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Reading: Remembering A Hero: Kelvin Kamara Aka America Stress, 27-Year-Old Who Saved The Lives Of 40 People In His Neighborhood
Reading: Remembering A Hero: Kelvin Kamara Aka America Stress, 27-Year-Old Who Saved The Lives Of 40 People In His Neighborhood

Remembering A Hero: Kelvin Kamara Aka America Stress, 27-Year-Old Who Saved The Lives Of 40 People In His Neighborhood

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Sallu Kamuskay
By Sallu Kamuskay 440 Views 3 Min Read
3 Min Read
Giselle Niemand
Giselle Niemand

Late Kelvin Kamara, popularly known by his friends as American Stress, while others called him the great “promoter”, “celebrity”, “philanthropist” and many more is one man who the public admires. From my end, I had always called him the man that saved the lives of 40 people in his community.

On August 14th 2017, our small congested city of Freetown saw a heavy downpour; it rained for about three (3) consecutive days. On that same day, houses collapsed around the Mountain Cut community where this young man resided; many people could have drowned, but this heroic young man:  America Stress who had a daughter and wife, risked his life for his small community in the rain; with no clothes, no protective gears, and went out to rescue his neighbours and people that lived around his community.

In a live video feed on Facebook, everything he did was broadcast, and many Sierra Leoneans from across the world watched the video on Facebook. He saved over 40 people from that devastating situation that day.

What a HERO!!!

After that heart-aching and gut-wrenching incident, this young man had attracted the hearts of many activists, humanitarians, journalists, philanthropists across the world; this includes popular BBC’s Umaru Fofana who posted on his Facebook account about his heroism. He was all over the news, from been a promoter, he became a philanthropist. This young man gained the trust of many Sierra Leoneans across the world, some sent him money to buy donations for the victims. This young man served his conscience diligently.

Little did this young man thought of his health, he became sick, diagnosed and admitted at the hospital. As days went by, the sick became worsen. The hospital provided little or no solution he was afterwards taken to the provinces. After a day, I tried calling my brother, it was no longer the voice of American stress; now his wife, she was crying on the phone.

I could no longer ask!

I checked my Facebook. He had passed away of a curable sickness.

This young man whose dream was to visit or live in America someday was never a reality. This young man passed away. He left a beautiful daughter and wife. Whenever I talk to his daughter, she reminds me of a hero that once lived among us. If you remember him in any point in time for the good things he did in the past that effectuate positives in the present; for himself and his community people, keep him in your prayers, and reach out to his wife and beautiful daughter.

May the soul of this young man continue to rest in peace.

 

 

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Sallu Kamuskay is a Sierra Leonean communication strategist, fixer, blogger, youth organiser, event manager, spokesperson, and public relations expert. His work has been regularly referenced and published by national and international media and public policy institutions. Sallu Kamuskay was a child during the brutal war in Sierra Leone. Growing up in the midst of conflict, Sallu witnessed unimaginable abuse of children and gross violations of human rights. The horrors he witnessed during the Civil War had a terrible impact on him at a very tender age. But despite the shock of the war, Sallu never lost hope. He started on a journey of recovery, studying, and working for a better future. At age 15, Sallu entered into the world of activism and advocacy. Sallu Kamuskay was the Vice President of the Young Leaders Organisation, a member of the National Youth Council. The Young Leaders is one of the oldest youth-led organisations in West Africa. The organisation was formed by a group of young leaders, and launched by the then Head of State/President of Sierra Leone. Sallu was part of the group of young leaders who participated in and contributed to the establishment of the National Youth Council. The Commonwealth supported the training for trainers programme with line ministries and youth stakeholders in which key, representatives of youth council, student union and civil society/private sector youth platforms were engaged and empowered in the effective engagement and inclusion of youth. Sallu is co-founder and Executive Director of the Salone Messenger, a global multimedia and public relations firm based In Sierra Leone. Sallu has worked on various developmental and policy issues such as Poverty, Climate Change, Human rights, Child Rights, Education, Health, Gender Equality, Civic Engagement, Government policies, Information Communication Technology for Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and has also been contributing to various global events and advocacy campaigns. Sallu Kamuskay is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Salone Messenger, a global Multimedia and Public Relations Firm based in Sierra Leone with the latest news and information, on top stories, business, politics, entertainment, and more. Sallu is working with a leading technology company in Africa, Techfrica, that has recently developed and launched a social media, messaging Supfrica with over 150,000 downloads on the Google play store in less than 4 days. He is the Adviser and Media coordinator for the App to give people the platform to connect and communicate to help shape their future with a very fast internet that allows users that live in deprived and hard-to-reach areas with poor internet facility to be able to communicate as it allows and stronger on 2 and 3 G network reception. Sallu has over 9 years of experience in youth engagement, inclusion, and coordination both at local and global levels, giving voice to young people and engaging young people to build a better world. He has served as coordinator for the Wave Alliance which brought together youth-led organisations who attended an international training in South Africa organized by the International Organization – Waves for Change. Sallu is working with the MLT, Waves For Change, and the Government to develop safe spaces for young people, with a view to contributing to the overall development goals of young people including health, as well as to community rebuilding. Sallu is currently the Programme Director for the Wave Alliance, which is a coalition of youth-led and community-based organisations that have successfully introduced evidence-based Surf Therapy programs to young people in communities, with a focus on mental health, peace building and sustainable development. Sallu is currently the focal point and face of Africa’s Faces Social media platform which is a global Social media platform that brings together people from across the world to share their moments, connect, share videos, and interact with friends giving more preference to excluded continents like Africa. Sallu Kamuskay has devoted his time to working for or contributing to a number of national and international organizations and companies, including the Techfrica Technology Company, United Nations, ECOWAS, European Union, Commonwealth Africa Initiatives. This work has led him to travel to a number of countries to contribute to global youth platforms. Sallu is the lead Coordinator for Peace Tour programme, an initiative supported by the European Union, Africa Union, ECOWAS focusing on uniting and empowering young people and local communities. Over the years, Sallu Kamuskay has been using his Techno phone to be able to tell stories, the phone he used to tell the story of Gbessay during Ebola who was admitted at one of the Ebola treatment centers after rumors that she had Ebola when the actual sickness was ulcer, she was almost abandoned at the treatment canter with no medication provided to her. She could have died. Sallu told the story via social media and was able to secure funding from the United Sierra Leone to buy her medication and advocated for her. She was later discharged and taken home, He did the same to a patient that died and was abandoned in the street, Sallu Kamuskay used his phone and shared the message across, the corps was later taken and buried. It could have been more disaster without his voice. The story of late America Stress 3-year-old daughter. The hero’s daughter was abandon after his father's death. He shared her sad story and was able to get a sister who has taken the child as her own and is currently providing her with educational support. The article of America Stress can be read on the link below http://ayvnewspaper.com/index.php/k2-categories/item/7350-america-stress-a-hero-to-recognize. Sallu Kamuskay feels the stories of Gbessay, America stress and that of many others need to be told. The media house we have cannot better tell these stories, they are better reporters than telling human interest stories. He created the Salone Messenger platform and brought together passionate storytellers to be able to tell these compelling stories.