CHRISTOPHER “TOPHER” HAMBLETT, president and founder of The Foundation for West Africa, was recently named to the New England First Amendment Coalition’s board of directors. Hamblett previously served in the Peace Corps as a volunteer from 1985-87 in Sierra Leone. His organization, based in Barrington, supports community radio stations that build peace and democracy in Sierra Leone and neighboring countries in Africa. He also is Save The Bay’s director of advocacy.
What prompted you to pursue a career in broadcast journalism? My interest … was sparked by the founders of Sierra Leone’s Independent Radio Network. At great personal risk, they forged a space for independent reporting during Sierra Leone’s civil war [from] 1991-2002. They grew up in a country where journalists were routinely imprisoned, tortured and murdered. The people of Sierra Leone grew to trust and depend on accurate information provided by radio broadcasts. I decided to join the effort by launching The Foundation for West Africa to raise funds for broadcast equipment, new studio facilities and other needs.
Can you describe your experiences serving in the Peace Corps? My Peace Corps experience in Sierra Leone had a profound impact on my life, and still does to this day. I went into Peace Corps wanting to experience something completely different and challenging. I came out with the realization that everyone around the globe … wants pretty much the same things: an education for their kids, good health, job security and peace.
Did your time in the Peace Corps lead you to form The Foundation for West Africa? [It] would not have happened without my Peace Corps experience. In 2002, I returned to Sierra Leone. It was just six months after the war ended. The people of the country were traumatized and exhausted. Infrastructure … was destroyed. I knew right away that this fledgling independent radio movement had the potential to grow and address the deep-seated issues that led to war.
In what ways does the foundation help the people of Sierra Leone and neighboring countries? By supporting the independent radio sector, the foundation is helping people in West Africa build a platform from which they demand and build good governance, better health care and education services, while fostering tolerance and peace.
What other community initiatives do you hope to become involved with? Here at home, I’ll help Save The Bay continue and strengthen its great work to protect and improve Narragansett Bay as we approach our 50th anniversary in 2020. Climate-change impacts have added urgency to our mission.
