Sierra Leone’s main opposition party has said it will not take part in any level of governance in the country, from parliament to local councils, following what it called “fraudulent” presidential election results. Issued on: 02/07/2023 – 04:23 President Julius Maada Bio was re-elected for a second term in the first round of voting with 56.17 percent of the ballots, according to results released by the electoral commission Tuesday, which have been contested by the opposition and local organisations. International observers noted the “statistical inconsistencies” between the partial results and the final results and condemned “the lack of transparency” in…
Author: catfish
Book Review of Dancing with Cara: The Rainbow StoriesSponsored* | All opinions are our ownThe Children’s Book Review Written by AC Bradburn Illustrated by Ivy Trazsi Ages 4+ | 65 Pages Publisher: Oxygen Publishing Inc. (2023) | ISBN-13: 9781990093708 What to Expect: Family, Nature, Imagination, and Joy Following the adventures of four-year-old Cara, this lovely collection of eight stories features simple language, bright colors, and textual effects perfect for supporting beginner readers. Cara and Grandad are going out for the day, and Cara knows just the thing to stop Granddad from getting tired—they can sing together! Cara’s Mummy and Daddy have…
Winter in the Wirra “Let them play in the Mud” Pack in the gumboots for this year’s winter in the wirra “let them play in the mud”, a free family community event on 17 June 2023. Gumboots, layers of warm clothing and even a wet weather suit are recommended for this winter event. Hopefully the Parnati – Autumn will put on a rainy display, but there is guaranteed to be mud in many forms to explore. Remember to pack snacks and a water bottle but keep in mind, the event is nut free. The Wirra is a space to give…
An interview in partnership* with The Children’s Book Review and AC Bradburn, co-authors of Dancing with Cara: The Rainbow Stories. AC Bradburn is a husband and wife team that writes short and long stories, sometimes with music, that strives to engage with the natural world in new and ancient ways. They began their working lives as freelance musicians, often combining music and storytelling in workshops with children. Now with a young family, they divide their time between home educating their children, growing vegetables, looking after chickens, and struggling to find time to write! Dancing with Cara is a beautiful, dreamy…
Sneaker Painting Workshop is an opportunity to design and paint your dream pair of Air Jordans or Nike dunks on a canvas that you can take home with you. Putting on a killer pair of kicks can instantly boost your mood. At this workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to design and paint your dream pair of Air Jordans or Nike dunks on a canvas that you can take home and hang up. Local artist and sneakerhead, Iman Elmawey, is facilitating the workshop and has done similar programs with Footlocker. Headspace Marion will also be joining the session, giving participants practical tips…
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands formally apologized on Saturday for his country’s role in the slave trade, a rare direct apology for a historical injustice by a sitting European monarch.Willem-Alexander, who ascended to the throne in 2013, made the apology in a speech in Amsterdam at an annual commemoration of the abolition of slavery in Suriname and the Netherlands’ Caribbean colonies, which was also the start of a memorial year that celebrates the 150th anniversary of the end of the practice there.“We carry the horrors of the slavery past with us,” the king said, adding that the consequences of the…
A Botswana government official and the chief executive of De Beers, the international diamond conglomerate, signed interim agreements on Saturday to continue a lucrative, decades-long diamond mining partnership that had appeared to be breaking down in recent months.Only minutes before a midnight deadline on Friday, the parties announced that after years of negotiations, they had agreed in principle on a deal to renew a partnership that supplies De Beers with most of its diamonds and Botswana’s government with the largest chunk of its revenue.The government and De Beers said they were still working out the final details of the deal…
Book Review of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing The Children’s Book Review Written by Judy Blume Ages 7+ | 144 Pages Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers | ISBN: 9780525469315 What to Expect: Sibling Rivalry, Realistic Fiction, and Humor Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (published in 1972) is the first of five books in a SUPER entertaining series about Peter Warren Hatcher and his younger brother Farley Drexel Hatcher, also known as Fudge. This story has captivated and entertained children for generations because it’s hard not to get swept up in the lovable yet infuriating antics of Fudge. Everyone just…
Cooking with Oz Harvest – Nutritional Educational and Skills Training (NEST) Suitable for ages 14 to 18, this 6-week cooking course includes easy and fun weekly module activities, practical cooking lessons on how to create cheap and healthy meals, and much more. The program includes 6 sessions that include easy and fun weekly module activities, and a practical cooking lesson culminating with the sharing of a meal together. At the final workshop, everyone receives a certificate and take-home tool kit, with infographic fact sheets and OzHarvest Everyday Cookbook. The Nutritional Educational and Skills Training (NEST) is developed in alignment with…
Book Review of BlubberThe Children’s Book Review Written by Judy Blume Ages 9+ | 192 Pages Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers | ISBN-13: 9781481414401 What to Expect: Reality Fiction, Body Image, Bullying, and School Judy Blume’s book Blubber is a poignant and powerful literary work that serves as a warning against the devastating effects of bullying, particularly on young children. This book draws inspiration from a real-life incident in her daughter’s fifth-grade classroom and addresses the serious issue of bullying head-on. Blume’s intention in crafting Blubber was to encourage children to speak out against bullying and remind them that bullying…