AYV News, April 29, 2025
Sierra Leone’s warmth shone brightest when popular Ghanaian Content Creator & YouTuber WodeMaya arrived in the country wearing a Jamaican-themed shirt, which sparked a social media buzz. He then met Fatmata Bundu—now crowned the nation’s “Diamond Queen” who promptly presented him with a vibrant Sierra Leone flag shirt.
That “Diamond Queen” moment tied it all together, proving that Sierra Leone’s greatest gem is its people. Fatmata, from the Aberdeen Beach community and a member of the United Sierra Leone Wave Alliance programme, flipped the narrative into a celebration of the Salone spirit.
Her simple act showcased Sierra Leone’s true treasures: its proud people, deep traditions, and welcoming heart.
WodeMaya’s cameras also captured street drummers at Lumley Beach, pepper-fresh fish markets, and hopeful youth innovators. After a Facebook user, Bulldozer Dabor, shared a photo of WodeMaya and Fatmata, WodeMaya re-posted it to his millions of followers, calling Fatmata “incredibly awesome” in appreciation of her gesture of love, hospitality, and cultural pride.
Fatmata says she was inspired by her organisation’s work and values, which empower young people and communities to promote wellbeing, national pride, patriotism, tourism, peace and sustainable development.
