Asmaa James

"The voices of people are very crucial in this matter. When we go to communities, people come out and give testimonies. You can’t just hide a case now — there’s no way. My phone is always ringing with people calling to report cases."

"We tell parents to listen to their children if they bring up these issues and not to dismiss them as lies. We tell community leaders to end the blame game. Sometimes they tell people, “Why did you go there? Why did you wear this?” Yet, we’ve seen cases of sexual abuse of 6-month-old babies and 3 year olds."

"It was very interesting growing up because I am from a fanatic Muslim background. When my mom died, my auntie took me and brought me to Freetown, and I was with her until I started secondary school. Immediately after school, I went into journalism as a volunteer. And I have been there until now, growing myself and trying to put myself together professionally. So, I must say it was a bittersweet experience growing up. I did not actually enjoy growing up because you know what it means when you are in a foster home without your biological parents. But it is all the same, I grew up and they tried to give me the best. And here I am today, I own a whole media house."

"I decided to start Black Tuesday, and I told people to wear black on Tuesday to raise awareness about this issue. We held a town hall and it was jam packed. There was nowhere to sit, people were standing outside. I brought in panelists and organizations that support adolescents, lawyers, and police."