Edward Thomas Lassayo Esq. on Tuesday 26th April 2022 officially launched the African Heritage Leadership Center-Sierra Leone (AHLC-SL) at the New City Hall on Lightfoot Boston Street in Freetown on the theme ‘Stimulating Youth Leadership to Preserve and Promote African’s Unique Heritage.’
Talking on the topic, Marriage Between Tribal and Culture, the co-founder of AHLC-SL, Dynasty Amid disclosed that he is a proud Sierra Leonean, that the Number 2 River beach is the best in the world, that all Sierra Leoneans are obligated to promote the values of the country that is blessed and the most beautiful but lamented that people only relate Ebola, Blood Diamonds and Corona to Sierra Leone and condemned the same old excuses that people give for not visiting the country.
He called on all Sierra Leoneans to promote the good image of the country by making it the number one destination in the world that would lure people to visit the country, disclosed that South Africa is the most visited country in Africa and underscored that his job is to put Sierra Leone on the spotlight, urged non-Sierra Leoneans to visit the country and affirmed that initiatives like these are important especially for youths.
According to Dynasty Amid, may all the objectives of the organization come to pass, observed that tourism can be the game changer by creating jobs, economic empowerment and prosperity and appealed to all to read and explore about their culture and heritage.
Musa Sowa, former Minister of Culture, Fourah Bay College Students’ Union Government said the organization is registered as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with the aim of positioning the youths as advocates for tourism research as well as enhance sustainable youth heritage enlightening that Sierra Leone is rich in heritage and the hob of culture with the organization ensuring youth leadership in holistic culture.
He furthered that the organization also aims at stimulating indigenous culture, create a rich heritage and revealed that they would organize a tour for pupils from various schools on Independence Day but observed that most youths are not interested in their culture and heritage.
The President of the Fourah Bay College Students’ Union Government, Adama Sillah underscored the importance for students to understand heritage and culture as well as to preserve and protect them.
She went on to observe that in spite of the challenges, the African Studies and Arts Departments respectively at Fourah Bay College have helped to preserve the country’s culture and heritage but lamented that students are losing sight of their culture and heritage and asked the rhetoric question, “how do we ignite the fire to wake up our leaders to promote our culture and heritage?”
Earlier, Augustine Bona, who chaired the event, asserted that they want to incorporate tourism into the society to promote the ideology of Africa, that there is beauty about Africa citing the values and great achievements of African leaders like Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan.
Shazel Mohamed also addressed the event via zoom.
Highlights of the program included a poem by Ibrahim Munu on the value of the Sierra Leone culture, drama performance by pupils of the Methodist Boys High School about how civilization has resulted to people abandoning their culture and heritage which is their way of life and the Fourah Bay College Cultural Group and the question and answer session.
