SLAJ Appeals to Orange Sierra Leone for Journalism Scholarships to Boost Professionalism

X The President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Alhaji Manika Kamara, has appealed to Orange Sierra Leone to introduce scholarship opportunities for aspiring and practicing journalists pursuing higher education in Mass Communication, as part of efforts to strengthen professionalism and capacity in the country’s media sector.

He made the appeal on Monday during a courtesy visit by the new SLAJ National Executive to Orange Sierra Leone’s Head Office at Hill Station, Freetown. The visit formed part of the Association’s ongoing engagement with partner institutions and stakeholders.

Welcoming the delegation, Orange Sierra Leone’s Company Secretary, Madam Danetta Younge, commended the new executive and reaffirmed the company’s long-standing partnership with SLAJ. She said Orange Sierra Leone values the relevance of the media in promoting transparency, public awareness, and national development.

“We have maintained a good working relationship with SLAJ and the media as a whole,” Madam Younge said, adding that the company has supported several media houses over the past five years and contributes annually to SLAJ’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) through its Stakeholder Relations Budget.

Responding, President Alhaji Manika Kamara expressed gratitude for Orange Sierra Leone’s continuous support and recalled how the company’s previous scholarship initiative enabled five SLAJ members to pursue doctoral studies. He noted that those beneficiaries have since contributed significantly to journalism education at the Mass Communication Department, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.

“Those scholarships helped transform our media landscape by producing homegrown PhD holders who are now shaping journalism education in Sierra Leone,” he said. “This time, we would like to see similar support extended to first-degree students in Mass Communication, many of whom struggle to complete their studies due to financial hardship.”

Kamara further proposed that Orange Sierra Leone set aside a modest annual contribution to SLAJ’s Welfare Fund to assist young journalists and students entering the university. He emphasized that empowering journalists through education remains vital to maintaining professionalism and giving value to the recently introduced National Fund for Public Interest Media Reporting.

The SLAJ President also informed the Orange team about the ongoing rehabilitation of the Association’s National Secretariat, which aims to transform it into a modern resource center for journalists. He appealed for continued collaboration, particularly in the area of internet connectivity and affordable data access for media houses, which remains a major operational challenge.

Orange Sierra Leone’s management reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining their partnership with SLAJ and supporting initiatives that enhance media development in Sierra Leone.