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For many years, Sierra Leonean-made movies have lagged behind their West African neighbors. But movie productions are taking hold in Freetown once more, especially in local communities like Calaba Town. One reason filmmaking slowed down was that almost everything collapsed during the war.  Another problem was the absence of experts. There were few people ready to nurse young talent with initiative or creativity for movies. Most of the people who are actors, actresses, and, directors have never had any real experience. They just felt the urge and started up with what they had. Now, experts are available on shooting movies, sound recording and reproduction, editing, and screening, all helping Sierra Leonean moviemakers reach their peak. The government is also helping to boost the entertainment industry. Filmmakers in Sierra Leone are collaborating with partners in Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria. Many a time, production teams come to Freetown to do movies. Similarly, producti...

Every year, we celebrate Valentine's Day with people we love and care for. This year is no different. In Freetown, some schoolgirls picked Valentine's day gifts at school to give to friends and loved ones. Many young people had plans to go out with their pals and best mates. A few of them told me how they're spending Valentine’s Day. Esther Penyikie is spending Valentine's day with her boyfriend, Charlie, who she met last week. She said she chose Charlie as her Valentine because she knows he would make her day special. They went to dinner at the Hilltop Fast Food restaurant.  Abigail Smith decided to spend Valentine’s Day with her friend, Isha Bah (in blue Al-Amira). Abigail said that Isha is a true friend. They went on a school picnic during the day to celebrate their friendship. Adama Gbla said she's staying home. She has no Valentine so she is not going out. "I always find peace and comfort at home," she said. Nassiru Kabba...

Santigi Kalorkoh is a young father with a three-year-old daughter. Her mother died during childbirth. Santigi is a student in high school, and he works with a bike taxi service. Santigi makes about 50,000 Leones a day ferrying passengers on weekends. Santigi and his daughter live with his mother and stepfather. He doesn't pay rent, but whatever money he raises is used to pay school fees, take care of his daughter, and the rest is put aside to cover his five-year Okada license, which costs about 500,000 Leones. Santigi is sure that his daughter will have a good life because, by the time he finishes school, he would be doing big things. Kadiatu Sesay is a hairdresser raising an eight-year-old son, Benjamin. Her husband walked out on the family five years ago and she receives no child support. Kadi and Ben live in one room. She earns about 400,000 Leones each month. Her housing takes up more than half of her income, and the other half goes on food. A cup of rice costs about 1500 Leo...

Abdulai Sesay became a model in 2007. He was just out of school in Bo, Sierra Leone’s second city. As the athlete got better at keeping his pose for hours and hours, his fame spread to Kenema, the third-largest city in Sierra Leone. Before he came to the capital Freetown, Abdulai went to Makeni to show off his skill. He struck a pose for a full 9 hours on the roof of a car. In Freetown, he posed for 10 hours at the National Stadium, while people made fun of him. Abdulai poses for very long hours. Perhaps the longest stretch was in Bo when he stayed in character for 14 hours and 48 minutes. Abdulai has always been excited by Spider-Man, the superhero in American comic books. He often paints his body like one of the fictional characters. It takes Abdulai a couple of hours to transform into Amazing Spider-Man or Wall-crawler. Once he applies his makeup with water paint, it might stay on his skin for a day. Abdulai came to Freetown in 2013. While he settled into life in the...

Mr. John Brewa owns a five-unit apartment building in the Allen Town district of the capital Freetown. Mr. Brewa and his family live in one unit and he’s been renting the other four since 2010. Each apartment has three bedrooms, a sitting room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Since the local council doesn’t collect trash for each residence, Mr. Brewa’s tenants dispose of their own garbage. Once a week, the children cart everything to a dumpsite. Everyone has to fetch water from wells or standpipes. During the dry season, people oftentimes get water from streams. Sahr Matturi of the Water and Sanitation Media Network said Allen Town, which is about thirteen miles from the capital city, is divided into two halves. “In the lower part of Allentown, most of the residents are unable to access pipe-borne water. In the dry season, lots of people move [around] with rubber gallons in search of drinking water,” he said. Mr. Brewa rents finished apartments for 300,000 Leones and unfinished ...

Sports help develop skills and are a good way to get physical exercise. In the east end of Freetown, some teenagers and young people say the best sport is football. Not because it's the most popular game in the entire world or the sport they prefer. It's really the only activity available.   In Allen Town, a group of boys and girls have played football for about a year.  Their coach, 22-year-old Alhaji Koroma (crouching, front row, in black shirt) said their team is called Sasha Base United. He said they only play football because there are no fields or centers for baseball, volleyball, basketball, tennis and the likes. Karim Deen, Alhaji's assistant (in a check shirt, back row) said that if he wants to play volleyball or basketball, he would have to go to urban Freetown, or the National Stadium, about six miles away.   Sometimes Sasha Base is called to take part in local competitions, but Alhaji says they often get disqualified because they don't meet expectat...

It feels good to secure a national identity (ID) card because it makes you feel safe. Having one means evading and dodging the police stops and harassment ceases.   In central Freetown, the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) handles and distributes all national ID cards to civilians over eighteen, nationwide. That's why the staff at the NCRA hardly get to put up their feet.  Every weekday, hundreds of people can be found sitting in rows or standing in long queues, waiting to get a national ID card.  To get one, it’s the law that you have documents like your birth certificate, voter's ID card, and any bank issued identification card, together with 12, 500 Leones to buy an application form and to pay for a photograph.   But civilians who go in for a national ID card face many problems.    First of all, there's not enough space for people as the NCRA hall is small with only a few benches. Approximately, the hall can hold a total of a...