Misty Morning on the hills of Regent, Freetown

Got these shots sent to me by my dad... brings back that 'ol Bob Marley tune..

" Misty mornin', don't see no sun;
I know you're out there somewhere having fun.
There is one mystery - yea-ea-eah - I just can't express:
To give your more, to receive your less.
.....
See no sun! Oh.
Time has come, I want you -
I want you to straighten out my tomorrow! Uh."

Err.. ok, that's enough now.

British Airline (BMED) to start flights to Sierra Leone

We received welcome news that British Airways franchise partner (BMED) is to start flying to Sierra Leone. This means there are now 3 airlines serving the Freetown-London route – Bellview Airlines (Heathrow), Astraeus Airline(Gatwick) and as of October – BMED(Heathrow).

Few main things in here - First off, as a Sierra Leonean this is an endorsement of our nation’s gradual recovery. To quote the article:

“The move represents the return by BA liveried aircraft to West Africa for the first time since the early 1990s when the airline withdrew flights to the region.”

That’s good. We need more big name investors pledging faith in our country’s economy.

Secondly, as a consumer… bring those fares DOWN! already. £750 for a trip home for Christmas is just a little steep dude. Imagine you want to take your entire family (wife and three kids) home for Christmas holidays? Ouch! This is excluding helicopter flights, jabs, accommodation and all the other costs that go with it. From a tourism point of view, lower prices can only help improve our chances in a very competitive market.

On a whole, good news for Sierra Leone.

http://www.travelmole.com/stories/110097.php
BMED to start flights from Heathrow to Freetown - Forum Discussion

Elections in Sierra Leone 2007

It is a relief to finally have the date of the next elections announced by the president last week. This came shortly after United Kingdom's International Development Secretary, Hilary Benn called for a date to be announced. The date is July 28th.

Its funny yesterday I spoke to a friend of mine in Sierra Leone who had no idea the date had been set. It made me wonder whether those of us in the Diaspora were actually looking forward to these elections more than our compatriots in the country. It seems as if every time I ask someone in country about the elections, their response inevitably starts with a heavy sigh.

From what I understand, it is going to come down to a choice of one among three parties – The ruling party (SLPP), the main opposition (APC) and the new comer (PMDC). Funnily enough, it is the newcomer that is proving to be the main challenge for the SLPP. They have chosen to brand themselves as a sort of “third force” which most had been stating is necessary to keep Sierra Leone’s democracy alive. There is still some work for all three parties to do though, some of which includes getting their internal affairs in order.

From an outsiders point of view my main concern is that the elections come and go as free, fair and peaceful as possible. Stability more than anything else is what Sierra Leone needs right now – kinda like a recovering addict – one bad experience could undo any positive steps we have taken over the past few years. With that in mind I hope this is at the forefront of the minds of these parties when the results are out – and the future of Sierra Leone and its people is put above all else.
Good luck to the parties and may the best outfit win. Your people need you to deliver; your people need good strong visionary leadership badly. Keep this in mind when their confidence that you are the party to deliver is expressed in July 28 2007.