Bob Massally: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 23 March 2025:
Watching BBC News few days ago and reading both its website as well as those of the UK’s Fleet Street newspapers, journalists were moaning the fact that the UK and the US have just had their worst rating ever in the respected World Happiness Index.
“Both the UK and the US slipped down the list to 23rd and 24th respectively – the lowest-ever position for the latter,” was the news headline.
Even before I had an in-depth look and dive at the index to judge for myself, I had a quick glimpse at Sierra Leone’s media landscape. I was shocked to find out that no one, not even the respected Sierra Leone Telegraph, thought a mention of the World Happiness Report 2025 matters and is worthwhile.
It could just be that Sierra Leone has been so deluged and drowned in a spew of an overwhelming and embarrassing litany of bad news of late that everyone both at home and abroad is now in an irreversible state of deep-rooted slumber, collective and selective amnesia as well as comatisis to not care anymore.
Its like Sierra Leone’s fate is sealed and will ever remain a fait accompli. It seems the country will never dig herself out of the despicable depth of despair and desperation she finds herself.
I personally believe that such metrics matter as you can’t manage anything if you don’t measure things in the first place.
As for the tattering reputation of Sierra Leone, it affects us all irrespective of which Passport you are carrying as details in it will always reveal your origins.
If airport or airline officials ask you how is life treating you, show more unfriendly interest in you, or subject you or your baggage (delayed or not) to more intense scrutiny and a forensic Search, you may just be tempted to blame…The world’s happiest countries.
Our global happiness ranking is based on a single question that asks people to evaluate the quality of their life on a 0–10 scale. Finland has topped the rankings since 2018. How does your country compare?
Out of 147 nations mentioned in the report, Sierra Leone and Afghanisatan come last.
Explore the data
https://data.worldhappiness.report/
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