Skip to main content

BDCD Broadens Makeni Media Disability Reporting Lenses


By: Alusine Rehme Wilson – (AR-Wilson)
As part of its project implementation plan, the Bombali District Coalition on Disability (BDCD) with support from catholic Canadian Organization for Development and Peace has successfully ended a day’s training workshop with invited pressmen from both Print and electronic media houses in Makeni over the weekend.

Since it was established in 2010 by coalition of Civil Society Organization, BDCD main focus has been glued to advocacies and promotion of disability issues in mainly Bombali District, with a vision of contributing and achieving accessible services, equal rights, justice, wellbeing, safety and providing opportunities for Persons with Disability in the Bombali District and the country at large.

The training which was staged at the NMJD Makeni Office located at Sillah Street in Makeni City, Bombali District Northern Sierra Leone featured dialogue sessions of questions and answers between Trainers and Trainees on the theme: “Understanding Disability and the Media” as a path way of popularizing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2011.

The lead trainers of the workshop were NMJD Makeni Director, Joseph Pukawa and BDCD Coordinator, Henry Francis who spearhead discussions with Newspaper, Radio and Televisions Journalists on: Disability Writing and Journalism Guides, Avoiding Stereotypes, Disability Culture and Community, words and phrases to use or not use, Social Media Versus Medical Model and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2011” were all looked into.

The training was very educative and interesting said Williamina Burah Dumbya and Yusuf Sowa two of the many participants of the workshop who revealed to this writer that Part V of the U.N Persons with Disability (PWD) Act of 2011 has not only jogged their memories as Reporters but has also educated and motivated them implement the ideas learnt from the one day interactive training.

Sulaiman Sixty Kamara an Experienced and Energetic Disable Activist, who is also a member of BDCD expressed his anxiety and appreciation for the inclusion of members of the fourth estate as the Project is rolling on gradually.

He further said that this is a perfect opportunity for them as PWDs for their voices to be heard with support from Journalists who are News carriers, thereby enhancing an enabling environment for inclusiveness of PWDs in all development sectors of the country.

In an interview with Northern Times, BDCD Coordinator Henry Francis commended Journalists for their role over the years in promoting disability issues in their various media houses and for being so responsive throughout the training.
He also said that participants are expected to accelerate the rate at which they go in to discover, publish, report and broadcast articles and stories centered around PWDs on Various Newspapers, radio and Televisions of theirs.

Participants made commitments to continue to educative the public to see PWDs as their contemporaries in the development and democratization processes  and not as inferiors in any society in the Bombali District and nationwide.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Senegal, first African team to beat England, but not first to score three goals

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson Claim: Soccer World HQ, in a Facebook post , claimed that Senegal is the first African team to beat England and the first to score three goals against them. Verdict: Partly True! Senegal is the first African team to beat England, but not the first to score three goals against them. Full Text The England senior men’s national football team, nicknamed the “Three Lions,” played their first match against Scotland in 1872. That match ended goalless but marked the beginning of an intense soccer rivalry between both nations, dubbed the “Auld Enemy.” Since 1872-2025, the England national team has achieved its 1000-game milestone in November 2019 when they played Montenegro at the Wembley Stadium. England's all-time head-to-head record shows that they’ve played a whopping 1072 matches against 100 countries, won 615 games, drew 255, and lost 200. Senegal, on the other hand, is one of Africa’s most famous football nations, nicknamed the “Lions of Teranga.” In 2002, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sierra Leone, Two other Nations disqualified from AFCON 2024 U17 Qualifiers

By: Abdulrahman Barrie The U17 football teams from Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau have been disqualified from the 2024 U17 African Cup of Nations competition in Senegal after failing the mandatory MRI test scans. These scans, which determine the age of the players, revealed discrepancies that led to their removal from the tournament. The disqualification follows changes to Article 27.4 of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations regulations, which have tightened the criteria and enforcement of age verification measures. The updated rules stipulate that if a team has more than four players deemed ineligible after the MRI eligibility test, the entire team will be disqualified. The MRI tests, used to enforce age restrictions in youth competitions, are crucial for ensuring fairness. Unfortunately, the teams from these three nations did not meet the age criteria, resulting in their disqualification. This decision has come as a significant disappointment for the young players and their fans, w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Makeni Medical Mission Brings Hope and Healing to Bombali District

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson Residents of the Asker Amputee Camp in Makeni City, including various war victims, are rejoicing over the inauguration of the Makeni Medical Mission health facility, established by philanthropist, author, and pastor Mr. Bambay Sawaneh, alongside his partners in the United States. This newly launched medical facility, comprising 11 treatment rooms, was developed with the support of Southeastern Medical International (SMI) and the Concord Christian Church. Their mission is to deliver compassionate healthcare and a range of medical services to the people of Bombali District and surrounding areas, with a particular focus on war victims and vulnerable families living in the Asker Amputee Camp at Robureh. At the official opening ceremony in Makeni city, a team of 10 medical missionaries from Southeastern Medical International, including Sheila Yates, a seasoned medical missionary with two decades of experience in the US, provided free medical care to 100 individuals,...
Post a Comment
Read more