Miss ECO Sierra Leone 2016 Attends I Am Hannah Vigil

Gree(n)tings everyone!!!

I hope you and yours are doing well. I've been blessed and highly favored, thanks to our awesome Lord Jesus. On September 19th, I attended the "I Am Hannah" vigil hosted by the Concerned Sierra Leoneans (CSL) group. The event was chaired by Dr. Fuambai Sia Ahmadu (CSL Vice President and CEO of Miss Sierra Leone USA). The primary purpose of this event was to discuss the conditions surrounding and policies (Hannah's Law) being implemented after the heinous assault of the murdered teenager, Hannah Bockarie, few months ago; also, there was a discussion on violence against girls and women in Sierra Leone and how we can end this practice. Afterwards, there was candle-lighting in honor of Hannah and all the women victims of violence in Sierra Leone.

Miss ECO Sierra Leone 2016 Ruby B. Johnson

To start the session, I led the Christian prayer. There was also a Muslim prayer conducted. As one of the speakers at the event, I had the opportunity to talk about the implications of gender-based violence, as well as how critical this issue is to ecotourism in Sierra Leone because a nation is judged by how they treat their women and children. I have always been passionate about women's issues so violence against women is near and dear to my heart; when I was in college, my minor was women's studies leadership and one of the things I've made a priority with my organization (When You Believe Foundation) is violence against women. In fact, October commemorates National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Miss Eco Sierra Leone 2016 Ruby B. Johnson and Dr. Fuambai Sia Ahmadu (Medical Anthropologist)

A woman of faith is blessed by faithful men in her life who hold the priesthood of God and honor this privilege: her father, bishop, husband, brothers, sons. They value her and the divine gifts given by God to His daughter. They sustain and encourage, and they understand the great mission of her life as a woman. They love her; they bless her. Margaret D. Nadauld

Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Eco Sierra Leone 2016,
Salone's Eco Queen.