Unity and The Way film group
The Way group was a filmmaking and music group of street youth from Central Freetown. Motto “We Can”. They recently re-invented themselves as The Unity Film Group with many new members.
The Way film group was one of WAYout’s success stories- Sinneh Sesay and Mohamed Kamara, who led the group, now work full time at AYV TV. Schooler B, Gas P and JJ are working freelance and MSK and Alusine are employed at WAYout.
Started in 2013 when WAYout filmmaker, Alimamy Kamara, wanted to make a follow up to the documentary he made about the street youth who lived outside his home. But they decided they wanted to make their own films, not be the subject of them. So The Way film group was born. They had a film, “No Strings Attached“, in the prestigious Reel Youth Festival in Vancouver in October 2014. Earlier this year they won an international award for their film on ‘sex and alcohol’ for ‘Young Voices Against Poverty‘. They went on to make a drama- “Pirates”- a pirate ship thriller.
- JJ with his sisters
JJ ran away when he was ten after an argument with his sister. He didn’t even say goodbye to his mother who spent the next eight years looking for him. JJ sent money and photos home when he could afford it but his mother never received them so did not know if he was alive or dead. JJ was reunited with his family and is now in their lives and off the streets.