Last night was my first class at LICCSAL Business College in the centre of Freetown. The name stands for Literacy In Christian Children in Sierra Leone. It is a post-secondary institution that is affiliated with the University of South Africa.
Despite the religious inspiration, the curriculum appears to remain completely secular. My module, The Basics of Newspaper Reporting, certainly is.
The students, about a third of them women, are in their twenties. With the literacy rate at 35%, they represent the minority of young people who can enroll in a higher education program. Their less fortunate counterparts work menial jobs to help support traditionally large families. The latest UNDP figures show that up to 50% of the country's active population is self-employed. Tasks such as selling groundnuts and fried plantains on the street, repairing generators, or sewing garments on ancient machines, keep many busy.
So my students see themselves as journalism's future, SL's hope for a more transparent political class and a better informed citizenry.
We discussed issues ranging from what makes a good journalist, to the social responsibilities that come with press freedom, to newspaper ownership. According to SL's Independent Media Commission, the country has 30 autonomous newspapers, all based in Freetown. Most, if not all, have a circulation of less than 1,000 copies. Each sells for approximately 30 cents.
The students are critical of biased coverage and very aware of the fact that the high number of papers is a function of owners using the medium as a profit-making enterprise. Indeed, working journalists are paid a pittance in relation to the revenues generated by advertising and the printing of press releases and NGO job postings.
After two hours of animated exchanges, and a couple of interviewing and writing exercises, I gave them an assignment for next week. Before sending them on their way, I told them they were my first SL students, and asked if I could take their picture.
As they got up to leave, a number of them came to say they had enjoyed the class and were looking forward to next week. What more can a volunteer teacher desire? I have a feeling Wednesday evenings will be very interesting from now on.
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