Sylvia Blyden

Background

Blyden was born and raised in Freetown and she is a member of the Creole ethnic group. Blyden is the great-great-granddaughter of Edward Wilmot Blyden, the "father of Pan-Africanism".

Education

Fourah Bay College.

Career

She is the only female news publisher in Sierra Leone, and "one of the most recognisable names in the country." She has spoken of her interest to eventually run for the presidency of Sierra Leone. Sylvia Olayinka Walmina Oreshola Blyden was born on 1 October 1971 in Freetown, Sierra Leone to Creole parents. She entered the Annie Walsh School with the best Selective Entrance results of entrants in 1982 and left with the best General Certificate of Education O"Levels for the school in 1987.

She was to graduate with the best Bachelor of Science results from Medical School in 1993 and again graduate with proficiency in 1996 with an M.D in Medicine during which period she emerged as Sierra Leone"s first woman to be elected as University students" leader in 1994.

Blyden is the great-great-granddaughter of Edward Wilmot Blyden, the "father of Pan-Africanism". A Child-Appointed International Goodwill Ambassador for Sierra Leone"s Children, Sylvia Blyden has been a Youths and Women"s Rights Activist.

She represented Sierra Leone"s Female Youths in Beijing during the 1995 United Nations Women"s Confab, and was chosen by her African peers to deliver the Female Youths of Africa Speech on 11 August 1995. Following her 24-Hours Internet Cafes, she launched a news media in 2005 known as Awareness Times, which is generally considered critical of the excesses of Government and State Institutions including the President, Ernest Bai Koroma.

Blyden remains the youngest ever Sierra Leonean to be nationally honoured with an Officer of the Rokel insignia in recognition of her meritorious service to the Nation, on 27 April 2007 Independence Day.

Achievements

• Blyden remains the youngest ever Sierra Leonean to be nationally honoured with an Officer of the Rokel insignia in recognition of her meritorious service to the Nation, on 27 April 2007 Independence Day.

Politics

In early 2002, she became Sierra Leone"s youngest National Political Party Leader at the age of 30, and the third Sierra Leone woman to lead a fully registered political party (the first being Presidential Candidate, the late Mrs Jeridine Williams-Sarho in 1996).