By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
The humanitarian organization, St George Foundation (SGF), has launched a new project called Ose Tok, which is geared towards promoting cohesion.
The project was launched on Friday 15th May to coincide with the World Family Day celebrations.
World Family Day is an annual celebration that marks the importance of family in society. May 15th was declared as family day in 1994. Celebrations across the world have been low key this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Executive Director of the Foundation, Justina Zainab Conteh, said during a press briefing to mark the launch that: “Ose Tok is a radio and television program that is dedicated to discussing social issues that affect the cohesion and functionality of families.”
SGF works mainly around family issues. The foundation has a care home where they temporarily take care of children who have left their homes for one reason or the other. One of the many functions of the foundation as a charity is to reconnect these children with their lost families.
A timeline on when this new program will go on air wasn’t announced, but the foundation said once it goes on air it wants to make sure that the program comes on “forever”.
This year’s celebration comes amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, something which the foundation recognizes as a strain on family ties.
Advocacy Officer for SGF, Ibrahim Turay, said: “With the crisis of COVID-19 going on, families carry the greatest burden and responsibility. When people become infected they need the family’s support to get through,” he said.
“We believe that a strong family leads to a strong society,” he added.
About the latest project, Turay said: “We want everyone to be involved so [that] we will have a serious conversation about family.”
The program will be done in Sierra Leone’s most common local language - Krio. SGF said in addition to television, which they hope will target the urban population; they will also be using community radios in the project so that the message could reach across rural communities as well.
The foundation said this will be the first exclusive family program to be aired in the country.
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