mgid.com, 751172, DIRECT, d4c29acad76ce94f

Salone Messenger

Reading: A Sierra Leonean Journalist Mentor Who Got Rejected Three Times Finally Shares Her Journey On Why She Never Lose Hope As She Now Becomes A Fellow: The Mandela Washington Fellowship/YALI-RLC Application Journey
Reading: A Sierra Leonean Journalist Mentor Who Got Rejected Three Times Finally Shares Her Journey On Why She Never Lose Hope As She Now Becomes A Fellow: The Mandela Washington Fellowship/YALI-RLC Application Journey

A Sierra Leonean Journalist Mentor Who Got Rejected Three Times Finally Shares Her Journey On Why She Never Lose Hope As She Now Becomes A Fellow: The Mandela Washington Fellowship/YALI-RLC Application Journey

Post Views: 276
Sallu Kamuskay
By Sallu Kamuskay 179 Views 3 Min Read
3 Min Read
A Sierra Leonean Journalist Who Got Rejected Three Times Finally Shares Her Journey On Why She Never Lose Hope As She Now Becomes A Fellow.

Mariatu Esther Kabba is a Sierra Leonean Journalism Mentor working for BBC Media Action Sierra Leone, a Writer and Activist for girls’ empowerment and peacebuilding. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Strong Women, Strong Girls Sierra Leone.

Read her journey to the Mandela Washington Fellowship

“My Mandela Washington Fellowship/Yali-Rlc Application Journey

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) flagship program, bringing African civic, business, and community leaders for academic coursework, leadership training, and networking at U.S. colleges and universities, while the YALI RLC Africa Emerging Leaders Program aims at same but works at regional level within Africa.

I got rejected for the YALI RLC three times! The last thing said to me by an interviewer on my third application interview in 2018 was “Mariatu, the YALI RLC is not for you, we’re looking for emerging young leaders trying to initiate positive ideas to solve problems within their communities”

The above statement made me confused and felt frustrated but guess what happened thereafter? I mentored four of my team members within Strong Women Strong Girls Sierra Leone for this same YALI RLC leadership opportunity and three got selected!! Wasn’t this ironical?? What even made me had the gut to mentor someone for an opportunity I never had to be successful on?? Sometimes, the tiniest strength we could find in our toughest moments could work magic!

So, I cultivated this same courage with motivation from Eastina Boimadi Estobaby, Milton Dumbuya, Abdul Rahman Kowa Edward Kargbo and James Metzger, few of my good people to apply for the BIG Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders and boom! My first application was a bang! Yes I got selected for the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship at age 25!! Little did I know I was too good for YALI-RLC .

The Sierra Leone application process saw about over two thousand applicants but only eight candidates were selected. I’m proud to be among those chosen few.

What made me stood out?? Grace, selfless service, impactful track record, good mentorship and a convincing application. You could be among the next cohort if you’re determined and meet the criteria of the Mandela Washington Fellowship 2022 Application opening.

I got the best of my six-week fellowship engagement at Rutgers University—New Brunswick between July and early August though C-19 was a big distraction. Yet I’m proud to be a member of the #PandemicCohort. I’m ready to share my Mandela Washington Fellowship experience with potential applicants today at our 2022 application roll out session. Please join us if you can! And yes, I’m open to give further application guidance to a selected number of applicants.

Watch out for a piece on my MWF-Rutgers experience soon to be shared here”

Stay Updated

Share this Article
Follow:
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.