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Hospitals and communities in Freetown receives over one hundred fish ponds from SAFMI

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Sallu Kamuskay
By Sallu Kamuskay 4 Min Read
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Fish pond
Fish pond

Communities and hospitals across Western areas in Freetown have on Tuesday  benefited over one hundred fish ponds from The Save Africa from Malaria Infection (SAFMI) Foundation, under the leadership of the Executive Director, Artem Volchenko in support of fight against malaria in the country.

The foundation received massive welcome from community stakeholders and management of the various Community Health Centers in the Western Area of Freetown for their kind gesture in support of the fight against malaria in the country.

The initiative is spearheaded by the SAFMI’s Country Coordinator, Alhaji Dauda Musa Bangura alongside Vitali Ginsburg a Board Member of SAFMI and the dedicated team of volunteers of the foundation.

Together, they facilitated the distribution and installation of water tanks stocked with Gambusia Affinis, a species of mosquito-eating fish known for its voracious appetite for mosquito larvae.

Presenting the artificial water fish ponds to the various health centers and communities on behalf of the foundation, Mr. Alhaji Dauda Musa Bangura stated that, the project represents a dual approach to public health and not only does it serve as a practical measure to reduce the mosquito population, but it also functions as an educational tool to raise awareness about malaria prevention.

“By deploying these fish in strategic water bodies around Freetown, SAFMI aims to significantly diminish the spread of malaria, a disease that continues to pose a serious health threat in Sierra Leone,” Alhaji Dauda Musa Bangura noted.

He furthered that the mosquito fish (Gambusia Affinis) is renowned for its efficiency in controlling mosquito populations and capable of consuming up to 300 mosquito larvae within minutes. These fish, he added, offer a biological solution that could revolutionize mosquito control efforts in the country.

 “This innovative approach, which prioritizes environmental sustainability and public health, is proof of SAFMI’s dedication to eradicating malaria in Africa,” the Country Coordinator asserted.

He explained further that, the Executive Director Artem Volchenko as part of the project, trained volunteers on the proper management and maintenance of these tanks. Additionally, the foundation is focusing on educating communities about the importance of this biological method in preventing malaria. The success of this program in Freetown could pave the way for its expansion to other regions within Sierra Leone and potentially to other African countries.

Receiving the SAFMI’s Fish Ponds, Hindolo Musa Senior Community Health Officer  of the Dwarzark Community Health Center thanked the SAFMI Foundation for coming to their rescue. Furthermore, the Dwarzark Community Health Center disclosed that malaria is a disease that is highly reported in the community health center.

On behalf of the Lumley Community Health Center, Mariatu Sankoh described the donation of the artificial fish ponds by the SAFMI Foundation as timely and life-saving gesture.  She assured members of SAFMI that they will make good use of the artificial fish ponds and further called on community stakeholders to support the maintenance of the fish ponds.

With malaria remaining a leading cause of illness and death in many parts of Africa, this initiative by SAFMI is critical in the fight against this deadly disease. By harnessing the natural predation habits of Gambusia Affinis, SAFMI is not only tackling

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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.