7 minute read On my birthday, 31 March 2020, Sierra Leone recorded its first case of COVID-19. In his maiden statement to the nation on 18 March 2020, President Bio said “it is no longer a question of whether the Coronavirus (COVID-19) will come to Sierra Leone, it is a question of when”. For various reasons I had a hunch it was already upon us, so I wasn’t scared. It made me wonder though whether enough was being done to contain it. Since then, flights to Sierra Leone have b

When we decided to expand JobSearch by building its own office with training space, we knew we would have to borrow the funds, as we did not have a building fund. GTBank, our primary bankers, agreed to lend us over Le420m in April 2018, payable over 18 months. The initial moratorium was three months and was extended by a further three months. The total interest on the loan was over Le75m. When we moved into the office our costs increased significantly. Our staff strength grew

8-minute read I have owned and managed JobSearch (SL) Ltd (www.jobsearchsl.com), a Human Resources firm, for 12 years. It started as a recruitment company, which exposed us to the enormity of the skills deficit issue in Sierra Leone. We added ‘skills development’ as a service and designed a few courses to introduce first time jobbers to workplace expectations. We also became members of the TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) Coalition to assist with impro

We held our fifth quarterly 'Employee of Choice' training session on Friday 29 April 2016. 14 participants attended the one day training and as usual we had a fun-filled day sharing our experiences and giving job seekers and first jobbers information that would help them gain a competitive edge over their colleagues. We received the following feedback from one of the participants: Dear Madam, I am writing this mail to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity given me

A prospective investor visited Sierra Leone intent on building a partnership with a company with whom he had liaised online and on hte phone. His plan was to seal the deal and this was his experience: his potential partners were an hour late for their first meeting, during which they interrupted him constantly by taking phone calls. it was clear they were lacking in business etiquette. They did not improve on further acquaintance. they were late for subsequent meetings whe

Saturday 23rd May – IFC’s Business Edge Training of Trainers starts on Monday at New Brookfields Hotel (NBH). Due to the works on Wilberforce Road, it’s going to be very challenging leaving from home every day. I decided to move into the hotel for the week. Sent an e-mail to ‘reservations’, but got no response. Called all the numbers on the website several times during the day and eventually got through to ‘housekeeping’ who told me to call back. I insisted I needed to sp

A lot of us are guilty of not recognising our subordinates for a job well done. The general thinking is that they are doing the job they are being paid for. While that is true, if we want our employees to feel like part of the organisation, then we have to show them that we appreciate them. We chastise them when they don't do the job as required, so it makes sense to commend them when they get it right. 80% of the CVs I receive are from job seekers who have worked for an o

One of the most popular discussions I have had with my peers has been about the indiscipline in Sierra Leone. A common conclusion is that it is down to the lack of discipline in the police force. That is why I was pleased to read an article in Awoko this morning about the IG's plans to transform Sierra Leone Police, which includes development of the Sierra Leone International Law Enforcement Academy (SILEA). Whereas I don't think developing skills in isolation will transfor

On the 20th of this month, I would have lived in Sierra Leone for 12 years. I was only 17 when I left Sierra Leone to study in the UK and had never experienced banking. I maintained a bank account in the UK for over 7 years and it did not warrant a conversation. One of the first things I learned when I moved back home was that you had to have at least one contact in your bank if you wanted a fairly easy life. During visits to the bank at which I have maintained my salary acco

TVET is defined by UNESCO as “those aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of economic life”. TVET thus equips people not only with vocational skills, but with a broad range of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are now recognised as indispensable for meaningful part

It is the end of the academic year and millions of people around the world will say with justifiable pride, that they are now qualified in their subject or profession. A word to the wise: savour the moment. The truth is that being awarded the certificate that congratulates you on the successful completion of your accountancy, legal, Human Resources (HR), teachers, media, procurement etc training is only the first step in the lifelong process of Continuing Professional Devel

Recently I attended the launch of Sierra Rutile Limited’s Localisation Plan at British Council. Over 40 years old, Sierra Rutile is the oldest mining company in Sierra Leone and is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange with a share price of GBP 63.50. It is a company that I am very passionate about, not just because my father worked there for 12 years and Mobimbi was my 2nd home or because the current CEO is one of my closest friends, but also because their