thought of a way to thank them. It was discussed and agreed that they will meet on the fifteenth day of Ramadan. She stated that she was surprised by the turnout especially from those who resided in almost opposite parts of the city. Those gathered broke their fast, prayed and did their Nafila at her home. She said to this medium that it is her first time of organizing Iftar but it was certainly an experience she will like to repeat.

Minister Nyelenkeh said this during the commemoration of the international day of sports for development and peace 2023 which takes place annually on 6 April. In his brief statement, the Minister of Sports Ibrahim Nyelenkeh, stressed on the power of sport and the opportunity it presents for athletes and administrators alike, to renew their commitment towards playing both indoor and outdoor sports. The National Sports Authority (NSA) Executive Director Dr. Kenneth Brima, said that it is in their collective interests to harness the tremendous power of sport to help build a better and sustainable future for every athlete and noted that sports transcends territorial boundaries, religion, culture among many others things and added that the Cup of Africa Nations brought the entire country together and that synergy must be replicated before, during and after the June 24 general elections. On her part, National Female Cyclist Fatima Deborah Conteh, stated that sport is an important enabler of sustainable development and she recognized the growing contribution of sports to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect, as she had a firsthand account of that during her triumphant moment in Ghana's Cycling Competition where she took gold for Sierra Leone. The day which provides an opportunity to recognize the positive role of sportsmen and women through physical sporting activities played in Sierra Leone and the world at large, was symbolized by a sponsored work from Congo cross to Lumley beach. The sponsored walk was geared towards the management of sports as a tool to create safe space for youth who are actively engaged in sports. The single leg amputee Sports Club visibly demonstrated their tactics and dexterity in football along the Lumley beach to delight those gathered. Movers and shakers in the Sporting eco-system dished out certificates to the many associations that equally came out to observed the day during a well-organized dinner at the Njala Venue on Lumley beach in Freetown.

The Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone has announced that collection of voters' card begins today Friday 7th April 2023, at designated centres nationwide. This is a fulfillment of another electoral process, which started off with the pronouncement of the date for multi-tier elections, by His Excellency President Bio. The window for collecting identity cards will last until the 26th April 2023 and attached below are the location of centres for the collection of the voters identity cards. Speaking in a previous interview with this medium, the National Returning officer of Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone Mohamed Konneh had disclosed that after the pronouncement, registration, collation and exhibition of voter data, issuing voter ID cards are key steps leading to finalizing the voter register mandatory for the June 24th elections. During the last week, the Electoral Commission with support from European Union in Sierra Leone has been engaging leaders of women groups on new candidate nomination process, awarding of seats and voter ID cards distribution. The commission also held a three day training for card issuing officers nationwide.

Footballer Mohamed Bangura known by many as Pobosky, during his recent visit to Sierra Leone, made a stop at the Secretariat of Sierra Leone Football Association Academy, to speak to the Othordox football club youngsters. The former Leone Stars forward related messages of encouragement to the players, reminding them that other players like him have made it to international leagues. He explained that the differential factor is cultivating discipline towards achieving goals and obedience to officials who have the potential to better their skills. He emphasized that discipline or the lack thereof has been a key challenge hindering efforts to becoming a thriving team. He recommitted himself to helping the next generation of Sierra Leonean Footballers, in any way possible. According to the gaffer of Orthodox Serry Turay , who himself was a Former Leone Stars player , they have been able to instill some aspects of discipline and orderliness to get them up to speed with the right mentality and unanimously implement the instructions given by Mohamed Bangura every step of the way.

The main opposition All People's Congress (APC) party has accused the state's security of a calculated ploy to narrow the democratic space in Sierra Leone. In a press statement released by the party on Tuesday 4th April, 2023, it was stated that the occurrence of 2nd April 2023 involving the convoy of Dr. Samura Kamara at mile 38 was nothing short of an assassination attempt. They narrated the event as escalating after  state's security barricaded the road leading to the town, preventing senior party officials from joining the campaign, resulting in an altercation and subsequent incarceration of some senior party stakeholders. The release say this incident which resulted in the death of one supporter and serious injuries to others, was a re-enactment of what happened during the final day of their campaign in Constituency 056, Samaya Bendugu. The APC party also alleged that during their triumphant entry to Freetown after their National Delegate Conference in Makeni, state security allegedly erected a notorious checkpoint by the Presidential Lodge, where anyone in red or APC t-shirt was molested and beaten up. The party has condemned what they described as  "the systematic harassment" of its members by the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party government and the persistent use of state institutions to silence opposition. They called for an immediate investigation into this alleged assassination attempt and the persistent use of state institutions against their party. The security forces in written and verbal statements debunked allegations of firing live rounds and emphasized that the events at Mile 38 stem from attempts to minimize crowd and maintaining order. They furthered that, had the party adhered to the gentleman's agreement they had made, the incident would not have occurred. The agreement is said to have provided for the use of ten vehicles as part of the party's procession but however, at the time they had gotten to Mile 38, the party had exceeded the agreed ten vehicles which had necessitated the call for disembarkment and attempts to enforce the agreement.

The ministry of lands, housing and country planning has commenced a registration exercise for Motor bikes and motor tricycle riders residing in Western Urban and Western Rural. The exercise which commenced on 31st March and projected to last until 12th April, is to enable these people to own lands and personal homes. The outreach and mobile registration/application process was done by the Media and Public Relations Office of the Ministry of lands, with consulting group, Jamboree consult. The registration schedule will continue at these locations and on these dates: Model Junction - 31st March 2023 Kingtom - 1st April 2023 Wilberforce - 3rd April 2023 Lumley - 4th April 2023 UpGun - 5th April 2023 Shell - 6th April 2023 Wellington - 7th April 2023 Jui - 8th April 2023 Waterloo - 10th April 2023 Kent - 11th April 2023 Hamilton - 12th April 2023 When questioned by this medium on the transparency and fairness of this registration and raffle, Public relations Officer of the Ministry of lands Abdul Fonti Kabia stated that their Ministry is working closely with the Okada and Kekeh Unions to ensure that only commercial riders participate and benefit from the raffle. As a second security measure, applicants must present riders license and union membership proof before applications are accepted, whilst the draw will be conducted in full view of participants, ACC, civil society, journalists, members of the general public and streamed live on social media platforms and national television.

Reality Star Alusine Kamara known as Timbaland of Jenkin Street has made a donation of 26 bags of rice to people of the Savage Square and Fourah Bay community, today Wednesday 5th April, 2023. According to Alusine, this is his fourth year of such donation, a novelty of his during Ramadan. Alusine who hails from an Islamic home, said this effort is part of his upbringing as a fulfillment of another pillar of Islam, the aspect of Zakat. The twenty-six bags of 25kg of rice amounts to a little above eight million, five hundred and he says it was shared randomly to men and women known to be members of that community.

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio took to Twitter on 4th April 2023, to speak on the fifth anniversary of his service as President of the Republic. According to President Bio, despite global issues, his administration was able to achieve "developmental strides to improve the quality of life of Sierra Leoneans". He explained that his administration chose to build the Next Generation instead of focusing on the Next Election, slated for 24th June 2023. He remarked that these five years is a half of his time in office based on his work done and plans to transition from the New Direction to staying in the Right Direction for the sustainability of our economic development efforts in SierraLeone.

Sierra Leonean volleyball Star Ishmail Bangura has registered an impressive start to his Goshen College Athletics Program in the United States of America. The former Super Six strongman won two awards in the Wolverine Hossier Athletics Conference (WHAC) with the all-conference being his first award and later the freshman of the year for the second award. Ishmail 27 relocated to the United States of America in January of 2023 and enrolled at the Goshen College Athletics Program. Due his impeccable skills he has emerged as the second best player in the history of Goshen College to record 20 plus kills back-to-back and he is leading his colleagues as the overall point maker with a total of 299 kills. Prior to his US career development, Ishmail has represented Sierra Leone in more than fifteen International tournaments including the qualification to the world championship in Hamburg, Germany in 2019. In a delightful mood from his apartment in the US, Ishmail Bangura, revealed to this Medium that his sense of pride in representing Sierra Leone is out of this world and the prospect of spurring up aspiring Volleyball players to emulate his shining examples on the International stage is his goal. He added that the drive to succeed amongst players who have the wherewithal to thrive was not an easy one but he noted that where determination prevails, failure can never dismantle the flag of success. Ishmail Bangura, maintained that his life-long dream of becoming a professional volleyball star is perfectly tailored on a winning frame of mind as time will write the final script in every endeavour.

The National Olympic Committee has met with various Sporting Associations at the Olympafrica Centre at Goderich to discuss preparations towards the second edition of the African Beach Games that is billed for the city of Hammamet, Tunisia from the 24 to 30June 2023. The meeting which was held at the Henry Moore Auditorium on Saturday, April 1, 2023 was attended Secretaries of Beach Handball, Volleyball, Tennis, basketball, Teqball and Archery among many others. Chef ‘De’ Mission Yayah Koroma , said preparations for the Bali Games that is expected to commence on the 5 to 12 August 2023 had commenced long before the meeting was held and that the qualification systems for the games had been communicated earlier on to the various discipline and added that keen interest must be given to the qualification process to possibly trigger the representation of Sierra Leone in the African beach games and to visibly demonstrated the drive to compete and not to make up the numbers. Yayah also noted the preliminary arrangement of the 2023 African Beach Games, and the possible disciplines that would grace the games if only they meet the threshold of qualification. Some Members of the different sporting Associations including the technical director of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association Harold Palmer , gave valid suggestions in so far as reaching the ultimate targets of the national Olympic of sierra Leone especially in terms of athletes representation and development alike. Meanwhile, the president of NOC, Prince Sualley, reaffirms the commitment of the body to conduct the various processes through transparent and credible manner in a bid to obtain better representation on the international stage. The Maiden edition of the African Beach game took place in Sal , Cape Verde from 14 to 23 June 2019 and the following the great success of the inaugural edition over one thousand participants including the fifty four Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Member countries are expected to grace the games. Sierra Leone as in many other countries getting the green light for athletes to grace the African beach games this year would be a complete joy in itself.

Sierra Leone’s Female Cricket national Team has made an impressive account in the 2023 National cricket Federation (NCF) tournament in Nigeria at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval in Lagos. The Female patriots as they are fondly called had a difficult start against Nigeria in their opening encounter, but were brave enough to register a third place triumph, as well as the second biggest win from any national cricket representative side. The defeated Cameroon by five wickets in first match before the reverse match to grab the third place trophy against Cameroon in the Women’s Cricket Tournament in Nigeria. The ladies exhibited Great Spirit as they did against Ghana to earn the all-important five wickets against Cameroon. Cameroon made some 81 runs despite the loss of nine wickets in twenty overs, reaching a significant milestone in the tourney. According to the Head Coach of the Senior Female Patriots, Kenneth Masinga, the outing in Nigeria was an opportunity to expose the newly recruited players in the team and they approached the tournament with the ultimate target of winning the giant trophy with the wherewithal to succeed. He also vowed to support the team in reaching the aspirations of the Sierra Leone Cricket Association. On his part, the Chairman of SLCA, Francis Trevor Samura, applauded the team for the satisfactory display in Nigeria and noting that they visibly demonstrated class and passion all throughout the tournament and that the achievement is not only for the team but for the country as a whole. The Female patriots are currently ranked thirty eight in the World and ninth in Africa, and the recent feat in Nigeria would likely improve their ranking. Janet Sowa was awarded as the woman of the match due to her exceptional bowling qualities, and according to Bockaire Allieu, member of the SLCA Media, Janet has been one of the finest bowlers in the Female National Team and it was no surprise for her to bag such recognition. Alice Fillie and Celina Bull were equally earmarked for their outstanding performances in the competition. The female Patriots of Sierra Leone have raised the bars so high in terms of representation and it is hoped that they would replicate same for the forthcoming International Cricket Council women’s T20 In both South Africa and Botswana in September this year.