Podcasts about Freetown

Preached at the Healing Jesus Pastors Conference, Freetown, Sierra Leone Day 2, 30th April 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 1, 29th April 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 5, 3rd May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 4, 2nd May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Pastors Conference, Freetown, Sierra Leone Day 4, 2nd May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 3, 1st May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Pastors Conference, Freetown, Sierra Leone Day 3, 1st May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 2, 30th April 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 1, 29th April 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 5, 3rd May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 4, 2nd May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Pastors Conference, Freetown, Sierra Leone Day 4, 2nd May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 3, 1st May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Pastors Conference, Freetown, Sierra Leone Day 3, 1st May 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Campaign, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Day 2, 30th April 2025.

Preached at the Healing Jesus Pastors Conference, Freetown, Sierra Leone Day 2, 30th April 2025.

The Texture of Change: Dress, Self-Fashioning, and History in Western Africa, 1700 – 1850 (Ohio UP, 2024) examines historical change across a broad region of western Africa—from Saint Louis, Senegal, to Freetown, Sierra Leone—through the development of textile commerce, consumption, and dress. Indigo-dyed and printed cotton, wool, linen, and silk cloths constituted major trade items that linked African producers and consumers to exchange networks that were both regional and global. While much of the historiography of commerce in Africa in the eighteenth century has focused on the Atlantic slave trade and its impact, this study follows the global cloth trade to account for the broad extent and multiple modes of western Africa's engagement with Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Jody Benjamin analyzes a range of archival, visual, oral, and material sources drawn from three continents to illuminate entanglements between local textile industries and global commerce and between the politics of Islamic reform and encroaching European colonial power. The study highlights the roles of a diverse range of historical actors mentioned only glancingly in core-periphery or Atlantic-centered framings: women indigo dyers, maroon cotton farmers, petty traveling merchants, caravan guides, and African Diaspora settlers. It argues that their combined choices within a set of ecological, political, and economic constraints structured networks connecting the Atlantic and Indian Ocean perimeters. Jody Benjamin is a social and cultural historian of western Africa with expertise in the period between 1650 and 1850. His research is informed by a methodological concern to center the diverse experiences and perspectives of Africans in ways that transcend the limitations of the colonial archive. In broad terms, Prof. Benjamin's scholarship interrogates the multiple connections between west African, African diaspora and global histories through the lens of material culture, technology, labor, gender and race to reshape how historians think about western Africa's role in the history of global capitalism and its connections to contemporary questions of global inequality. Dr. Benjamin's work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the University of California Regents, University of California Humanities Research Initiative (UCHRI), the Hellman Fellows Fund, and the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. From 2022-2023, he was the Principal Investigator for a Mellon Sawyer Seminar, “Unarchiving Blackness,” exploring archival practices in African and African Diaspora Studies. Prior to Howard University, Dr. Benjamin taught at the University of California, Riverside. You can learn more about his work here. Afua Baafi Quarshie is a Ph.D. candidate in history at the Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on mothering and childhood in post-independence Ghana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Texture of Change: Dress, Self-Fashioning, and History in Western Africa, 1700 – 1850 (Ohio UP, 2024) examines historical change across a broad region of western Africa—from Saint Louis, Senegal, to Freetown, Sierra Leone—through the development of textile commerce, consumption, and dress. Indigo-dyed and printed cotton, wool, linen, and silk cloths constituted major trade items that linked African producers and consumers to exchange networks that were both regional and global. While much of the historiography of commerce in Africa in the eighteenth century has focused on the Atlantic slave trade and its impact, this study follows the global cloth trade to account for the broad extent and multiple modes of western Africa's engagement with Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Jody Benjamin analyzes a range of archival, visual, oral, and material sources drawn from three continents to illuminate entanglements between local textile industries and global commerce and between the politics of Islamic reform and encroaching European colonial power. The study highlights the roles of a diverse range of historical actors mentioned only glancingly in core-periphery or Atlantic-centered framings: women indigo dyers, maroon cotton farmers, petty traveling merchants, caravan guides, and African Diaspora settlers. It argues that their combined choices within a set of ecological, political, and economic constraints structured networks connecting the Atlantic and Indian Ocean perimeters. Jody Benjamin is a social and cultural historian of western Africa with expertise in the period between 1650 and 1850. His research is informed by a methodological concern to center the diverse experiences and perspectives of Africans in ways that transcend the limitations of the colonial archive. In broad terms, Prof. Benjamin's scholarship interrogates the multiple connections between west African, African diaspora and global histories through the lens of material culture, technology, labor, gender and race to reshape how historians think about western Africa's role in the history of global capitalism and its connections to contemporary questions of global inequality. Dr. Benjamin's work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the University of California Regents, University of California Humanities Research Initiative (UCHRI), the Hellman Fellows Fund, and the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. From 2022-2023, he was the Principal Investigator for a Mellon Sawyer Seminar, “Unarchiving Blackness,” exploring archival practices in African and African Diaspora Studies. Prior to Howard University, Dr. Benjamin taught at the University of California, Riverside. You can learn more about his work here. Afua Baafi Quarshie is a Ph.D. candidate in history at the Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on mothering and childhood in post-independence Ghana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

This week on The Sound Kitchen you'll hear the answer to the question about Marine Le Pen's full embezzlement sentence. There's “The Listener's Corner” with Paul Myers, Ollia Horton's “Happy Moment”, and Erwan Rome's “Music from Erwan” – all that, and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll hear the winners' names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you'll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you'll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.There's Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we'll surprise you with!To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you'll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that's how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it's a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald's free books, click here.Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!This week's quiz: On 3 April I asked you a question about Marine Le Pen, the president of the far-right French party the National Rally (RN). She, along with eight other RN Parliament members, was judged guilty of embezzling 4.4 million euros in European Union funds to pay France-based RN party staff who worked only for the RN and not on EU issues.Le Pen and her fellow lawmakers have been banned from running for office for five years. This ban, which had previously been a rare sentence, has become commonplace since the Sapin 2 law was adopted in 2016, which made it the standard sentence for cases involving the embezzlement of public funds and was roundly supported by RN lawmakers – until now.You were to re-read our article “RN leader Le Pen battles for political future after embezzlement conviction”, and send in the answer to this question: Aside from the ban on running for office, what else was included in Le Pen's sentence?The answer is, to quote our article: “Le Pen was also sentenced to four years' imprisonment, two of which will be served under an electronic bracelet, and a fine of 100,000 euros.”In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by the late Muhammad Shamim who lived in Kerala State, India: "Would you rather be rich but not famous, or famous but not rich?"   Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us! The winners are: RFI English listener Lata Akhter Jahan, the co-president of the Sonali Badhan Female Listeners Club in Bogura, Bangladesh. Lata is also the winner of this week's bonus question. Congratulations, Lata, on your double win.Also on the list of lucky winners this week are RFI Listeners Club members Shaira Hosen Mo from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh; Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria; John Yemi Sanday Turay from Freetown, Sierra Leone, and last but not least, Saleha, who is also a member of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan.Congratulations, winners!Here's the music you heard on this week's programme:  “Les Jardins de L'Alhambra” by Gérard Torikian; “Stacatto” by René Aubry; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children's Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Aýa döndi” by Nuri Halmamedov and Mahtumkuli, performed by baritone Atageldi Garýagdyýew.Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.frThis week's question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you've listened to the show, re-read our article “How French women won, and used, their right to vote in 1945”, which will help you with the answer.You have until 2 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 5 June podcast. When you enter, be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.Send your answers to:english.service@rfi.frorSusan OwensbyRFI – The Sound Kitchen80, rue Camille Desmoulins92130 Issy-les-MoulineauxFranceClick here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.   

Moral and Carl take a deep dive into Finding Edna Lewis, a beautifully crafted documentary that uncovers the extraordinary life of Edna Lewis — the Unionville, VA native who became one of the most influential voices in American cooking. More than just a chef, Lewis was a cultural icon who celebrated Southern foodways, Black heritage, and the power of seasonal, farm-to-table cooking long before it was a trend. Listen as the team reflects on how the film honors her legacy and explores the deeper themes of memory, food, land, and identity that rise to the surface. Shoutout to community leader Duron Chavis for continuing the work of preserving Black agricultural and food traditions in Richmond and beyond. Edna Lewis's most beloved books include: The Taste of Country Cooking In Pursuit of Flavor The Edna Lewis Cookbook The Gift of Southern Cooking (with Scott Peacock)

Welcome to the April edition of the AviaDev Insight Africa Connectivity update for 2025, hosted by Jon Howell, CEO and Founder of AviaDev Africa. This month's guests are:  Sean Mendis, Aviation Consultant. CONNECT WITH SEAN Behramjee Ghadially, Aviation Consultant. CONNECT WITH BEHRAMJEE  Topics covered this month: Ethiopian Airlines to launch to Sharjah 4 x week and go double daily to Lagos from July.  Qantas is rumoured to be launching Perth-Johannesburg in December 3 x week Etihad to increase flights from Nairobi to double daily in December Deep dive into the London-Africa dynamic and how London Gatwick has improved it's share of African traffic Air Sierra Leone launching to London Gatwick from Freetown in June with one of our commentators heavily involved Condor expanding services to Cape Town and Johannesburg from November Africa World Airlines launching flights to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso from 3 June Kenya Airways summer schedule changes and west Africa operation Listen to Sean's commentary on SAA here 

Vuoi conoscere i protagonisti di News dal pianeta Terra? Vieni a LifeGate Live: martedì 15 e marcoledì 16 aprile all'Auditorium San Fedele di MilanoDopo una giornata di annunci di contro-dazi da parte dell'Unione europea e della Cina, ieri in serata il presidente statunitense Donald Trump ha annunciato la sospensione dei dazi verso gli storici alleati per 90 giorni – e un aumento fino al 125% di quelli verso la Cina. Caterina Sarfatti, esperta di azione climatica inclusiva, ci racconta di Freetown, capitale della Sierra Leone, e delle innovative strategie di adattamento alla crisi climatica Puoi scriverci a podcast@lifegate.it e trovare tutte le notizie su www.lifegate.it. 

Sinds de Nederlandse drugscrimineel Jos Leijdekkers (‘Bolle Jos') opdook in Freetown, staan de Nederlandse kranten bol van het West-Afrikaanse land Sierra Leone. Schrijver en Trouw-columnist Babah Tarawally groeide er op en kwam dertig jaar geleden naar Nederland als vluchteling voor de burgeroorlog. Hij vertelt Bram over de kush-epidemie in het land, en hoe die onlosmakelijk verbonden is met de Nederlandse drugshandel. Hij verloor zijn broer aan kush en ziet hoe de drug de maatschappij ontwricht, maar pleit desondanks voor een meer gelaagde blik op Sierra Leone vanuit het Westen. ‘Daders en slachtoffers van de oorlog wonen en leven er samen, en ze vergeven elkaar. Ze accepteren het leven zoals het komt.' Abonneer je op ‘Achter de Frontlinie' en mis nooit nieuwe afleveringen. Wil je meer weten? Abonneer je dan ook vooral op de Frontlinie-nieuwsbrief en ontvang elke twee weken extra verhalen van Bram Vermeulen, achtergronden bij het nieuws en lees-, kijk- en luistertips in je inbox. Of vind 'Frontlinie' op NPO Start, YouTube en Instagram.

Send us a textSixteen-year-old Musu Sangu faced a devastating diagnosis in Sierra Leone—a life-threatening heart condition requiring specialized surgery unavailable anywhere in her country. With her heart functioning at just 20% capacity and given only a 40% chance of survival, Musu's future looked grim. But what followed was an extraordinary demonstration of global compassion that would save her life.The journey began at Mercy Hospital in Sierra Leone, where Dr. Aruna Stevens identified Musu's condition using a newly acquired EKG machine. Through the Child Reintegration Center's family strengthening program, Musu already had access to medical care and a dedicated case manager who advocated tirelessly for her. When it became clear that she needed surgery unavailable in Sierra Leone, an incredible network of support mobilized across three continents.Gary and Mary Ann Gilkyson, who had met Musu during a mission trip, rallied their church in South Carolina to raise funds. The Sick Pickin Foundation connected her with surgical care in India. Staff members at multiple organizations coordinated passports, visas, medical clearance, and financial support. After a grueling journey from Freetown through multiple countries, Musu arrived in New Delhi where surgeons performed her high-risk aortic valve replacement.Against tremendous odds, Musu made a remarkable recovery. Within a month, she returned home to her family in Sierra Leone. Today, she's back in school, even playing Mary in the CRC Christmas play, while her mother builds stability through a microfinance program.This powerful story reminds us that when compassion knows no borders, extraordinary things happen. People who had never met Musu—and many who never will—worked together to give her a future. Consider joining this village of support through the Emergency Medical Health Fund, established to help more children like Musu access life-saving care when local resources aren't enough. Your contribution could be part of the next miracle.Maternal Health impacts child and family wellbeing, and is an indicator of societal wellbeing as well. If you want to support this work, please give to the HCW Maternal Health Mission - Maternal Health Matters!Support the showHelpingchildrenworldwide.org

In times of uncertainty, leadership is key...but so is vision. As the climate crisis deepens, and people across the world are facing economic hardship and experiencing the increasing impacts of the climate crisis, mapping out an alternative to neoliberal economics, inequality and unmitigated climate breakdown has never been more vital. In our season opener, we speak to two women who are doing just that. Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown is using an innovative, inclusive and data-driven approach to addressing the challenges her city faces, and is a powerful advocate for unlocking urban climate finance. Gaya Herrington is one of the world's leading voices in the wellbeing economics space, using her platform to argue for the transformation of our economic system away from unsustainable growth to one that prioritizes human and planetary wellbeing. Featured guests:Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has served as the Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, since 2018. She is also the Co-Chair of C40 Cities. Gaya Herrington is sustainability researcher, wellbeing economist, thought leader and author of “Five Insights for Avoiding Global Collapse”.Links:What happened at the U20 Summit in Rio? C40 websiteIDB and C40 to Strengthen Partnership for Climate Action - IDB websitePlanting 1 million trees to turn the temperature down - Cities 1.5 podcast episode, featuring Eugenia Kargbo, Freetown Chief Heat OfficerRegenerative Economics - The Regenerative CentreWill the end of economic growth come by design — or disaster? Gaya Herrington, TedTalkThe Limits to Growth model: still prescient 50 years later Gaya Herrington, Club of Rome websiteTurnaround Empowerment & Focus on gender equality Club of Rome websiteWho Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner? A review Women's Budget Group websiteIf you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

Denise Giosa: A Journey in Fashion and Events Denise Giosa's journey in the world of fashion and events began while she was still in high school, when she joined the Junior Fashion Board at D.H. Holmes in Baton Rouge. It was during this time that she met Beth Phillips, a wonderful mentor who played a significant role in shaping her career. Recognizing Denise's potential, Beth invited her to be the Youth Coordinator, marking the beginning of her involvement in fashion special events. After college, Denise moved to Lafayette and began traveling for Estée Lauder. It wasn't long before she received a call from the manager of the Lafayette D.H. Holmes store, offering her a job. She accepted and continued working with the company for five years, further establishing herself in the industry. Her career took another turn when Mark Falgout of Warehouse 535 reached out to her. Originally envisioned as a live music venue, Warehouse 535, located at 535 Garfield Street in the Freetown neighborhood near downtown, has evolved into a multi-purpose event space. Over time, it has expanded beyond live music to host a variety of events, and Denise has played a crucial role in that transformation. Guiding Clients in Event Planning Denise takes a structured approach to helping clients determine their event needs. Before a client even books a date, she ensures they go through a detailed planning process. She asks key questions such as the date, type of event, expected size, and any special requirements. She also helps them visualize how the space will be used, ensuring that all elements—such as a photo booth or seating arrangements—are carefully considered. Her meticulous attention to detail means that by the time an event day arrives, she has already coordinated all aspects. She knows every vendor, delivery time, and setup detail, ensuring that clients never have to scramble at the last minute. Her hands-on approach means that every table, chair, and decoration is in place before the event begins, allowing clients to enjoy their special day stress-free. Additional Services and Wedding Planning Warehouse 535 offers comprehensive event services as part of the venue rental. However, additional services, such as hiring a wedding planner, are to be handled by the client. Some clients choose to bring in a planner midway through the process or hire a "day-of" coordinator to handle last-minute details. Denise ensures that clients understand what each wedding planner offers, as different planners provide different levels of service. She also educates clients on the finer details of event planning. For instance, if a couple is handling their own décor, she ensures they have a plan for setup. She also helps them clarify their expectations with vendors, such as ensuring photographers are booked for the right amount of time so they capture key moments, including the end of the event. Catering, Beverages, and Entertainment Warehouse 535 has certain requirements for event vendors. Caterers must be licensed and insured, and all beverages are provided through the venue. Clients can choose from various beverage packages, ranging from domestic beer and wine to premium selections. Entertainment is another major consideration. Some couples prefer DJs over bands because they want to curate their own playlists, while others love the energy of live music. Denise emphasizes that entertainment is key to keeping an event's momentum going, and she ensures that DJs and bands are properly set up and integrated into the event timeline. The Evolution of Warehouse 535 Denise has witnessed the growth of Warehouse 535 firsthand. What started as a music venue has expanded to host diverse events, including weddings, corporate functions, and creative experiences like an Edgar Allan Poe-themed speakeasy. The venue has also served as a filming location for shows like Dateline, with production teams transforming rooms to suit their needs. ...

Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is experiencing rising temperatures, with extreme heat becoming a major challenge for residents, especially those in crowded neighbourhoods and open-air markets. With limited access to cooling infrastructure, the heat affects daily life, health, food security and the economy.In response, the city recently hosted an ‘Urban Heat Hackathon', where teams developed innovative solutions to tackle the problem.In today's Africa Daily Alan Kasujja speaks to two of the hackathon winners, Tommy Charles and Glory Aminata Turay, to explore how technology and urban greening are helping residents adapt to and mitigate extreme heat.

La Sierra Leone est l'un des pays les plus exposés à l'érosion côtière. Selon un rapport des Nations unies, plus de deux millions de personnes y sont menacées par la montée des eaux. Même la capitale, Freetown, et ses bidonvilles, construits en gagnant du terrain sur la mer, sont au bord du naufrage. Un phénomène dû au réchauffement climatique, mais aussi à la main de l'homme. La submersion est accélérée par la pauvreté extrême du pays qui pousse une partie de la population à détruire son environnement pour gagner de quoi survivre. Reportage de Sarah Sakho, Simon Martin et Saidu Bah.

According to the United Nations, Sierra Leone is one of the countries most exposed to coastal erosion. More than two million people are threatened by rising sea levels. Even the capital, Freetown, and its informal settlements – built by reclaiming land from the sea – are on the brink of sinking. A phenomenon caused by climate change, but exacerbated by human activity. Submersion is accelerated by the country's extreme poverty, which pushes the population to destroy their environment in order to survive. FRANCE 24's Caitlin Kelly, Saidu Bah, Sarah Sakho and Simon Martin report.

Sierra Leone's minister of information says his country is taking all necessary steps to deal with an outbreak of the mpox disease. This, after the country declared a public health emergency this week after confirming two mpox cases in the capital, Freetown. Sierra Leone is the latest country in West Africa to report the disease after neighboring Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Information Minister Chernor Bah, tells VOA's James Butty, Sierra Leone is prepared from its experience with Ebola

Greetings Glocal Citizens! After spending the new year chasing Aurora Borealis aka the Northern Lights (linkhttps://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html) in the North of Ireland and communing with friends and family there and in the UK, I'm back in NYC grounding and self-caring for a bit. The not so great news is that I just missed seeing the Northern Lights live, but now I'm that much more prepared for the next time. The great news is that I was able to catch up with this week's guest, Ghanaian actor, producer and casting director, Agbeko “Bex” Mortty before he heads to the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival (https://miscifi.com) representing Ghana with The B.A.T.U. Project: ADAM THE FIRST, Ghana's first feature length science fiction film. He has stared in films and series like the Tribeca Film Festival award winning film Children of the Mountain, Shampaign, Men Don't Cry, The Cursed Ones, and the world No. 1 Netflix Original Sci-Fi TV series AWAY, staring Hilary Swank and Josh Charles. His production titles include Children of the Mountain, Amerikafuo and The B.A.T.U Project: ADAM THE FIRST. As casting director his projects include FREETOWN, PARADISE and Children of the Mountain. In addition, he is also an IT consultant and an enstooled chief in Ghana's Volta Region, which Bex tells us all about in this in depth tour of his experiences as a returnee. Where to find Bex? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/agbeko-bex-mortty-a64638/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thebexstage/?hl=en) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thebexstage/) On YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@bexthethespian9369) What's Bex reading? Producing Independent Feature Films That Make Money (https://a.co/d/6LllH3K) by Rick Jenkins Other topics of Interest? About Tamale (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIdiT-cory2qFeq4pjLV70iWEUiDyj7YN&si=LwI04yRgHKqfaS-O), the Dagomba People (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagomba_people) and Dagbani language (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagbani_language) The Yaa Centre in London (https://www.facebook.com/YAACentreW9/) About Gbledi (https://www.facebook.com/AfadjatoViaGbledi/?locale=da_DK), in Hohoe, Volta Region Ghana (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohoe) Ghana Inaugurates, John Dramani Mahama as President (https://www.youtube.com/live/qSbNx_ZAZwM?si=FmM60e4aD9xLEse9) Africa Cinema Summit (https://africacinemasummit.com) About Filmmaker M. Sayibu (https://www.atfmovie.com/cast-crew#:~:text=Writer%2FDirector-,M.,ultimately%20achieved%20under%20his%20helm.) About Silver Star Tower, Accra (https://www.silverstartowers.com) and their Corporate Run Ghana Initiative (https://thebftonline.com/2024/08/11/14th-global-media-alliance-japan-motors-corporate-run-and-walk-launched/#google_vignette) Where did my Aurora chasing take me in Ireland? (https://youtu.be/S8cFHfOzeEE?si=ODxBM2hix5bq-eFj) Special Guest: Agbeko “Bex” Mortty.

In Freetown, Sierra Leone, we join a group of African-Americans who have all taken a DNA test and discovered their ancestors came from this country on the West Coast of Africa, before they were trafficked to the US and enslaved. Over their two week trip, we explore the bustling city of Freetown, a very different experience to the US. They travel to remote villages where their ancestors may have lived. Here they are each adopted by a local family and given a traditional name according to the ethnic group indicated in their DNA test. There is also a boat trip to Bunce Island, where they find the ruins of a slave fort where men, women and children were held captive in appalling conditions. And we meet other returnees who have come back to Sierra Leone to make a difference.

Edna Lewis was a legendary American chef, a pioneer of Southern cooking and the author of four books, including The Taste of Country Cooking, her memoir cookbook about growing up in Freetown, Virginia, a small farming community of formerly enslaved people and their descendants established in 1866. Before she began writing books, Edna had been a celebrated chef at Cafe Nicholson in New York City in the 1950s where Eleanor Roosevelt, Paul Robeson, Marlon Brando, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote and Marlene Dietrich all came for her Southern food and legendary chocolate soufflé.The Taste of Country Cooking chronicled the traditions and recipes of the community where she grew up — a rural settlement that celebrated the events and traditions of daily life across each year with special suppers and ritual meals — Emancipation Day Dinner, Early Spring Dinner after Sheep Shearing, Morning After Hog Butchering Breakfast, Christmas Eve Supper and Christmas Dinner to name but a few of the dishes and stories that fill this book.In 1983 The Kitchen Sisters went to talk to Ms. Lewis about her life and the Christmas traditions in the tight-knit Virginia farming community where she came of age.For Christmas, The Kitchen Sisters Present... Edna Lewis: Christmas in Freetown

Every year on Sierra Leone's Independence Day in late April, musicians and revelers descend upon Freetown from throughout the country. Parades and celebrations traverse the city, joining diverse neighborhoods with processional music, including one particular local style called bubu, a trance-inducing sound played by groups of young men blowing interlocking hocketed breath patterns into bamboo tubes. Bubu resonates with other African diasporic horn traditions, rara and gaga especially. It has long been a part of the cultural fabric of Sierra Leone, yet its deeper story has so far eluded scholarly examination. This program, supported by original fieldwork and by interviews with scholars Connie Nuxoll, David Skinner, Michael Gallope and John Nunley, begins a serious exposition and investigation of the intriguing mythology and history that surrounds this unique, hypnotic music, through a focus on musician Ahmed Janka Nabay, widely recognized in Sierra Leone and beyond as “the Bubu King.” Written and produced by Wills Glasspiegel and Drew Alt. Georges Collinet is away on assignment: Our guest host is Sahr Ngajuah, the musician and actor who starred in the Broadway show, Fela!. APWW #690

Il y a dix ans, la Sierra Leone vivait un cauchemar, balayée par l'une des épidémies les plus meurtrières de notre époque. Ebola a fauché plus de 11 000 vies en Afrique de l'Ouest, dont près de 4 000 en Sierra Leone, semant la terreur au-delà des frontières. Si le virus semble endormi, la résurgence de cas en Guinée en 2021 a ravivé les craintes. Aujourd'hui, alors qu'une campagne de vaccination préventive vise à protéger les travailleurs en première ligne, le souvenir de cette tragédie reste vif, porté par des survivants comme Daddy Hassan Kamara et Victoria Yillia, dont les récits résonnent encore. Entre mémoire collective et espoir scientifique, la Sierra Leone cherche à se relever, tout en veillant à ce que l'histoire ne se répète pas. Dans l'arrière-cour d'une petite maison à Masiaka, petite ville nichée à une heure de Freetown, Daddy Hassan Kamara fait défiler les portraits de ses proches disparus. « Voici ma mère, elle a été la première infectée par le virus après un mauvais diagnostic du médecin », raconte ce survivant d'Ebola, le regard perdu dans ses souvenirs. Ignorant qu'elle souffrait d'Ebola, il l'a soignée à mains nues, sans protection, contractant le virus à son tour.« Un jour, des gens sont venus me voir. Ils m'ont dit : "Tu as perdu ton fils, ton père, ta belle-mère et ta femme." Ce mois de novembre, j'ai perdu neuf membres de ma famille. » Ces mots, Daddy Hassan les prononce avec une douleur contenue. Comme lui, des milliers d'autres Sierra-Léonais ont été fauchés par le virus ou ont vu leurs familles décimées.Vaccination préventive : une course contre-la-montre« Ce n'est qu'une question de temps avant que nous enregistrions une nouvelle épidémie d'Ebola », alerte le Dr Desmond Maada Kangbai, chargé de vaccination au sein du ministère de la Santé.Face à cette menace persistante, la Sierra Leone a lancé, le 30 novembre 2024, une campagne de vaccination préventive destinée aux soignants et travailleurs de première ligne. Avec le vaccin Ervebo, administré en une seule dose, les autorités espèrent éviter une répétition de la tragédie de 2014.« Les soignants sont le premier rempart contre Ebola. S'ils ne sont pas protégés, nous risquons de revivre l'enfer d'il y a dix ans », insiste le Dr Kangbai.La campagne, financée par l'Alliance mondiale des vaccins, Gavi, vise à vacciner 20 000 travailleurs de santé et autres acteurs communautaires. Destinée à couvrir les 16 districts du pays, elle bénéficie d'une logistique optimisée : bien qu'exigeant une conservation à -80°C au niveau national, le vaccin peut être stocké entre 2 et 8°C dans les districts, simplifiant ainsi sa distribution.À écouter aussiDix ans après Ebola, la Sierra Leone mise sur la vaccination préventive [1/2]Un hommage aux héros disparus« À Kailahun, j'ai perdu environ 40 de mes collègues », se souvient le Dr James Sylvester Spire, directeur de la surveillance électronique à l'Agence nationale de santé publique, créée après l'épidémie. Cet ancien chef médical régional du district de Kailahun a gardé intact le souvenir des premières heures de l'épidémie.« Lorsque le virus Ebola a commencé à sévir, personne ne voulait aller travailler à Kailahun. L'endroit était extrêmement silencieux ; si on laissait tomber une épingle, on pouvait l'entendre. Tout le monde avait fui les lieux, les gens s'étaient réfugiés dans la brousse ou ailleurs. Moi, j'étais souvent en contact avec les patients, car lors des supervisions, si vous voyez un patient malade, en tant que professionnel de santé, vous devez le soigner. Et c'est ainsi que la plupart des membres du personnel ont été infectés. »Plus loin, à Kenema, troisième plus grande ville de la Sierra-Leone, le docteur Donald Grant se tient devant une grande pierre tombale, sur un terrain poussiéreux. Les noms gravés racontent une tragédie collective : celle des travailleurs de santé tombés au front lors de l'épidémie.« Voici une liste de 40 agents de santé », indique l'ancien responsable médical du district de Kenema, en caressant la pierre du bout des doigts. « Mais ce n'est que pour Kenema. Le bilan national est bien plus lourd. »Sa voix se brise un instant. « Tous, je les connaissais tous. Chaque nom ici représente un collègue, un ami, une perte irréparable. »En 2014, tout commence lorsqu'un individu infecté en Guinée traverse la frontière pour consulter un guérisseur traditionnel en Sierra Leone. La guérisseuse succombe rapidement au virus et ses funérailles, réunissant des centaines de personnes, deviennent un foyer de contagion incontrôlable. À partir de là, la diffusion de la maladie explose.À écouter aussiSierra Leone : reconstruire la santé dix ans après Ebola [2/2]Victoria Yillia : une survivante marquée à jamaisVictoria Yillia est devenue, bien malgré elle, un symbole de la lutte contre Ebola. Elle était le « premier cas confirmé » de la Sierra Leone, diagnostiqué dans le district de Kailahun en 2014.« J'ai attrapé la maladie d'une femme enceinte soignée par la même infirmière qui s'occupait de moi », raconte-t-elle. Transférée à l'hôpital de Kenema, pendant des semaines, Victoria a traversé un véritable calvaire : la fièvre, les douleurs insoutenables et surtout la peur. « Chaque fois qu'on essayait de poser une aiguille pour une perfusion, je saignais abondamment. »Elle a survécu, mais au prix de terribles pertes. « Quand je suis sortie de l'hôpital, mes parents étaient morts. Je ne trouvais que leurs tombes. J'ai perdu environ 21 proches à cause d'Ebola. »Le legs du Dr Sheikh Umar KhanÀ cette époque, la riposte contre Ebola est dirigée par le Dr Sheikh Umar Khan, expert en fièvres hémorragiques et seul virologue du pays.Écartant le diagnostic de la fièvre de Lassa, le Dr Khan met en place des protocoles stricts pour tenter de contenir la maladie. Mais la pression sur le personnel est immense. Beaucoup tombent malades, lui y compris.Le 29 juin 2014, le Dr Khan succombe au virus, laissant un pays en deuil.« C'était comme perdre un général en pleine bataille, se remémore le Dr Donald Grant. Tout le monde était désemparé, pensant que la guerre était déjà perdue. »Une résilience fragileDix ans après, les échos de la tragédie d'Ebola résonnent toujours dans les esprits. Si des progrès ont été réalisés, comme l'établissement de l'Agence nationale de santé publique et la modernisation des infrastructures sanitaires, beaucoup restent à faire.« L'assainissement reste un problème. Les choses les plus basiques n'ont pas encore été réglées. Avoir de l'eau courante relève encore du rêve pour beaucoup. Si vous ne vous attaquez pas à l'assainissement, les maladies comme Ebola continueront d'émerger », avertit le journaliste Umaru Fofana.Pourtant, l'espoir persiste. « Le Dr Khan m'a enseigné à toujours servir l'humanité, quelles que soient les circonstances, conclut le Dr Grant. Nous devons transmettre cette ardeur aux générations futures pour qu'elles poursuivent ce combat. »À écouter aussiEbola : le virus est-il encore une menace ?Ce reportage a été réalisé avec le concours de l'Alliance mondiale des vaccins, Gavi, financée par la fondation Bill and Melinda Gates. 

Ne plus jamais revivre l'horreur d'Ebola. Dix ans après l'épidémie la plus meurtrière de son histoire, la Sierra Leone tente de tourner la page. Le pays se dote de structures de surveillance renforcée, forme ses médecins et a créé une agence de santé dédiée à la détection des futures maladies. Reportage au cœur d'un système de santé en pleine transformation, de notre envoyée spéciale de retour de Freetown. À écouter aussiDix ans après Ebola, la Sierra Leone mise sur la vaccination préventive [1/2]

Few days ago, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an indictment against executives of the Adani Group for orchestrating a massive bribery scheme to secure solar energy contracts worth billions of dollars in India. The indictment specifically states that, between July 2021 and February 2022, the Adanis and their associates promised bribes to Indian government officials to secure agreements with state-run electricity distribution companies, which in turn entered into power supply agreements with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The contracts were expected to generate profits of approximately US$2 billion over the next two decades, according to the petition. However, a year ago in November 2023, Adani (like Milele Energy in Sierra Leone) received US$553 million debt financing from the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to fund the Colombo Port Terminal in Sri Lanka, a project in which the Adani Group held 51% ownership. In Sierra Leone, Milele Energy similarly received over US$400 million in DFC debt financing for a corruptly awarded energy project in Freetown. The contract relating to the Western Area Power Generation Project was never advertised or put on a public tender, and was secretly awarded to Milele Energy executives by Julius Maada Bio following deal arrangements and negotiations brokered in Lebanon, Nairobi, Dubai, and Freetown between 2021 and 2023. In this episode, we ask what are the implications of the Adani Group indictment for Milele Energy's corrupt acquisition of Sierra Leone's Western Area Power Generation Project? Also, what is the relationship between the Adani Group corruption case and our ongoing efforts to scrutinize corrupt acquisition of critical infrastructure and service related contracts by US financed corporations in Sierra Leone, including Milele Energy and the Summa Group? Thus, we point out the need to investigate DFC's operation in Sierra Leone from 2021 to present. This episode is part of the Voice from Exile series of the Africanist Press.

How is United Sates foreign policy affecting democracy in Sierra Leone? What is the difference between electoral democracy and tripartite democracy? Is the United States Embassy in Sierra Leone supporting democracy or helping to consolidate an illegal regime? In this episode, we discuss Sierra Leone's electoral coup of June 2023, and the ongoing international effort, led by the United States Embassy in Freetown, to validate an illegal regime in Sierra Leone despite a fraudulently organized election. This episode is part of the Voice from Exile series of the Africanist Press.

 A rock star, atheist, Marxist, world-class theologian, African missionary, and a Greek Orthodox Bishop all in one lifetime? Hank Hanegraaff is joined by Bishop Themi—a personal hero of his and a beacon of hope and inspiration to millions of Christians around the globe. Bishop Themi earned degrees in theology, languages, and Biblical studies at some of the most prestigious universities in America and became a distinguished scholar—however in the 90s Themi questioned his life's direction. Was he serving Christ best as a top-tier academic? A series of events led him to follow another path, serving the poor in his native Africa. Themi founded the Holy Orthodox Mission in Freetown, Sierra Leone where he has battled Ebola and foes, both earthly and spiritual, to feed, educate and offer the love of Christ to thousands of West African people.opics discussed include: How Bishop Themi's roots as a white man born in Africa formed his nomadic DNA and understanding of not feeling completely welcome (3:15); the impact that the British Invasion and the Beatles had on Bishop Themi becoming a Marxist (9:15); the guru and the cross—Bishop Themi's first steps towards Christianity (19:00); mystical experiences that reveal the reality of Jesus Christ (25:00); how reading the Bible led to Bishop Themi being born again, selling everything and giving it to the poor to follow Christ (29:30); Bishop Themi was a serious academic until he was convicted that he must do missions due to the impact of Mother Teresa (34:00); how Bishop Themi's belief on missions led him to Africa (40:05); the impact of HIV/AIDS on Bishop Themi's first mission in Kenya  (43:15); why Bishop Themi thinks the experience in Sierra Leone with Ebola was worse than HIV/AIDS (45:25); what does it truly mean to live in poverty? (48:30); what is Paradise 4 Kids? (51:25); the methodology of indigenous missions (54:20); the impact of Bishop Themi on the life of Hank Hanegraaff (59:35); what we do with our lives and resources matters for all eternity—we will be judged (1:06:00);  sharing among the poor is not unusual—the poor tend to practice generosity beyond their means (1:10:25); the simple truth is that the more you give the more you will receive (1:12:20); Bishop Themi owns nothing—he has surrendered completely in confidence to God (1:14:20); how can we teach our children how fortunate they are?  (1:16:40); how can people support Bishop Themi's mission? (1:18:40); Christ identified with the suffering and we must follow Christ by imitating Him (1:21:00).  For more information on the life of Bishop Themi, please see the following for your partnering gift, Themi – Apostle To The Hungry with Foreword by Hank Hanegraaff https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-themi-apostle-to-the-hungry-with-foreword-by-hank-hanegraaff/Listen to Hank's podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are  on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.​

Aminata Conteh-Biger is an author, inspirational speaker, Founder and CEO of a non-profit organisation, The Aminata Maternal Foundation. Aminata was born in Sierra Leone, growing up in Freetown. Following her kidnap, imprisonment and subsequent release by rebel soldiers during the 11-year civil war, Aminata became one of the first Sierra Leonean refugees to be settled in Australia. She shares her harrowing experience in this episode, reflects on how she processed her trauma to build a new life on the other side of the world, and shares stories about the man who first taught her strength and kindness.  CW: In this episode, Aminata shares her confronting first-hand experience of war.  This contains discussions of rape, murder and abuse. If you think you need immediate assistance, call 000. If you would like to speak to someone for support, you may wish to contact one of the following services.  Lifeline – Call 13 11 14, or visit www.lifeline.org.au. 1800RESPECT – Call 1800 737 732, or visit www.1800respect.org.au. LINKS Find out more about the Aminata Maternal Foundation and their amazing work at aminatamaternalfoundation.org If you're in Sydney or Melbourne and would like to support the Foundation, consider taking part in the First Breath Walk  this Saturday November 2nd. For more information and to donate, find details here  Purchase a copy of Rising Heart here Follow Ant on Instagram, X, and Facebook Learn more about Ant on his website antmiddleton.com Follow Nova Podcasts on Instagram for videos from the podcast and behind the scenes content – @novapodcastsofficial. CREDITSHost: Ant MiddletonEditor: Adrian WaltonExecutive Producer: Anna Henvest Managing Producer: Elle Beattie Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we recorded this podcast, the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We pay our respect to Elders past and present. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mayors of Boston, Paris, Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Quezon City, Philippines, made the cut for Forbes' first Sustainability Leaders list. We spoke with two of them about their cities' climate problems – and possible solutions.Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amyfeldman/2024/09/19/video-how-the-mayors-of-quezon-city-and-freetown-are-fighting-the-climate-crisis/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Matt Northrop, the Associate Head of School at Oaks Christian School in Southern California. They discuss the school's decision to eliminate cell phone use during the school day and the positive effects this has had on student engagement and community building. Northrop shares insights into the implementation process and how students and parents have responded.  The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Each week, we'll talk to catalytic educators who are doing amazing work. Be encouraged. Join us on October 15th at the Hurd Welcome Center for an in-person information session to hear more about the MA in School Leadership and the EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership. This is a free event but we need you to register here: https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/2003682/1973032/ Connect with us: Baylor MA in School Leadership EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn Twitter: @eckertjon Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl   Transcription: Jon: Today, we're here with Matt Northrop, amazing leader in Southern California at Oaks Christian School. This conversation really started through a text exchange where I was asking how the year was going, and I got this great response from Matt. First of all, give us a little bit of a window into how the year started at Oaks and what you're doing is a little bit different than what you've done in the past. Matt Northrop: Yeah. Well, first of all, thanks for having me on, Jon, have the utmost respect for you and the show and all the things that you all are doing, but yeah, this year we, so a little bit about Oaks Christian. We are about 1,700 students, a little over 1,100 on the high school side. This year we made the jump in after reading Anxious Generation made the decision with leadership that we wanted to walk away from our students being able to use cell phones while on campus. We've had a number of different iterations with cell phones. We've used them in the classrooms, we've kind of jumped in on the tech side and really believing that that could be a tool. I think a lot of schools have gone that direction. We just really felt as we not only read it, but also as we saw a lot of the same conclusions that he was coming up with, we really felt like we needed to do something drastic on the phones. We had pretty early on made sure that our teachers were involved in this decision and that they were aware of it and communicated at the beginning of the summer for all of our students and parents. What we've done is we've made it where you can't have a cell phone on or in your possession throughout the school day from, and we start our first classes at 8:30, so 8:30 until 3:15. What we have found, and this is what we were texting back and forth, is it has absolutely ... Not that our culture wasn't for us. I think the culture was always there. What the cell phone was doing was interrupting what the culture had the potential of being. As we took away cell phones in these first few weeks of school, the noise level in the hallways has multiplied probably two or three fold in good ways. Kids are laughing, kids are playing games, they actually have board games in our spiritual life office that they're playing. Kids are in circles and they're having conversations. They're sharing stories where you might find the first few weeks when there were cell phones, and kids sitting on a couch or a chair somewhere just kind of minding their own business on the phone. I don't see kids by themselves anymore. Whether that's them having the courage of just wanting to go out and start talking with friends or meet new friends, or if that's people, kids on our campus who are seeing somebody who's all by themselves and sitting down and having that conversation. It has been a huge boost to our community, to the connection that takes place on campus. We've really look back at the teachers are saying, this is a game-changer for the school. Jon: It's powerful. We're hearing this, I mean, some states are banning phones, there are districts moving to this, they're public schools, independent schools. I'm curious to hear how your parents received this. You mentioned teachers starting to communicate this I think early in the summer. How did you go about communicating this shift and moved away from, this is something that I think sometimes kids feel like it's a punitive measure, like you're taking away something to, oh no, we're offering you something better. We've had an engaging culture in the past, we think this will be even better. How did you roll that out? Then what was the response that you got maybe initially versus where you're at right now? Matt Northrop: Sure. What was interesting is we communicated this via email to parents at the beginning of summer. We kept waiting, honestly, as administrators waiting for an angry mob to approach us. We did not receive a single email from a parent that was upset about this policy. In fact, at our new parent orientation a week before school started, it got a huge ovation, the fact that we were making this decision. This is one of those decisions for us that it has had the support of our parents from the get-go. Part of that is I think parents are starting to see this, and then part of that was probably the way that we communicated this out as far as, again, we're not trying to make their kids miserable. We're not trying to keep them from connecting to their kids. What we are trying to do is have academic conversations, increase community, allow their kids to be able to see each other face-to-face and develop empathy and develop courage and develop curiosity and all of those things that can be difficult to do with a cell phone on their hand. What's interesting too, Jon, is I've had a few kids walk up and they look to their left and they look to their right, make sure no friends are listening and they say, "Thank you, Dr. Northrup, for taking the cell phones away. Even the kids, to some degree, not all of them are happy about this for sure, but to some degree I believe that they're starting to see the difference on campus to have that connection. Jon: Did you get resistance from students at the beginning that's now reduced or did you have any of that pushback from them? Matt Northrop: Nothing serious. Kind of the adolescent eye roll, probably collective eye roll, but again, even as reminders on campus, the reminder is not, we don't have big cell phones with a red circle and red lines through it. We have the reason why, so we're emphasizing community. We're emphasizing contribution, and we're emphasizing celebration. If your head's not up and your eyes aren't open, you can't do any of those things, and so be available. See those things that you can celebrate on campus, find ways in which you can contribute and then be a part of this community. Jon: Love that, love the three Cs there, and it's a positive, not a negative. I think that's remarkable. I think more schools can lean into that in ways that I think would be increasingly life-giving. I was going to say, your school. I've been able to be on your campus several times, and it's one of the more engaging campuses I've ever been on because you have these institutes that connect kids, and you're now fifth through 12th grade or have, you've gone down to fourth? Matt Northrop: Fourth through 12th. Jon: Fourth through 12th. Fourth through 12th grade, you have this deeply engaged campus where you're moving all over, it feels like a college campus, and kids are entering into these different spaces and doing the work of professionals and they're connected to professionals. You're obviously in a talent-rich environment that you tap into well, so talk a little bit about the way you all think about engagement anyway, even removed from the smartphone conversation. How do you think about that in meaningful ways? Because I think, let me back that up with one other piece of context, because what you said earlier resonated from what Jonathan Haidt said about the students. He asks about the way technology interferes with their engagement. He asked them his classes, "Is anybody here upset that Netflix is a thing that they're streaming on Netflix?" Everybody's like, "Yeah," Netflix, they love Netflix. Netflix is a win. Then he's asked them, "Does anybody wish that we could go back from social media?" About half of them say they would like that to go away, which I think speaks to kind of the invasive nature of some of the technology where Netflix wants you to give it your attention because it wants you to be on, but it's not this constant clawing at you that I think we all feel even as adults. When we talk about kids not being able to handle phones, and I would argue most adults can't handle their phones either because it's a multi-billion dollar industry to try to keep our attention. I think you all have acknowledged that, have seen that, but I think better than most schools, you have already built a culture of engagement that already was focused on community, contribution, celebration. Talk a little bit about where you've built that culture and then maybe how this has added to it. Matt Northrop: Yeah. There's a couple things that come to mind as I think through community. One is we've, from the very get-go, been very Socratic, especially in our humanities. A normal thing is to walk to campus and you'll see the Socratic circles with a novel out, with scripture out, with a document that they're reading together, asking great questions. I think that has lended itself where the teacher is not the center of the classroom. The discussion is, or an idea is versus the teacher. The teacher typically will sit down with the students in a posture of learning together. I think from the very beginning, Oaks has been a place where scholarly conversation, it's a normal thing for kids who engage in that scholarly conversation. Jon: Let me interject there. I did get to see a conversation at your school where they were discussing the things they carry, and there were about 12 students gathered around with a teacher. It was really hard to tell where the teacher was and where the students were, but the conversation was one of my favorite conversations I've ever been able to listen into, so absolutely agree. That was now maybe four years ago? Matt Northrop: Five years ago, yeah. Jon: Yeah, four or five years. Amazing, so yeah, I can second that. That's a powerful thing that you all do at Oaks. Matt Northrop: A special part for sure. Then I think on the other side of things, we also genuinely believe that our students can be contributors to society, to culture now. They don't need to wait until they're 35. with these, we've started five institutes. These are institutes for students. We have about 25% of our kids that are part of one of these. It's for students who are thinking that they may want to be an engineer or they want to be a filmmaker. We have our Institute for Arts Innovation, Institute for Global Leadership, which is Finance and Law, Institute of Engineering, which has our idea lab. We just added Health Sciences Institute and a Bible and Discipleship Institute for kids who want to go deeper into those areas. It really becomes a highly engaging elective set of offerings. I think one of the things that I love, so maybe just as a story that might help bring this out as far as the engagement is concerned, we had an assignment that was given probably three years ago now to students, and it was just an open-ended develop a, and this was in our engineering institute, develop a water filtration device for an area, geographic area in the world that doesn't have readily access to clean water. That was the topic, and so they began to work on it, ended up putting together things that I don't completely understand as a history major, but ozone, sand filtration, heat, and there's one more element that they put together into one unit and then found out later that nobody had ever developed a filtration device like this. The next year, they wrote a journal article on it, they began to continue to test it. It was found to be 99.9% effective. That was the second year. Third year is they began to link arms with some of our other institutes of trying to find a way, how do we bring this now to an area of the world that would need this? We're sending a team in October to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where we are bringing some of our global leadership students who are looking to come alongside young businesses that are happening there in ways that we can help and support that they're bringing the water device as well to be able to figure out what we can do there. Then all of it is being collected for a documentary for social change designed to help bring awareness to both, both to schools as far as things that we can do to help engage our students beyond just book knowledge, but practical knowledge as well. Also, to be able to showcase what kids can do today that can benefit the world when they're 17 years old versus when they're 37 years old. Something to help inspire this generation to be difference makers. It's an example of probably an abnormal one on our campus, but a normal conversation that's happening on our campus on a regular basis. Jon: No, and two things that that made me think of from what I've seen on campus, your idea lab, your innovation lab is in a former dog food factory. You've converted into this amazing space where the first time I was there, Jet Propulsion Labs had just been there the day before because they partner with you. I think at the time you were the only high school in the country they would partner with. They typically only partner with universities. There was a conversation going on in that lab about getting water to different parts of the world that were not getting water. It wasn't a filtration thing, it was just how to do a water project. They were white boarding all these things and generating ideas and these really creative problem solving ways with a teacher there that was super animated in what he was doing. It was also tied into, I think he was going over there some rocketry and telemetry things on one of the boards that I did not understand. Then we walked over to a machine that you have that you had a teacher and a student go get trained on it. It was like a four or five-day training, and he was going to Stanford, I think he was the head of your debate team, and he was trained on this. He talked us through, in detail, this unbelievably complex machine that you had invested time in him so that he could then invest time in students totally a transformational space on so many levels because of the human beings. It wasn't about the tools, it was the way the humans were using the tools. It was amazing. Then I think the next day they were filming a feature length film. There was a fight scene that was about to happen on campus that the booms were ... Matt Northrop: [inaudible 00:15:02]. Jon: Yes, then it was all staged. It wasn't a real fight but ... Matt Northrop: [inaudible 00:15:06]. Jon: ... It's just seeing all that come together in the documentary and the leadership pieces and in the lab and then taking it and using it globally. I mean, again, you don't want smartphones to get in the way and distract from that kind of deeper problem solving that changes students at your school as they seek to serve the world in ways that, I think, most high school students don't have a vision for what that could be because they don't necessarily have those same opportunities to think that way, because the institutes you've built bring in the kind of outside expertise that feeds Oaks and then Oaks can feed back out. Which, I mean, that's pretty powerful. I wish everybody had a chance to just walk around your campus and just see, because I was just there on random days, the times I've been there, it wasn't like anything special was going on that day, it was just, this is just what happens on campus, which was amazing. Matt Northrop: Yeah. I do think one of the elements there too is, and you've alluded to it, but finding people in your area, whether it's parents or community members that can help take the kids to the next level in those areas as well. We have advisory councils around each one have been kind of that Wayne Gretzky quote, "You don't just want to skate to where the puck is, but where it's going," and so looking at engineering of where is engineering going? Where is computer science going? Where's leadership going and preparing our kids for that? Jon: I love that, and any community can do that. Obviously, you're in a fairly unique place with some of the resources you have in your community, but every community has those resources and it doesn't really have to cost the school anything extra. In fact, it can bring resources with it where people get invested and they see what these high school kids are doing and they're like, "Oh yeah, here's some." I'm sure you have many examples of that. As the community engages your school, both sides benefit. A couple of questions. These are typically, I do like a lightning round or shorter answer questions, which I'm terrible at answering. I always like to see how well you can do this. Have there been any books that you've read in the last year that you're like, "Yeah, absolutely." Other educators, Anxious Generation, 100%, and you're like, "Yes, everybody needs to read that if you're a parent, educator." We had both of our two oldest children, we had them read it because we're like, "Hey, this is talking about you all," and it was super impactful for them. Any other books you've read that you would recommend to the people listening? Matt Northrop: I have loved, we've been walking through with one of our groups, the Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by Jon Mark Comer, The Importance of Solitude and Silence and Sabbath and Slowing Down. I think for all of us, that was challenging then one that I've always loved that we're reading as well as The Power of Moments by Dan or Chip and Dan Heath, that one's an eye-opener and so applicable to so many areas of school. Jon: Love both of those books. I also just read Jon Mark Comer's Practicing the Way this year. Super helpful. Good follow up to it. At least this one, he's not just taking Dallas Willard's quote and making it his book title, so that's a win. The Power Moments, the idea of the peak end rule, the idea that the promise of risk-taking is learning. It's not success. How do you do that? How do you build that into your system? Power Moments has been one of my favorite books since that came out in 2017, so hey, I would second both of those. As you look ahead at schools in general, what do you see as the biggest challenge to engaging kids? You've removed smartphones, that's key. You've got these things going on, but what do you see as the biggest challenge to engaging kids? Matt Northrop: That's a good question. I'd say one of the things that I am starting to see, and I guess it surrounds the AI conversation, and I think we're all trying to figure out as educators, where does AI fit? We've been taking a look at it as well. I think one of the things that we're trying to do is making sure that that is exaggerating the humanness of relationship and community where AI is. There was just that recent article of a UK school that is now teacherless and completely driven by AI. We're certainly not a school that runs away from technology, but I think that has a profound impact on education, on making sure that we're engaging our students. I hope we're not walking away from humanness altogether. I think as we look at AI to remember the impact that a teacher has in a classroom of kids of that face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball, wrestling with big ideas, having those conversations that are all unique to each class period and not getting to the point where we're letting AI teach our kids. I think that's a dangerous spot. Nor do I really think that that really engages young people either. Jon: Everything you've talked about so far on this podcast could be potentially aided by artificial intelligence, but it could not be done with artificial intelligence. I love that exaggerating the humanness of school. If you've read any of Cal Newport's stuff, he wrote Deep Work and then he just came out with a book, Slow Productivity, his claim, and he's a computer science MIT grad professor at Georgetown. He makes a living in the world of artificial intelligence and computers. He said, "What will become increasingly valuable in the decades ahead, wherever the world goes, is the more human our contribution is, because that's where our value is in our humanness. What are you uniquely capable of offering the world if you're able to articulate that and obsess over quality, doing less things at a natural pace?" Ruthless Elimination of Hurry ties in nicely there. That's the value you have. How do we help kids see what they've been created to be and what they contribute? Obviously, tools can help with that, but they will not replace that because AI, I always say this, this is from Darren Speaksma, it's consensus. That's all it is. It's scraping large language models. It's consensus. It is not wisdom and it can't be wisdom. There are things like if you're writing a paper, there are things where AI is super helpful for checking and fixing, but if it's generating, I don't want to read something generated by AI. One of my worst nightmares is that AI-generated emails will begin to fill up my email box to the point where I feel like I need AI-generated responses and it's just AI talking to AI, and I'm just this third party looking on at this nightmare. To me, how do we keep, I totally agree on exaggerating the humanness of what we do because that's the joy in schools. All right, so then what do you see as your biggest hope for engaging students well? I mean, I think you all are doing a lot of this really well. What would you say your biggest hope is? Matt Northrop: I think my largest hope is in the things that I'm seeing, and I know you're seeing in different Christian schools and different schools around the world, I think that we're getting to a place, as I look around, there's just so much hope in so many schools with amazing educators and leaders that are doing phenomenal things. Both with the hand in who we have been and who we've been as teachers and mentors for centuries. Yet also ,a hand in where is the world going and how do we continue to prepare our kids for a future that we don't know? I think I'm hopeful for these types of conversations. I'm hopeful for us as schools to become less siloed, maybe less competitive at times, and to be able to learn from one another and those unique things that we all bring to a conversation. There's still yet a school to visit where I haven't learned something from that school that I can pretty much immediately take back to Oaks. I think that's where the hope is, I guess, collaboration with one another and learning from one another. Jon: That's the whole reason why the Baylor Center for School Leadership exists. We try to bring schools together to do this work of improvement because we can always get better and it's a lot more fun to get better with each other. If you get a chance to visit Oaks Christian, you have to do it. The good thing is we have nothing to be afraid of in the future because we serve a sovereign God and He's not worried about the future and that victory is already done. When your eternity is all set, what happens between now and when we get to heaven, that's all just an adventure that we get to enjoy and create powers of moments and ruthlessly eliminate hurry and practice following Christ in ways that make us more like Him. It's a pretty good work that we get to do. Matt, thanks for all you do. Thanks for being on today. Matt Northrop: Thanks, Jon.  

It’s another MOVIE SHOW DIGITAL EXTRA--Interviews and discussions that co-hosts Andy Farnsworth & Steve Salles know our loyal listeners will love listening to, but that we unfortunately don’t have time to include in our weekly radio broadcast.  For this Digital Extra, Andy is joined by Utah filmmaker Garrett Batty, whose latest movie “Faith of Angels” (which he wrote and directed) hits theaters starting September 12th.  It tells the story of the search and miraculous rescue of 10-year old Joshua Dennis after he was lost in a Utah mine for five days in 1989. Garrett, whose previous films include “Freetown”, “The Saratov Approach”, and “Out of Liberty”, talks about why he was drawn to this particular story, explains how he made his casting choices, how he involved the actual people from the story in the writing and filmmaking process, and what parts of the movie really happened and which parts were changed. ADVISORY: Some parts of the discussion could be considered spoilers for moments in the movie.  Listen to the KSL Movie Show LIVE every Friday from 11AM-1PM on KSL NewsRadio 102.7FM & 1160AM for reviews of the latest movies and streaming TV series, games, prizes and more!   Listen to The Movie Show with Andy Farnsworth and Steve Salles on Fridays from 11 am to 1 pm on 102.7 FM & 1160 AM, kslnewsradio.com, or on the KSL NewsRadio App. Follow the show on Facebook at @TheMovieShow and join The Movie Show Club for exclusive perks! Text "Movie" to 57500. (Message and data rates may apply; Text STOP to cancel; Message frequency varies)  The Movie Show podcast is sponsored by Megaplex Theatres, Utah's premiere movie entertainment company. 

Send us a textJoin us in this inspiring interview with a pro athlete who went from immigrant to building a school in his hometown. Learn about his journey, community impact, and how he stays motivated. Don't miss this episode of our Pro Athlete Interview Series!In this inspiring video, hear the incredible journey of Michael Lahoud, a soccer star whose story begins in Freetown, Sierra Leone. From surviving the Civil War as a refugee to becoming a professional footballer, our guest shares how soccer transformed his life.He takes us through his early days, from the streets of Sierra Leone to the DC area, and then to Wake Forest University and beyond. His passion for soccer led him to achieve his childhood dream of playing professionally, demonstrating discipline and an ultra-healthy lifestyle along the way.Learn about his unique approach to staying at the top, which combines running, exercise, and surrounding himself with ambitious, like-minded individuals. Discover how he leverages the benefits of both in-person and virtual communities, especially during challenging times like COVID-19.Our guest also discusses his commitment to philanthropy, including building a school in his hometown and giving back to the international community. His dedication to inspiring others and sharing his story serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of sports and community.Join us as he shares his visualization, affirmation, and goal-setting strategies that keep him performing at his best. And don't miss out on a call to action for those interested in connecting with professional athletes and gaining valuable insights for success.Give it a watch, and if you know any pro athletes who would love to contribute to our Athlete Office Club video series, let us know! Together, we aim to inspire and empower more people to excel in their lives and careers.#SoccerJourney #Philanthropy #Inspiration #AthleteLife #GoalSetting #CommunityImpact #FootballDreamsWelcome--------------------- Watch the YouTube video here https://youtu.be/rSvuKdpHoDcInside the Minds of Business Champions: Pro Athletes Unveil the Secrets of Top .1% Performers.Welcome to the Pro Athlete Interview Series, where we delve into the minds and stories of sports legends from around the globe! This series will provide you with rare insights into their journeys, triumphs, and the secrets behind their success. Whether you're a die-hard fan, an aspiring athlete, or simply curious about the inner workings of greatness, this series promises to deliver compelling interviews that will ignite your passion and fuel your drive.Start watching now and connect with the stars of the game like never before. Subscribe now and dive into the Pro Athlete Interview Series for an unforgettable journey through the hearts and minds of sporting legends!------------------------------ Welcome to the "Private Investor Club - 7,500 Investors. Subscribe now to hear what our 7,500+ investors are allocating to and stay on top of trends related to structuring and closing deals.Our 17-year-old investor club, the Family Office Club, has 25 team members, and 12 million social followers, has closed on over $500M of transactions, has over 7,500 active investors, and hosts 15 live events a year.  To join our investor club as a capital raiser or CEO of a company needing capital to access our live community events, please visit https://FamilyOffices.comTo register with us as an investor to access live community events please visit https://InvestorClub.comWe have free web classes and books for you to download at https://lp.FamilyOffices.com/book https://CapitalRaising.com 

Garrett Batty is a beloved Latter-day Saint movie director who has created classics like The Saratov Approach and Freetown.I wanted to speak to Garrett about his newest movie - Faith of Angels, how it came to be and what his new film shows about the resurgence of Christian, feel-good movies of faith.Some highlights from this episode include why Garrett chose this true story to make a film on, whether Christian movies and filmmaking like The Chosen have helped in the resurgence of faith in society, and why stories are so powerful. --You can learn more about Faith of Angels at the following link:- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30443437/ Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspodhttps://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Qhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on InstagramConversations to Refresh Your Faith.For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.

In a chilling case out of Indiana, court documents reveal that a mother-daughter duo meticulously plotted a fatal poisoning scheme that took five attempts and three different substances to succeed. Harold "Peanut" Allen, 52, succumbed to ethylene glycol poisoning after months of torment at the hands of his wife, Marsha Allen, 52, and her daughter, Ashley Jones, 30. The two are suspected of  trying to gain access to his retirement money and savings What initially appeared as a sudden death on Dec. 20, 2022, was anything but, as law enforcement now alleges the plot began months earlier with failed attempts using ancient, natural poisons such as cerberin from pong pong seeds and water hemlock. The pair allegedly ground up toxic pong pong seeds and laced brownies with the poison, sending Allen to the emergency room in late November. Court documents stated, “It should be noted that Marsha (Allen) sends (Jones) a photo message of what appears to be Harold (Allen) on November 26th. In the photo, there is a half-eaten brownie on a paper plate sitting on Harold's stomach. Harold became sick after eating the brownie and ended up in the emergency room the next day.” In a text message to her daughter, Marsha Allen said, “I am irritated and can't sleep peacefully. I need this to be over … I wish it would reach its climax and be done lol.” Jones allegedly replied: “Agreed.” Undeterred by his survival, they then tried to poison him with water hemlock in various foods, again failing to end his life. However, Harold Allen did not succumb to hemlock poisoning. According to law enforcement, the women received the second toxin on Dec. 8, 2022, and proceeded to administer it over four days. Hemlock was allegedly mixed into a bowl of chili on Dec. 9, a glass of soda on Dec. 10, and a margarita on Dec. 12. Yet, Allen survived each attempt. On Dec. 13, 2022, Jones allegedly turned to ethylene glycol, the primary component in antifreeze, which has a sweet taste but is lethal in sufficient doses. Seven days later, Harold Allen was dead. Prosecutors claim Jones effectively tortured him with every failed poisoning. The month prior, Marsha Allen's home in Freetown—a small community about 40 miles southeast of Bloomington—was targeted in a break-in and burglary. Two men, Steven Andrew White, 29, and Nathaniel Kane Napier, 28, were arrested for the crime. However, authorities allege that the men neither planned nor acted alone; according to Jackson County Sheriff Rick Meyer, the burglary was carried out “under the direction and with the assistance of Marsha's daughter, Ashley Jones." Marsha told police she suspected her daughter from the start, as the burglars had the combination to her gun safe—a code only Jones was believed to know. White had his own story to share with police: he told investigators that not only did Jones orchestrate the burglary, but she also revealed that her mother had poisoned Harold Allen to death. Marsha Allen denied the accusation and voluntarily handed over her cellphone to law enforcement. However, the device contained crucial evidence—text messages between Marsha and Ashley detailing their plans to murder Harold Allen through poisoning in December 2022, according to Sheriff Meyer. A few weeks after Ashley Jones was arrested in early October 2023, police executed a search warrant at Marsha Allen's home. Later that same day, authorities believe Marsha took her own life. Jones is now facing multiple charges, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder, and is scheduled for trial in January 2025. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

In a chilling case out of Indiana, court documents reveal that a mother-daughter duo meticulously plotted a fatal poisoning scheme that took five attempts and three different substances to succeed. Harold "Peanut" Allen, 52, succumbed to ethylene glycol poisoning after months of torment at the hands of his wife, Marsha Allen, 52, and her daughter, Ashley Jones, 30. The two are suspected of  trying to gain access to his retirement money and savings What initially appeared as a sudden death on Dec. 20, 2022, was anything but, as law enforcement now alleges the plot began months earlier with failed attempts using ancient, natural poisons such as cerberin from pong pong seeds and water hemlock. The pair allegedly ground up toxic pong pong seeds and laced brownies with the poison, sending Allen to the emergency room in late November. Court documents stated, “It should be noted that Marsha (Allen) sends (Jones) a photo message of what appears to be Harold (Allen) on November 26th. In the photo, there is a half-eaten brownie on a paper plate sitting on Harold's stomach. Harold became sick after eating the brownie and ended up in the emergency room the next day.” In a text message to her daughter, Marsha Allen said, “I am irritated and can't sleep peacefully. I need this to be over … I wish it would reach its climax and be done lol.” Jones allegedly replied: “Agreed.” Undeterred by his survival, they then tried to poison him with water hemlock in various foods, again failing to end his life. However, Harold Allen did not succumb to hemlock poisoning. According to law enforcement, the women received the second toxin on Dec. 8, 2022, and proceeded to administer it over four days. Hemlock was allegedly mixed into a bowl of chili on Dec. 9, a glass of soda on Dec. 10, and a margarita on Dec. 12. Yet, Allen survived each attempt. On Dec. 13, 2022, Jones allegedly turned to ethylene glycol, the primary component in antifreeze, which has a sweet taste but is lethal in sufficient doses. Seven days later, Harold Allen was dead. Prosecutors claim Jones effectively tortured him with every failed poisoning. The month prior, Marsha Allen's home in Freetown—a small community about 40 miles southeast of Bloomington—was targeted in a break-in and burglary. Two men, Steven Andrew White, 29, and Nathaniel Kane Napier, 28, were arrested for the crime. However, authorities allege that the men neither planned nor acted alone; according to Jackson County Sheriff Rick Meyer, the burglary was carried out “under the direction and with the assistance of Marsha's daughter, Ashley Jones." Marsha told police she suspected her daughter from the start, as the burglars had the combination to her gun safe—a code only Jones was believed to know. White had his own story to share with police: he told investigators that not only did Jones orchestrate the burglary, but she also revealed that her mother had poisoned Harold Allen to death. Marsha Allen denied the accusation and voluntarily handed over her cellphone to law enforcement. However, the device contained crucial evidence—text messages between Marsha and Ashley detailing their plans to murder Harold Allen through poisoning in December 2022, according to Sheriff Meyer. A few weeks after Ashley Jones was arrested in early October 2023, police executed a search warrant at Marsha Allen's home. Later that same day, authorities believe Marsha took her own life. Jones is now facing multiple charges, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder, and is scheduled for trial in January 2025. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Sam Walker already had a huge rap sheet in his native Liverpool before 2018, when he took off across Europe and through the Sahara Desert into Sierra Leone - posting on social media the whole time. There he crafted a new life as a saviour of Freetown's slums. But is there another, darker motive for Walker's second act? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sahr Doe found the Church when he was eight years old but could not be baptized until he was 13. His mission was delayed due to the Sierra Leone civil war, and at age 21 he was called into his Young Men presidency. He was then among the first missionaries to attend the Accra Ghana Missionary Training Center, and served in the Nigeria Lagos/Ibadan mission where he was an assistant to the mission president for 12 months. Two weeks after his mission he returned to the Ghana MTC as a tutor and driver for 18 months. Sahr served as district high counselor in the Freetown Sierra Leone district before being called as counselor in the district presidency. He then served as administrative assistant to the mission president of the Ghana Accra mission, Sierra Leone zone, while working as physical facilities manager for Sierra Leone. On his release from the district presidency, Sahr was called as the elders quorum president in his branch, then as branch president. He left to attend Brigham Young University-Hawaii for one semester, without his wife and son, but had an accident while working at the Polynesian Cultural Center and returned to Sierra Leone. He then started a construction company and was called as the secretary to the mission presidency, then as counselor to the mission president. When the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak sent the mission president, senior couples, and missionaries to Ghana, Sahr stayed as acting assistant to the president. He later assisted with orienting new mission leaders to the country and was called again as counselor to the president. In 2016 he was involved in a serious accident that left him partially paralyzed, and in in 2017 was released from the mission presidency and called as secretary to the Area Seventy. He currently serves on the Kossoh Town stake high council. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Coming soon The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.