30/06/2025
Holding The Mic For Hidden Voices
Today is International Social Media Day, and the theme this year is “Empowering Voices and Building Communities”; hits home for me.
As a social media intern for a foundation that supports widows and other underrepresented groups, I’ve had the privilege of being a bridge between silent stories and the world that needs to hear them.
I met an older widow who didn’t just lose her husband, she lost three of her children. One of the few who survived is currently ill. And yet, somehow, she still finds the strength to talk, to share, and to hope.
Then there’s this young widow someone who doesn’t “look the part” like what society expects a widow to be. Her husband died, and now she’s raising their 16-year-old son on her own. She told me she’s grateful that he understands their situation. “My son knows I’m not rich, so he adjusts,” she said.
And at Milton Margai School for the Blind, Grace and Emmanuel lit up when they spoke about holidays, schoolwork, and the little joys of life. I wasn’t just meeting blind children, I met brilliant minds filled with joy and purpose.
And then there’s Dundas Oswald, a humble Sierra Leonean inventor creating electricity from salt and water. To add, he also created Sierra Leone's first robot. He denies being a genius, but I disagree (living proof of smart people not liking to be called smart).
These are the people I get to write about, their stories, their struggles, their strength and even though it’s me behind the screen, the truth is, they’re the ones speaking. I just hold the mic.
These, and many more, are the things I do and what other social media storytellers do. We bring hidden voices to light. And by doing this, we empower communities, uplift people, but most of all, we remind them that they are not forgotten. That their voices matter.
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