Sylvia Blyden
Encyclopedia
Sylvia Blyden, full name: Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Walmina Oreshola Blyden (born October 1, 1971 in Freetown
, Sierra Leone
) is the only female news publisher in Sierra Leone, and "one of the most recognisable names in the country." Blyden is a social and political commentator, rights activist, newspaper publisher and philanthropist. She has spoken of her interest to eventually run for the presidency of Sierra Leone.
Blyden is the great-great-granddaughter of Edward Wilmot Blyden
, the "father of Pan-Africanism
". Her maternal grandfather is the Sierra Leonean politician, Solomon A.J. Pratt and her paternal grandfather is the late Sierra Leonean diplomat, Edward Wilmot Blyden III
.
Blyden entered the Annie Walsh School with the best Selective Entrance results of entrants in 1982 and left with the best GCE O'Levels in 1987; she was to graduate with the best B.Sc. results from Medical School in 1993 and again graduate with proficiency in 1996 with an M.D in Medicine during which period she emerged as Sierra Leone's first woman to be elected as University students' leader in 1994.
A Child-Appointed International Goodwill Ambassador for Sierra Leone's Children, Sylvia Blyden has been a Youths and Women's Rights Activist. She represented Sierra Leone's Female Youths in Beijing during the 1995 United Nations Women's Confab, and was chosen by her African peers to deliver the Female Youths of Africa Speech on August 11, 1995.
In early 2002, she became Sierra Leone's youngest National Political Party Leader at age 30, and the third Sierra Leone woman to lead a fully registered political party (the first being Presidential Candidate, the late Mrs. Jeridine Williams-Sarho in 1996).
Following her 24-Hours Internet Cafes, she launched a news media in 2005 known as Awareness Times, which is generally considered critical of the excesses of Government and State Institutions including the President, Ernest Bai Koroma
.
Blyden remains the youngest ever Sierra Leonean to be nationally honoured with an Officer of the Rokel insignia in recognition of her meritorious service to the Nation, on April 27, 2007 Independence Day.
The website of the Panafrican Press http://www.panapress.com/
The website of the Awareness Times http://www.news.sl/
The website of the Children's Agenda International http://www.childrensagendainternational.org/
The website of the Sierra Leone Web http://www.sierra-leone.org/
The website of AllAfrica.Com http://www.allafrica.com/
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
) is the only female news publisher in Sierra Leone, and "one of the most recognisable names in the country." Blyden is a social and political commentator, rights activist, newspaper publisher and philanthropist. She has spoken of her interest to eventually run for the presidency of Sierra Leone.
Blyden is the great-great-granddaughter of Edward Wilmot Blyden
Edward Wilmot Blyden
Edward Wilmot Blyden was an Americo-Liberian educator, writer, diplomat, and politician primarily in Liberia. He also taught for five years in Sierra Leone, and his writings were influential in both countries....
, the "father of Pan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism is a movement that seeks to unify African people or people living in Africa, into a "one African community". Differing types of Pan-Africanism seek different levels of economic, racial, social, or political unity...
". Her maternal grandfather is the Sierra Leonean politician, Solomon A.J. Pratt and her paternal grandfather is the late Sierra Leonean diplomat, Edward Wilmot Blyden III
Edward Wilmot Blyden III
Edward Wilmot Blyden III was a diplomat, political scientist and educator born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He distinguished himself as an educator and contributor to post-colonial discourse on African self-government, and Third World non-alignment...
.
Blyden entered the Annie Walsh School with the best Selective Entrance results of entrants in 1982 and left with the best GCE O'Levels in 1987; she was to graduate with the best B.Sc. results from Medical School in 1993 and again graduate with proficiency in 1996 with an M.D in Medicine during which period she emerged as Sierra Leone's first woman to be elected as University students' leader in 1994.
A Child-Appointed International Goodwill Ambassador for Sierra Leone's Children, Sylvia Blyden has been a Youths and Women's Rights Activist. She represented Sierra Leone's Female Youths in Beijing during the 1995 United Nations Women's Confab, and was chosen by her African peers to deliver the Female Youths of Africa Speech on August 11, 1995.
In early 2002, she became Sierra Leone's youngest National Political Party Leader at age 30, and the third Sierra Leone woman to lead a fully registered political party (the first being Presidential Candidate, the late Mrs. Jeridine Williams-Sarho in 1996).
Following her 24-Hours Internet Cafes, she launched a news media in 2005 known as Awareness Times, which is generally considered critical of the excesses of Government and State Institutions including the President, Ernest Bai Koroma
Ernest Bai Koroma
Ernest Bai Koroma is the fourth and current President of Sierra Leone. He was sworn in as President on 17 September 2007 at the State House in the capital Freetown, shortly after being declared the winner of a tense run-off in the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election with 54.6% of the vote over...
.
Blyden remains the youngest ever Sierra Leonean to be nationally honoured with an Officer of the Rokel insignia in recognition of her meritorious service to the Nation, on April 27, 2007 Independence Day.
External links
The website of the Exclusive Press http://www.exclusivepress.net/The website of the Panafrican Press http://www.panapress.com/
The website of the Awareness Times http://www.news.sl/
The website of the Children's Agenda International http://www.childrensagendainternational.org/
The website of the Sierra Leone Web http://www.sierra-leone.org/
The website of AllAfrica.Com http://www.allafrica.com/