I'm
baaaaaaaaack!
Firstly, let me start off by saying Happy New Year (because we all know the new year starts in February) and a prosperous 2020 to all! 🎊 For those new to the blog, bienvenue (welcome)!
For long time readers of the blog, allow me to extend my sincerest apologies for the radio silence. Over the months I've had to reset my chakras 💆🏿♀️🧿, take a step back to restructure my website but most importantly create regular and tailored content. I am back, recalibrated, recharged and ready to take these digital streets by storm! 🧚🏼 I know I was deeply missed, I missed you all too. :)
So by now you should know how #Top7 goes. This section of the blog highlights 7 things to do in Freetown. Of course this is an opinionated piece (no 💩), so I don't want to hear "wHat MaKeS iT a ToP 7 tHiNg To Do In FrEeToWn". 🙄
Just a disclaimer to the newbies 🤗 on Mina Bilkis.
OK! Enough small talk.
As usual, in no particular order here are the #Top7 things to do in Freetown in February 2020:
1. World Hijab Day Conference 🧕🏾
Though World Hijab Day (February 1) has passed, Queen Iye Modest Clothing continues to sensitize Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad on the misconception of Hijab wearers, the importance of modest clothing in respect to Islam and mental health.
On February 1 & 2 2020, Queen Iye Modest Clothing hosted the first Young Muslim Women Conference and Award with the theme "Identify me beyond my hijab". The day boasted of prominent Hijabi personalities and professionals addressing stereotypes and acknowledging successful and empowered women who choose to wear the Hijab.
The company is currently hiring usherettes for events on a part time basis.
For more information you can contact the Founder: Iye Sallu on +23276597992.
2. Foodbly is BACK! 🥘
#Foodies where we at?! 😄
Just like people need to take a step back and recharge so do businesses 😄. Foodbly is back and I'm sure better than ever!
Foodbly is a catering and food delivery service located at Adelaide St in the heart of Freetown. They offer local and continental dishes for pick up or delivery.
For your foodie delight, you can make your order at:
Tel: +23299936936 / +23288936936
3. The V Monologues 🌸🩸
The V Monologues (yes the V is for VAGINA 🙃) is back!
Last year it made its debut in Freetown hosted by Femme Collective.
Every year, volunteer activists from around the world produce The Vagina Monologues, the art piece from which the V-Day movement was born. V-Day also includes various activities such as films, exhibitions, workshops and fundraising activities dedicated to raising awareness about gender-based violence. All proceeds from V-Day events are donated to local charities and organizations that work to end violence against women and girls. Since 1998 The V-Day movement has supported the establishment and maintenance of safe houses and rape crisis centres, caused laws to be changed to protect women and girls, and organized large-scale benefits and campaigns to educate people and change social attitudes towards violence against women.
The V Monologues will be held on Saturday, February 15 2020 at 7pm, at Toma Resort, Aberdeen. The name Vagina Monologues was changed to V Monologues in order to be more culturally sensitive. Tickets will be priced at Le 100,000 ordinary, and Le 350,000 for VIP. VIP guests will receive refreshments, while the rest of the audience will be encouraged to support the venue by purchasing drinks. This is a fundraising event where 90% of proceeds will be donated to Advocaid; a non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides legal support to incarcerated women in Sierra Leone.
For a night of spoken word, poetry and candid experience sharing I encourage you to attend the V Monologues.
Plus you will get to learn how to say vagina in different languages and well isn't that a treat 😉
4. Y Square Pod celebrates 1 year 🎙️
The podcast I co-host with the amazing (and my twin; no not biological. Surely someone's mother wouldn't give her twin daughters the same name lol) Yasmin Metz-Johnson of Yasmin TELLS which is cleverly called Y Square Pod 😉 turns a whole ONE YEARS OLD on February 7 2020!
YOU can help us celebrate by listening or catching up on all THREE seasons!😊 That's right! We have done 3 seasons in just a year! And what a year it has been a great year working and collaborating with Yasmin who is an interior designer and travel consultant.
Not to toot our own horn (TOOT TOOT 🎉) Y Square Pod has been featured in two documentaries to date. One by Michael Guzy of Oh The People You Meet during her trip to Sierra Leone in March 2019 and Jannine Battis' documentary entitled "Why Are So Many British Millennial Starting A New Life In Africa" in July 2019.
The premise of our podcast discusses our individual journeys and return to our home of origin - Sierra Leone; Yasmin returning from the United Kingdom and I returning from the United States. In the first two seasons we discuss living and working in Sierra Leone through a millennial lens through topics of education, sex & wellness and entrepreneurship/hustlers mentality. In the third season we invited guests to speak on their work. We have featured Kadi Kanu of KK Afrique Fashion, the Mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE and many more.
To listen to the pod, check us out on soundcloud here.
Here's to more wins Yas 😉🥂
5. The Budapest-Bamako Rally comes to Freetown! 🏍️
Freetown will serve as the world's largest amateur rally - the Budapest-Bamako finishing point on February 16 2020 at the Siaka Stevens National Stadium.
" The organization dares those who dare challenge this extreme road-scapade to sign up for the 13th edition of what is considered the low-budget Paris-Dakar with loose rules and twice the fun. This year’s is historically the longest ever amateur rally stretching about 9,000 kilometers.
An adventure ridden with hardships, difficult conditions and terrains to exhaust, yet satisfy daredevils and test the limits of even the most cheerful adrenaline junkies. Starting on January 31st from the streets of Europe to the western rim of Africa. Old and young engines will be fired up as brake lights will greet the streets of Budapest to Slovenia, Paris then Spain – Marrakesh and Mauritania where tired tires are going to massage the soft sands of the Sahara before going hard on the dirt roads of Senegal and challenging underlying roads that worship the beautiful hills of Kindia before changing gears as they get ready to cut the tape at the Siaka Steven’s Stadium in Freetown on the February 16th." - Visit Sierra Leone
All proceeds from the rally will be donated to a cause selected by Budapest-Bamako. Visit Sierra Leone encourages car enthusiasts, adrenaline junkies and Sierra Leoneans to join in the fun on February 16 2020.
For any attending, please let me know how the event turns out! I would have loved to witness it, but I'll be living my bestest of lives in my favorite city in Africa -- Accra! 🇬🇭
This event is organized by Visit Sierra Leone, Ministry of Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Brussels Airlines and OBT Logistics.
6. Valentine's Day Dinner by 2 Guys 💖
"Valentine's Day is coming, where's your boyfriend?!" 👀 🤣
While some may be with their significant other, some will be home crying finding out they were indeed the side piece 🤣 and there will be some of us who are single and unbothered at the Simi concert on a regular schmegular Friday night because after all Valentine's Day is just a day right? If you're with someone you love everyday should be Valentine's Day. 🤷🏾♀️
For all the lover lovers out there, 2 Guys on Wilkinson Road will be having a dinner for you all. So go ahead and eat to your heart's content. And pray. Pray for your single friends out here 'cause the struggle is real.
Have fun! Send me a doggie bag 😉
Make your reservations at +23230222220.
But also...don't forget my doggie bag 🐶👝. Please. Single people eat too.
7. First Annual HR Conference and Launch of Institute of HR
The First Annual Human Resource Conference will be taking place on:
Date: Thursday, February 27 2020
Time: 2-6pm
Cost: Le 500,000 per person
Theme: Fit for the future - HR as an enabler in the development of Sierra Leone’s human capital towards a sustainable economy.
To register and for venue details:
Email: admin@slhumanresources.org
Tel: +23230562562
...and that's it!
What #Top7 will be doing? Let me know about it in the comment section!
To advertise your event, business or organization kindly contact us at info@minabilkis.com
ergo sum cogito
Comments