By: Alusine Rehme Wilson
29 years old Isatu Kanu, a mother of two, says voting on Saturday, June 24 for the first time in the general elections of her country was “bitter-sweet.”
Kanu who whose current age makes her eligible to would have first voted since 2012 said she could not exercise her franchise although eligible to vote in her nation’s last two general elections because of pregnancy and hunted by fatigue to show up at registration centres for the successive voter registrations.
Thankfully, when the voter registration started for the June 24, 2023 election I was not pregnant this time, I was excited and had to show up early at the registration centre in my area and registered then showed up also for the verification and as early as 6:45am on Saturday, I had already joined other eligible voters at the Baptist primary school, Lady’s Mile, Makeni in readiness to vote, but my experience here today is a memorable one, Kanu explained.
“Although I arrived early at the centre to vote I could not vote until 2:45pm. This was because voting did not start at 7:00am as the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) had announced. The first voter in my centre 04192, the Baptist primary school, Lady’s Mile, Makeni I can recall voted successfully at 9:25am and then others before my time to vote reached."
Furthering that "at some point, I almost got frustrated over the delay and wanted to return home without voting but I had to rethink and said to myself no I’m 29 now and wants to let my vote be my voice in the democratization process of my nation which I want to see develop rapidly with me making my choice to win through my votes, so I waited and to be frank, after casting my vote I felt fulfilled with excitements to have ever voted in our nation’s general election for the first time this year,” she told Awoko Newspaper with excitement.
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,...
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