Spark Media, a cutting-edge video production company based in Sierra Leone, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Nabeela Farida Tunis at their Kingharma Road office on Thursday, February 15th. Led by Issadin Kamara, the Managing Director of Spark Media, the visit aimed to establish a partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs to promote tourism through their ‘Tourism for All’ campaign.
Earlier, on February 2nd, 2023, the video production company embarked on a journey across the 16 districts of Sierra Leone to create a documentary showcasing the country’s beauty. The documentary will highlight Sierra Leone’s culture, beaches, mountains, people, and cultural diversity.
During the visit, Issadin Kamara, the management director for Spark Media, former manager at Zoom Studio and one of Sierra Leone’s popular content creator expressed gratitude to the minister for granting the opportunity to meet. He introduced the Spark Media team, which includes Emmanuel AJ Cole (Cinematography and Video Editor), Mary Hectoria Kargbo (Admin Officer), Benjamin Thoronka (Graphic Designer and Photographer), Solomon J Kerura (Head of Programs), and Sallu Kamuskay (Media Consultant and Public Relations Expert).
In his statement, the Managing Director emphasized their interest in partnering with the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs to promote a positive image of Sierra Leone through their video media production. He also played 6 shorts documentaries of the work completed after traveling to 5 districts.
Mary Hectoria Kargbo, Admin Officer, noted the significant resources invested in their journey thus far and the challenges they’ve encountered. She also emphasized that partnering with the ministry would greatly amplify their work. She stated, ‘Our mission at Spark Media—to showcase the beauty of Sierra Leone—will be facilitated through this partnership as we explore opportunities to collaborate.’
Sallu Kamuskay, a media consultant and public relations expert hired for this documentary, expressed gratitude to the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs for implementing the ‘Tourism for All’ campaign. This one-year campaign focuses on National Domestic Tourism in Sierra Leone, with a monthly thematic spotlight. The theme for January 2024 is ‘Explore and Discover.’
Sallu Kamuskay passionately shared, ‘It’s time for us as Sierra Leoneans to tell our own stories—positive narratives about our people and our country. Traveling across the five districts—Bo, Kenema, Kailahun, Pujehun, and Bonthe—has opened my eyes to the richness of Sierra Leone beyond what the media portrays.’
Honourable Minister Nabeela Farida Tunis, the minister of tourism and cultural affairs in her statement expressed her thanks and appreciation to Spark Media for their interest to share positive stories of Sierra Leone. She noted that the work of Spark Media so far aligns with Ministry’s tourism for all campaign and added that their is need for collaboration. Honourable Minister Nabeela Farida Tunis also elaborated on the tourism for all year long campaign which said the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, in partnership with its sub-vented agencies, has invited students, academic staff, and non-academic staff from universities across the country, including Fourah Bay College, Milton Margai Technical University, the University of Makeni, and Limkokwing University, to tour major attraction sites across the country.
As a gesture of appreciation, Spark Media presented a captivating landscape photo of Bonthe Island to the minister.
