Transforming Adversity into Inspiration: The Inspiring Journey of Issadin K from Waiter to Successful YouTuber Spreading Positivity in Sierra Leone

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Last updated: 2023/06/07 at 10:01 AM

By Sallu Kamuskay - Journalist and Public Relations Expert Published June 7, 2023 131 Views 8 Min Read

8 Min Read

From Waiter To Famous S/L Youtuber: How Issadin K Used Broken Phone To Tell Positive Sierra Leonean Stories

24-year-old YouTuber, Foday Issa Kamara, Popular known as Issadin k on YouTube and other social media platforms, Foday Issadin Kamara is a Sierra Leone YouTuber born on 28 February 1999 in Bo city. He, like very few other Sierra Leoneans living in a country where internet connection is very slow and expensive, embarks on a Journey to show the positive image of his country through his Youtube Channel Issadin K.

When Issadin K relocated to Freetown from Bo to further his education, trying to survive, he worked as a waiter at the Chicken Town restaurant briefly. “When I reloved to Freetown to further my education, It was challenging for me, I had to work at a restaurant as a waiter to be able to get some money to support my education,” he told Salone Messenger.

Issadin k is a BSC Computer Science graduate from Njala University Freetown campus with an experience in student leadership from Secondary school, He served as Head boy during his school days at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Senior Secondary School Bo and Assembly perfect at Ahmadiyya Senior School Freetown. He has had over 5 (five) years of volunteer and professional work experience, mostly based in the digital and technological area

Issadin K is among the winners of the Vickie Remoe prize, The Vickie Remoe Prize highlights emerging journalists and new media content creators for excellence, originality, and creativity. The Vickie Remoe Prize Board selects winners. Winners will be announced every year in April.

At Salone Messenger. We had an online interview with him during his visit to Makeniwhere he shot a video one of the most beautiful shopping mall in Sierra Leone

Tell us about your vlogging and what is your interest area?

‘’I make Inspiration, documentaries, and Creative videos on YouTube mostly about my country, I intend to show the positive side of my country which is mostly not seen or recognized, I want to be fair to our nation by showing the other side of the coin, that’s the positive side. We are mostly bent on crying our nation down forgetting that there are things we should also be grateful for and things that we have to improve on ourselves, my channel tells the stories that make us proud as a people, and I believe this will inspire people from other nations, and might even make them want to join us build the Sierra Leone we are all dreaming about. I make my videos in the form of vlogging.

Making YouTube videos is something I enjoy doing, despite the fact that I do not have all the equipment needed but that does not stop me from pushing forward, because it is something I love doing, I would rather lend the materials just to make sure I keep uploading videos. I opened my YouTube channel in 2018 but could not upload any content that year, because I had nothing to start with, in 2019 I bought a used phone called “Honor 8 light” which had a good camera. The quality of the camera was impressive when I made a video at Leicester peak which turned out to be my very first official YouTube video, since then that android phone has recorded over 30 videos, which gave birth to Issadin K.’’

What inspired you to do vlogging?

‘’I was inspired by nature, the very first time I went up to Leicester peak pic when I show the whole of Freetown from one point, and the very first time I saw the bombona waterfall. That has always driven me to make YouTube videos. Seeing the beautiful things in this country, and knowing that people have less interest in showcasing its beauty and more interest in crying it down, drove me to employ myself in presenting the goodness and blessing of our nation. For me, the beauty and forgotten quality of this nation inspired me to do more vlogging.’’

Tell us about your favorite vlog video among all and why?

My favorite vlog is titled “This nation is blessed”. I love this vlog because it tells a whole lot of what I am trying to achieve. That is making the people realize that our nation’s progress is not in the hands of no one else other than us the citizens.

What are some of the challenges you are faced with?

‘’One of the biggest challenges is less equipment that includes internet access, till now I am lending cameras and a mic to make videos, luckily, 2 of my fans helped me with a laptop and a drone which has really reduced the pressure of the work. Another challenge is transportation to get to some location to do the video, like traveling from one district to another. I have to raise some money from my per-term jobs and fund the movement. Which also slows down the workflow sometimes. But I believe we will overcome all of this.’’

What would be your message to young Sierra Leoneans who want to be a vlogger?

‘’To every young Sierra Leonean who want to be a vlogger, you must first fall in love with what you do, you must believe in what you are doing more than anyone else, you must not let anyone define your limit because of where you came from, it not going to be easy but I tell you if we keep pushing if we keep trying we shall surely get there, whatever we want to achieve by God’s grace we will succeed. And don’t forget to always pray and thank God for everything.’

TAGGED: Issadin K, Vickie Remoe Price, YouTube in Sierra Leone

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By Sallu Kamuskay Journalist and Public Relations Expert

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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.