“Cross-Border Connections: Ghanaian and Sierra Leonean Journalists Unite, Share Insights after QNET VCON Webinar”
QNET, a global lifestyle and wellness focused direct selling company has organised a QNET VCON media webinar to provide a platform for more than 40 seasoned journalists from Ghana and Sierra Leone to share their experiences and learn more about the company.
In the opening remarks read on his behalf at the Webinar, the Regional General Manager of QNET in the sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Biram Fall explained that: “QNET VCON Media Webinar is designed for media practitioners to familiarise themselves with the QNET brand. QNET is making it possible for those who have attended its annual global conference, ‘VCON’ in Malaysia, share their experience with others, first-hand. QNET keeps organising media junkets to enable journalists from Sierra Leone, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria witness and experience QNET’s global conference, the VCON, in Malaysia, visit QNET Head Office and have answers to all questions they may have about the company.”
Fred Smith, a News Editor at Joy News narrated his experience: “When I visited Malaysia, I was particularly fascinated by the array of products QNET has. I fell in love with the Homepure products because of the significance it has in Ghana and most parts of West Africa. Water purification is a serious concern and Homepure seeks to address that. Seeing and touching the products and getting direct information and explanation about what these products do, the level of scientific research that went into the production and the kind of global certifications they have actually takes you to a new and different realm of understanding QNET. They have researchers from different parts of the world including the US and Europe to work on their products.”
He continued: “Another eye-opening encounter for me was having a face-to-face conversation and interview session with the top hierarchy of the QNET leadership. I sat with the global management team of the company and asked many questions pertaining to the challenges QNET is having. They took their time to answer my questions. One thing I also really appreciated about them, was the fact that they did not shy away from the challenges. They are fully aware of the bad nuts that are creating negative reputational issues for their company and they narrated how they are tackling the issue. One key strategy they are adopting is engaging the media and sending them to their head office in Malaysia to see things for themselves, thereby fulfilling the saying: “Seeing is Believing”. They also have plans of collaborating with security agencies to crack down on people who are misrepresenting QNET and not doing the business the right way.”
Recounting his QNET VCON experience with profound memories, Sierra Leonean journalist James Kamara-Manneh, who travelled to Malaysia as Editor of A-Z Newspaper, narrated, “While having an official tour of the huge QNET Tower in Malaysia, I took specific interest in the products the company sells and what those products do. The home pure product has several stages of purification to your water for instance. It filters and purifies your water and eliminates impurities from it. The air pure zayn, purifies your air and removes toxic elements from it. There are other products like hand-made durable and exotic watches made by a renowned Swiss company. They are other incredible products and I got to feel and touch them and even have some of them.”
Mr. Samuel Bio, Night Editor of the Daily Graphic, who visited QNET Head Office in 2023 said: “I love the science behind QNET products. I also love the fact that many QNET products have the highest level of certifications in their various sectors. I am fully convinced the company means well and is doing a legitimate business, but unfortunately, some individuals are misrepresenting and misusing the name of the company.”
Other seasoned journalists from Ghana and Sierra Leone such as Mr. Jeorge Wilson Kingson, Editor of Ghananewsonline, Mr. Bernard Yaw Ashaiadey, Senior Journalist with Business and Financial Times, Mr. Samuel Bio, Night Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr. Kenneth Awotwe-Darko of Joy FM, Ms. Ama Cromwell of Adom FM and myjoyonline.com, who were on the QNET Media junket to Malaysia and attended the VCON, shared their experiences.
Mr. Biram Fall, QNET’s Regional General Manager for sub-Saharan Africa concluded: “We intend to interact with and build more rapport with the media. We plan to intensify our public education campaign to create more public awareness and education about our brand. We will step up our CSR interventions including expanding existing CSR projects like our collaboration with ANOPA Project in Ghana which enables blind and deaf children get access to education and sports development. We will continue to educate our independent representatives and demand more compliance to ethical marketing standards from them as we continue our fight against scam and misrepresentation.”
