November Edition

 

Welcome to the November edition of the VSL Newsletter! It seems for a lot of people the only things on their mind are the Christmas holidays and with the weather the way it is at the moment I wouldn't blame them - sometimes we all need a bit of sun!

Sign up for the boat trips before it's too late!

There are still a few seats available for the boat trips in to Banana Island and Bunce Island on the 23rd and 30th of December respectively. Please sign up for to confirm your place on these trips. I would advise against waiting until you arrive in Freetown as it is usually hectic during the Christmas period! Sign Up Now

Site Update: New featured Hotels Page!

There is now a featured hotels page through which you will be able to make reservations via VisitSierraLeone.org. Making hotel reservations from the other side of the Atlantic can prove a challenging task sometimes but our staff on the ground will actually contact the hotel on your behalf and demand in writing from the hotel, its rate, availability and confirmation of booking. We will provide you with a faxed confirmation which you will need if you have to apply for a visa. We are proud to have Hotel Cabenda on board and look forward to bringing more hotels, highlighting the best deals for you in the coming months.

 

Grab your own Jus-Gi-We-Di-Light T-Shirt

Is this the hottest fashion item for the Christmas season? :) The Gi-We-Di-Light t-shirts are available for only £6.99. Place your order today and make a fashion statement this Christmas ;-)

Guest Article

Last edition I asked for contributions which are meant to fill a guest article spot. If you have worked in Sierra Leone... or maybe you left as a kid... or you go back to Sierra Leone regularly on business, or maybe you've always lived in Sierra Leone...please feel free to share your treasured memories with other subscribers to the newsletter.

This month's contribution comes from Shawn Brown a former US Marine who worked at the US Embassy. Thanks Shawn!

Dear Sierra Leone News Letter,

I am a former Marine that used to work at the American Embassy in Sierra Leone that was across the street from the Cotton Tree. This was back in 1992-1993. I had a wonderful time since I was there.

I remember on the week nights going to the Venue down on the Beach and Eating Red Snapper, fries and drinking a cold Guinness Beer. I remember going to the Heart Of Gold or the Lagoonda and dancing. I remember helping paying for school for a boy who became my friend name Reggie.

I have written an article one time before and was interviewed by the Concord Times because I helped along with some of my friends, sponsor a basketball tournament and the National Stadium. I met a lot of friends at Fourah Bay College.

The chop that I remember the most is Cassava leaf, Sour Sour and the hot Roast Meat. Hopefully one day I can come back and visit Sierra Leone because I have some fond memories there and there is a lot of history in your Country. My one friend of many in Sierra Leone, David who became my brother made my stay wonderful. I am glad to this day that I keep in touch with him. I was honored to have lived there for 15 months.

Thanks for that Shawn, please send your articles to newsletter@visitsierraleone.org

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That's it for another month! Just one more article before Christmas holidays during which I will be meeting up with some of you. We know the holidays are going to be something special this year right? ;-)

Until then, stay safe!

Bimbola

 

Stories making the news in the past month

News in the last month have been dominated by talk about the tourism and energy industry. This is following the success of the recent tourism documentary to which VisitSierraLeone.org contributed, and also a recent improvements in the supply of electricity - in Freetown at least. Long may it continue!

Sierra Leone represents at the World Travel Market event in London - 17 November 2005
[Article]We were represented by the National Tourist Board and the Minister of Tourism. Speaking with the Managing Director of the Tourist Board, Mr Cecil Williams...
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=406

Sierra Leone Retroactive Duty Surprises Exporters - 12 November 2005
Sources in Sierra Leone told Rapaport News that, effective immediately, the National Revenue Authority added an an export duty of 3 percent on top of the current 3 percent for diamond exports
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=405

Sierra Leone cracks down on illicit coltan mining - 11 November 2005
Sierra Leone's President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has announced a crackdown on the illicit mining of coltan, a hi-tech mineral used in mobile..
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=404

SLBS radio and TV heads private - 01 November 2005
The National Commission for Privatisation (NCP) has set up a new administrative and professional team to transform the state-owned Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) to a corporate entity within 15 months, an official of the commission said here Monday.
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=398

No More Blackouts Promised as govt spends Le 409m - 01 November 2005
Deputy General Manager of National Power Authority (NPA) intimated the press Friday at the Kingtom power station that the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) government has spent Le 409 million on the purchasing of fuel.
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=397

PRESS RELEASE: Visit Sierra Leone Helps kick start the tourism industry - 28 October 2005
Visit Sierra Leone in collaboration with TVE and Explore Worldwide, film a documentary looking at the opportunities and challenges facing Sierra Leone's tourism Industry. ...
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=394

Sierra Leone Gets First Tourism Documentary Film - 21 October 2005
Sierra Leoneans worldwide will be privileged to see the first ever Tourism documentary film, Minister of Tourism and culture, Okere Adams disclosed to Concord Times Wednesday.
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=392

Discussion Forums this month

Electricity in the city - Positive news from Freetown is that the electricity situation has seen definite improvements in the past few weeks. This thread discusses the situation with some feedback from Freetown.
http://forum.visitsierraleone.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=860&PN=1

Priorities Health, Education or Politics - What should be the priority area for development in Sierra Leone? Should it be health, education or politics? Or should it be private industry stimulation and growth? This is an interesting thread with some positive ideas.
http://forum.visitsierraleone.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=921&PN=1

Barriers to investment and trade - Have you tried to do business in Sierra Leone? What are some of the obstacles you came across? Have you got any tips for others looking to start a venture?
http://forum.visitsierraleone.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=934&PN=1

Sierra Leone Wildlife on the way back but...- With news a few months back about elephants rampaging through a village and also that a six-foot leopard was shot in the north this week after it terrorised villagers, there are signs that the wild animals which fled Sierra Leone during the war are on the way back! Isn't this an opportunity for conservationists to step in and save what's left of our wildlife before they are hunted out of existence?
http://forum.visitsierraleone.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=953&PN=1

Clamp down illicit coltan mining - Before this news came through I didn't even know what this mineral was let alone that it's present in Sierra Leone. Apparently... "Coltan, essential for power storage in cell phones, is a metallic ore comprising nobium and tantalum. The mineral, short for columbite-tantalite, was first mined in diamond-exporting Sierra Leone in 1954." Apparently you can get as much as $20m per month exporting this mineral. Does anyone know how much of this mineral is in Sierra Leone?
http://forum.visitsierraleone.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=951&PN=1

Job Vacancies:

Facilities Management Unit Assistant, Freetown (FSL-4) (Special Court)

Mine Planning Engineer - Sierra Rutile

Several Positions - NASSIT

Click here for a complete list of all vacancy listings