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NOSLINA is supported through the work of various committees, formed to engage in areas of planning determined to be the priority of the Board. For the past three years, NOSLINA has focused its work and fundraising to support health and education outcomes in Sierra Leone. A summary of major accomplishments of NOSLINA based on the leadership of these two committees is as follows:
EDUCATION COMMITTEE:
 In 2007-2008, Chairman Don Taylor appointed Vice Chair Minkailu Jalloh to head an education committee to work on behalf of the agenda of the Board. During that year, the Board decided to support the education of young people in Sierra Leone, by offering scholarships to top scoring students selected from different geographic regions of the country. Through the donations secured at the 2008 NOSLINA Annual Awards and Independence Day Gala, the Education Committee worked to run a successful scholarship competition, giving support for a year of schooling for 12 students.
The following year, the Education Committee chaired by Barba Koroma, redirected the focus of NOSLINA's work in education, to long term planning to support science education in the country. Over the past year, the committee has met to discuss and develop a proposal for a science based school in Sierra Leone. In a recent trip to the country, Vice Chair Minkailu Jalloh and Editorial Director Kwame Fitzjohn met with officials in the government to discuss the possible location of a school in the country, and delivered a letter to the President on behalf of NOSLINA offering support to a planning effort to enhance science education in Sierra Leone.
HEALTH COMMITTEE
The Health Committee, chaired by John Davies Cole, ignited the interest of the Board on health issues with a presentation by Dr. Davies Cole and Recording Secretary, Mary Grenz Jalloh, at the 2008 annual meeting. This led to concerted work focusing on sanitation, a factor related to poor health conditions in Sierra Leone. The Board, with donations from the 2009 gala event, decided to support the work of the committee through the purchasing of four large wheeled waste receptacles placed at convenient public places in Freetown. A promotional campaign utilizing a local artist, helped to bring forth the message of proper waste disposal. Executive Director Suna Nallo traveled to Sierra Leone and presented the donation to the Mayor of Freetown, and participated with the signing of a joint memorandum of understanding concerning the placement and maintenance of the receptacles. This led to additional requests from other towns upcountry to support waste management in those areas. The requests are currently being considered by the committee.
In January 2010, the Health Committee participated with a fact-finding trip related to health issues in the country. Ms. Jalloh traveled to the country and conducted video interviews with children in schools in Freetown and upcountry, and interviewed medical officers, nurses, researchers, and students about health issues in Sierra Leone. A video interview was conducted with renowned malaria researcher and Founding Board Member of NOSLINA, Dr. Aiah Gbakima. Dr. Gbakima in addition to other clinicians interviewed resoundingly identified malaria as the number one public health problem in the country, as it weakens resistance to other types of infections, and in particular, negatively impacts the health of pregnant women and children under the age of five. The Health Committee in a recent meeting decided to continue supporting work on factors impacting the spread of malaria, including consideration of supporting additional waste receptacles upcountry, and encouraging efforts to promote donations of insecticide treated bed nets for young people.
In addition to this, the committee, through the work of Dr. Davies Cole and Ms. Jalloh, was able to provide a statement of support for the recent National Health Symposium held in Freetown in March. On the direction of the Board, NOSLINA was able to be a sponsor for this important symposium. Madieu Williams served as sponsor of this important symposium which offered a much needed dialogue on maternal and child health in Sierra Leone.
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