Published by Anthony Bee-Conteh
I am a Sierra Leonean by nationality currently residing in Sydney, NSW Australia. I am the founder and current Executive Director (ED) of PTERC. I graduated from the University of Ghana with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 2004. In Australia, I graduated from the University of Technology with a Graduate Diploma in Journalism in 2008, and in 2015, i also graduated from the Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP) with a Graduate Diploma of Counselling.
Currently I am working as an interpreter for Multicultural, formerly known as Community Relations Commission (CRC), Translation and Interpreter Services (TIS) and Sydney Western Area Health Care Services. I am also a practicing journalist (freelance) and also as a volunteer at Auburn Diversity Services (ADS) formerly called Migrant Resource Centre.
And I have worked for many social and community welfare development organisations, including Settlement Services International (SSI) as Case Manager, in 2014, Parramatta Community Migrant Resource Centre in 2012 as Community Project Worker, and May Murray Neighbourhood Centre in 2011 as Community Generalist project worker and in 2008 I also worked at Granville Multicultural Centre as Community Capacity Building Project Officer.
I decided to establish PTERC organisation with some of my fellow Sierra Leoneans and None Sierra Leoneans because I came from 11-year post-war torn country, which is Sierra Leone. It was a war that created lots of trauma, panic, anxiety, stress and depression in the lives of many Sierra Leoneans and none Sierra Leoneans in the country, especially the witnessing of the killing of their families, /children, relatives, loved ones and the raping of their wives and families in front of them.
And also because by the time Sierra Leoneans are about to recover from their brutal post-war trauma, the country was also being affected by an outbreak of a deadly disease called Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD). EVD caused the loss of many families, relatives, and friends and loved ones in the country. Such sad events had also caused stigma, discrimination, against Ebola survivors with more trauma, panic, anxiety, and distress. Stress and depression to the affected individuals and families in the country.
In view of that I saw the need for both Sierra Leoneans and none Sierra Leoneans to have psychosocial training, education, psychotherapy and counselling to reduce their stigma, trauma and discrimination to enable them move forward with their normal lives. The fact is that, a healthy mind is a healthy body. This gives me the urge to find a way to assist the vulnerable and disadvantaged people, especially those in the community and those in Freetown Sierra Leone.
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