The READS

The READS One-Health Research. STEM Education. Community Development.

TheREADS Library Bo members spent the day at Bush Garden Amusement & Entertainment Park for an excursion filled with lea...
09/08/2026

TheREADS Library Bo members spent the day at Bush Garden Amusement & Entertainment Park for an excursion filled with learning, nature, and time together.

The visit gave members a chance to step away from books for a while, explore the natural surroundings, enjoy the park, interact freely, and learn through direct experience.

It was a successful outing, and we are pleased to share some moments from the day.

TheREADS Library Bo
__ learning through reading, experience, and exposure.

09/08/2026

TheREADS Live is coming soon.

The platform grows from work TheREADS is already doing in Bo: 4 field studies and technical reports, 100+ students and emerging researchers trained, 4+ communities reached through community activities, and 50+ participants at the 2026 Research & Development Summit.

TheREADS Live will focus on One Health, STEM education and community development, using live discussions to let researchers explain findings, students ask questions, communities share what they see on the ground, and institutions speak to the issues raised.

Coming soon from TheREADS Sierra Leone.

TheREADS Sierra Leone Technical One Health ReportEnvironmental Change, Human–Wildlife Interactions, and Public Health Ri...
04/08/2026

TheREADS Sierra Leone Technical One Health Report

Environmental Change, Human–Wildlife Interactions, and Public Health Risks in Kambama Village, Pujehun District, Sierra Leone, West Africa.

In Sierra Leone, One Health must move beyond policy into community-led action. TheREADS through its self-funded commitment, demonstrates how a grassroots community-based organization can transform local evidence, youth scientific engagement, and cross-sector collaboration into practical solutions that protect human health, strengthen ecosystems, safeguard livelihoods, and build a more resilient nation.

Among households in Kambama, 95% reported seasonal flooding, 60% did not treat their drinking water, and 65% used shared sanitation facilities. Exploratory analysis found associations between household risk classification and wildlife-related activities (p = 0.033; Cramer’s V = 0.63) and water source (p = 0.048; Cramer’s V = 0.58).

Water Source and Wildlife-Related Livelihood Activities Were Associated with Household Risk Classification in the Kambama Pilot Study.

We are looking for partners to support seasonal follow-up, water-quality testing, and environmental monitoring.

Read the report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W3l4bXg7mDADHuoJrAtNc4BCacVoJh4-/view

Since founding TheREADS in 2019, I've had the opportunity to work with young people from different backgrounds across Si...
08/07/2026

Since founding TheREADS in 2019, I've had the opportunity to work with young people from different backgrounds across Sierra Leone. Seeing the outcome of our recent Research and Development Summit after months of One Health research, planning, and teamwork, the successful outcome of the event, left me more convinced than ever that Salone's greatest resource is in our young people.

We always tell young people they are the future. From what I've seen, many are already leading in the present. So, they simply need the right knowledge, skills, opportunities, tools, and mentorship to do even more.

Sierra Leone is typical of zoonotic disease outbreaks, including Ebola (2014), COVID-19, and Mpox (2025). During this pe...
08/07/2026

Sierra Leone is typical of zoonotic disease outbreaks, including Ebola (2014), COVID-19, and Mpox (2025). During this period, as an organization that is focused on OneHealth Research (People, Animals, and Environment), Quality Education (STEM), and Community-Based Development, we noticed the gap that as a nation we’re mostly reactive, especially until the people start dying without control and prevention measures.

To contribute to the efforts of the MoHS SL, we adopted the Wellcome Trust protocol, according to Prof. Melissa Leach, “We have to focus on changing behavior and that meant being informed by local knowledge, understanding communities, gaining their trust, and working with them,” for a sustainable OneHealth disease preparedness.

We used a OneHealth framework to conduct a community based cross-sectional study at Kambama Village (Tiwai Island, UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Attached are photos of members of TheREADS during the data collection.

Miss Grace M. S. Conteh, SSS 3 pupil at TheREADS Bo Syndicate, presented at TheREADS Annual Research and Development Sum...
07/07/2026

Miss Grace M. S. Conteh, SSS 3 pupil at TheREADS Bo Syndicate, presented at TheREADS Annual Research and Development Summit 2026:

“The Role of Tropical Forest Canopy Cover in Carbon Sequestration: Evidence from Tiwai Island, Moa River.”

Climate change threatens forest carbon sinks in Sierra Leone.

Methods: Transect walks and canopy assessment on Tiwai Island.

Results: 75% uniform canopy. No human-induced gaps. 58% of trees have wide trunks. Mbelei dominates upper canopy. 98% natural regeneration.

Conclusion: Intact canopy functions as a resilient carbon sink. Data support REDD+ and local conservation.

Poster and presenter below.

Miss. Adama Yayo Conteh presented at TheREADS Annual Research and Development Summit 2026:“Riparian Vegetation and Its R...
07/07/2026

Miss. Adama Yayo Conteh presented at TheREADS Annual Research and Development Summit 2026:
“Riparian Vegetation and Its Role in Flood Regulation: Evidence from Tiwai Island, Moa River.”

>70% of Sierra Leone faces yearly flooding. The 2017 Freetown mudslide killed approximately 1,141.

Methods: Transect and quadrat sampling on Tiwai Island.

Results: Dense riparian vegetation increased bank stability and reduced erosion vs bare banks.

Therefore, protecting riverbank vegetation mitigates flood and erosion risk.

Poster and presenter below.

Earlier today, I received a WhatsApp message from one of our partners in the US, Mrs. Aminata Davidson. From her message...
28/02/2026

Earlier today, I received a WhatsApp message from one of our partners in the US, Mrs. Aminata Davidson. From her message, she asked a few questions that resonate deeply with me, and anticipate that Mama SaLone and her children, must dare to find answers before it's too late. Read her message below:

“Good morning my dear family and friends,

I’ve been reflecting on something I'd love to share.🙏❤️

Sometimes we say we don’t care about this world because we’re focused on heaven. But I truly believe that caring for what God has placed in our hands today is part of our faith and purpose.

This life, the people around us, our communities, and the blessings we see every day are gifts entrusted to us. If we cannot care for what is visible, how can we say we are ready for what is unseen? Loving, serving, and showing compassion here on earth is, to me, one of the greatest ways we honor God.🙏

Let’s continue to uplift one another, take care of what we’ve been given, and strive to leave this world better than we found it.🙏

With love and blessings 🙏❤️ Share to help others” 🙏

Aminata Davidson🙏 ❤️🇸🇳🇬🇳🇸🇱🇺🇸

U.S. Embassy Freetown, Sierra Leone UNICEF Sierra Leone UNFPA Sierra Leone UNDP in Sierra Leone Embassy of Iceland in Freetown ActionAid Sierra Leone Amref Health Africa Africanews

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Bo Ministry Of Social Welfare
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