Unemployment is one of the most protracted problems especially among the youth population which the Government of Sierra Leone and its development partners are making frantic efforts to tackle though it still remains a herculean task.

Institutions in the private sector are also playing a major role in tackling the problem of unemployment and one of these institutions is the Central Development Organization (CDO) which has been using its lobbying skills to explore necessary avenues to help the Government of Sierra Leone address the menace. It is against this backdrop that a Ugandan philanthropist, Sisto Andama, through his overseas connections, decided to partner with CDO to help reduce the prevailing unemployment saga that has brought hardship and poverty to most homes in the country.

It could be recalled that due to an unfortunate incident that took place in Kuwait last year which involved some Sierra Leoneans working in that country on contract, the Government of Sierra Leone placed a blanket ban on labour exportation or overseas employment.

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But with the total involvement of Sisto Andama, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Beowulf Worldwide, everything seemed to have changed for the better. The company has created job opportunity for over 1,000 Sierra Leoneans at Sierra Rutile Limited (SRL), Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL) and many other institutions in the private sector.

The Ugandan company, Beowulf worldwide, which took over from SABRE reportedly has the ability and capacity to persuade or convince the United States Department of Defense to increase the salaries of overseas employees in Iraq from US$250 to US$500/US$700 respectively.

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At present, Beowulf Worldwide is being contracted by five overseas countries – Afghanistan, Iraq, Dubai, Qatar and South Korea – and Afghanistan alone has offered employment opportunity to over nine hundred Sierra Leoneans.

Sierra Express Media learnt that many stakeholders in Government like the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray, and the Mayor of Freetown City Council (FCC), Franklyn Sam Bode Gibson, are using their good offices through the President and the Government to grant CDO and Beowulf Worldwide an executive clearance.

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“Granting an executive clearance to Beowulf Worldwide for the purpose of recruiting and sending Sierra Leoneans out for overseas employment will be a step in the right direction,” one of the company executives said, adding that Beowulf Worldwide has the proven credible and willingness to continue with its good work.

Meanwhile, the CEO of Beowulf Worldwide has warned mushroom institutions in the country that are impersonating his company with the intention to exploit unsuspecting Sierra Leonean youths in the name of overseas employment.