Orange Sierra Leone, through its Orange for Good Connections campaign, on Saturday, 20th June 2026, engaged school pupils aged between 8 and 15 years from both public and private schools across the Western Area in a workshop on cyberbullying and excessive screen time. The event was held at the Orange Digital Centre, Hill Station, Freetown.
Speaking at the workshop, the Product and Communications Lead for the Orange for Good Connections Campaign, Mavis Baileyson-Macauley, highlighted the objective of the initiative, which is aimed at reducing cyberbullying, exposure to harmful online content, and excessive screen time, particularly among young people.
According to her, although the campaign was introduced in Sierra Leone last year, it had already been implemented across other Orange countries worldwide before being launched locally.
She explained that this year’s programme marks the second edition of the campaign in Sierra Leone and specifically targets school pupils aged 8 to 15 years.
“We believe in catching them young and educating them about cyberbullying, even though it affects people of all ages. We also plan to extend the campaign to the provinces so that more children can benefit from this important awareness initiative,” she stated.
Making a presentation to the pupils, Head of Strategy, Transformation and Performance Management in the Human Resource Department of Orange Sierra Leone, Madam Ghina Wansa said the workshop was designed to help pupils understand cyberbullying, learn preventive measures, recognize the risks associated with excessive screen time, explore enjoyable offline activities, and equip parents with practical guidance tools.
She explained that cyberbullying occurs when someone uses digital devices such as phones, computers, or tablets to repeatedly hurt, embarrass, intimidate, or threaten another person online. Excessive screen time, she noted, refers to spending too much time on phones, tablets, computers, televisions, or other digital devices to the extent that it negatively affects a person’s health, education, relationships, or daily activities.
Madam Wansa educated the pupils on the dangers of excessive screen time, its impact on mental health, and the appropriate steps to take if they become victims of cyberbullying. She also shared practical tips on staying safe online, maintaining healthy screen-time habits, and identifying different forms of cyberbullying.
Highlighting the role of parents, she encouraged them to closely monitor their children’s screen use, promote open anAndroid honest conversations about online activities, and equip them with the skills necessary for a safe and balanced digital life.”Screens are fun and useful, but too much screen time is not healthy. Parents must help their children strike a balance between online and offline activities,” she emphasized.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries to the press, Adishia R. Pratt of St. Joseph Secondary School described the workshop as highly educational.
“The workshop was very informative and has changed the way I use the internet. I am grateful to Orange Sierra Leone for raising this important awareness programme to schoo pupils. I now feel more confident about staying safe online and helping others do the same. I believe more schools should benefit from this type of training because it is highly relevant to young people today,” she said.
Another participant, Daniel Williams of Blossom Academy, said the workshop had broadened his understanding of online safety.”This workshop has helped me understand the dangers of cyberbullying and excessive screen time. I have learned to use social media responsibly, respect others online, and manage my time better. I will share these lessons with my friends and family so that we can all become responsible digital citizens,” he remarked.
Credit: Yusufu Abu Sesay
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