How Founder of MirrorAfrica Simeonette Pontis is leading the way for the empowerment of Girls and Young women
Personal life and Career
Born on the 12 November, Simeonette Uwanie Pontis is a young Sierra Leonean international filmmaker, advocate, communication specialist and girls champion. She is the Founder and Executive Director of MirrorAfrica, a non –profit organization that provides services to young women and girls in crisis. MirrorAfrica engage girls in sexual reproductive health and rights ,advocacy on issues that promotes gender equality,mentorship, skills and leadership trainings, She is the former Vice-President of the Young African Leader Initiative Alumni (RLC) Sierra Leone Chapter Per
Education
Simeonette Uwanie Pontis attended the Annie Walsh Memorial Secondary School at Kissy Road, where she sat to her BECE and WASSCE exams respectively. She currently holds a B.A Degree in History and Polictics from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
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EXPERIENCE
Growing up, Simeonette Uwanie Pontis loves and had passion in working with and for women and children especially girls. At a tender age, Simeonette Uwanie Pontis joined the Children’s Forum Network, a child led organization that advocated for children in Sierra Leone, where she started advocating for the voiceless, she co-founded Voice of Children culture radio 104.5 FM and produced and presentered for Voice of Children Radio Mount Aureol . Her mantra is “Impacting lives is a purposeful life”.
Sallu Kamuskay
What do you do in your line of work?
“I am a trained film maker with International awards for short fictional and Documentary Films like Picturing my Life,Accra Flowers,Plastic Man etc, also an international film making trainer for young people in Sierra Leone , Liberia ,Ghana,Togo and Gambia.”
Sallu Kamuskay
You are the founder and Executive Director (ED) of Mirror Africa? What would you say enable you to set this initiative?
Simeonette Uwanie Pontis
“This initiative was born out of my desire to empower and give a voice to girls and young woman that are abused ,violated and discriminated against .It was to always contribute to the development and growth of women and girls.”
Sallu Kamuskay
Tell us about the services the Mirror Africa offer and where are your operation areas?
Simeonette Uwanie Pontis
“We enage girls,boy,men and women in sexual reproductive health and rights campaigns,Gender and sexual based violence ,Skills training ,Mentorship and leadership trainings .
We also have MirrorMedia which offer multimedia services,we use the funds to support our activites”
Sallu Kamuskay
Before setting up Mirror Africa, where have you worked before and what position did you hold?
Simeonette Uwanie Pontis
“I have had the opportunity to work at Skye Bank as a business development officer and at fomer 232 Complex as Manager.”
Sallu Kamuskay
Reflecting on your childhood or early youthful age, what was/were the difficult things you did to survive, acquire education or any of your dream?
Simeonette Uwanie Pontis
“My mother was a single woman and life was not always a bed of rose .She was a pre-school teacher and the salary was really small. I sometimes had to follow my neighbours to sall water at the market and my mum was selling down the street.My mum is my inspiration and i am happy to be raised by a strong resilent woman.”
Sallu Kamuskay
How would you count on the impact of your in fighting any of the Sustainable Development Goals?
Simeonette Uwanie Pontis
“We have been working on goal 5 which is gender equality ,goal 10 reduced inequality , goal 8 decent work and economic growth and partnership for the goal which is goal 17. MirrorAfrica has partnered and collaborated with other organisations like Defence for children Sierra Leone ,Purposeful,Fund for Global Human Right,Lilian Fonds,Advocacy Movement Network etc to achieve the above goals mentioned.
We have been produced media contents like short educative videos and audios that have foster change in behaviour in our targeted communities and the nation as a whole.Through our mentorship and leadership programs ,Girls Advocacy Alliance had girls represent and speak on international platforms in Holland ,USA and Geneva.Our girls panel is now an established organisation that is to show we have been able to groom young women and girls that can take leadership roles and responsibilities.”
Sallu Kamuskay
How can you be reach? Your social media platforms and website ?
Simeonette Uwanie Pontis
