FOOTBALL MATCH AND PEACE DANCE

December 7, 2012

We arrive in Dia in the late afternoon stopping first at Mariatu’s house to say hello. Then we go Kumba’s house where we will be spending the night.  Her house is large with 3 bedrooms, a living/dining area and kitchen. She also has a store attached where all manner of goods can be had.  There is a covered porch that spans the front of the building so that both the house and the store are sheltered.  The magic happens when I walk out the back door.

Yams!!!!

There is a covered porch here as well with steps leading down to a bright green moss-like grass covering an expansive back yard.  Beyond the yard is a jungle.  In that jungle I can see trees of guava, banana, avocado, cacao, oranges and coconut palm.  It is cool and peaceful and I could stay here forever.

As we sit around the yard chatting Kumba brings out food.  And what food it is!  Local rice with country chicken in a sauce that is to die for.  It is the best food I have eaten in Salone and I tell her that.  We all eat more than our fill!

Soon it is time to go to the field where the football match will take place. I am surprised to learn that there will be two matches; one for the women and the other for the men from the two villages I mentioned before.  The DJ and his huge speakers are already set up and music is playing.  The atmosphere is one of jubilation and celebration.

I dance with the children and take photos and videos of them.  They all want to hold my hand and keep saying Pumwe, Pumwe, Pumwe. (white person)  It is difficult to persuade them I need to take photos of others than just them. They are delightful.

Team Captains

The first match will be played by the women with Mariatu leading one team dressed in green and Kumba the other dressed in blue. This match further supports the reconciliation between the two women.  Micheala is very clever.  She begins to have some of the team members from each team switch jerseys.  Then she has Mariatu and Kumba switch jerseys as well!  Now the teams are all mixed up with different leaders.  This makes the match truly a getting together in peace and not a competition.

Switched Jerseys!

The next big surprise is that I am told I will kick off the football for the women’s match!!! In flip flops no less :-).

After the match Mariatu and Kumba speak to the crowd reiterating the joy they have found in forgiveness and praising Fambul Tok for their part in making it happen.  Then they begin to dance together.

Men's Teams

Next is the men’s match.  There are some excellent players on both teams, but this is not a competition either; just a way to come together in reconciliation. After this match the representative of the district football league presents two new footballs to the Mammy Queen. These balls will be available for use by the women and men of the Chiefdom.

Presentation of Footballs To Chiefdom
Speaker and Mammy Queen

Many people come up to me and thank me, shake my hand and some hug me.  It is a joyous and emotional experience.  My heart is full to overflowing by the end of these events.

BUT it is not over!  We go to Mariatu’s house to eat with her.  Fambul Took never judges or takes sides so to keep the neutrality we now will have eaten at both houses.  However, she wasn’t expecting us to eat her food and apologizes for it saying our food was to be served by Zumba!  We eat anyway and I know she is pleased.  Then back at Zumba’s we eat again.  This time it is goat pepper soup.  Yum! I am so full I can hardly eat.

The Peace Dance is next starting at about 10PM and lasting until the last dancer goes home even if it takes all night!  At about 10, all decked out in our dance finery, we wander up to the Barrie (a community building located in the center of the village) where the fun has already begun.

The place is packed and the music loud.  On the grounds outside the Barrie people have set up tables of all kinds of food and drink for purchase.  People are dancing everywhere: up in the Barrie, on the ground, on the street.  They dance together, alone, and in groups.

We wander into the building and are soon caught up in the dancing.  I love it here because everyone dances from the littlest ones to the oldest ones.  If you can walk and move you dance!  I can do both of those things so I dance and dance and dance! The music is of the disco variety. Soon the DJ calls all the Fambul Tok team up to the front to dance with the celebrants.  The crowd stops dancing to watch.  In short order they join in again and I find many people wanting to dance with me.

A news photographer is snapping photos all night.  Requests for a photo with me come from all sides to point where I have permanent flash images in my eyes.  I feel so blessed and just when I think my heart cannot take in anymore love, it expands to do just that.

At about 12:30AM we call it a night and wander back to Zumba’s.  My hair looks like I just got out of the shower so I sit outside until about 1AM to let it dry.  

The sky is inky black with a sliver of a moon and the stars so bright they almost hurt my eyes.  It is so peaceful even with the disco music off in the distance that I really wish I could spend the night out in the open.

December 8, 2012

Today we leave at 5:30AM for the long drive back to Freetown.  I mentioned in an earlier blog that the first time I visited the Kailahun district the energy felt tense and dark to me. It still had that energy when we arrived two days ago before the power of forgiveness brought the two women together and healed the Chiefdom. Today, as we drive through the district I realize the dark energy is gone and a lightness has taken it’s place!

It is then I think on the extensive affect the negative and poisonous feud had on not just the Chiefdom, but the entire district!  When a rock is tossed into a lake the ripple effect goes way out beyond the entry point.  The realization hit; this ripple effect is what had been happening in Kailahun. Once the feud ended and reconciliation and forgiveness were chosen, the ripple effect became positive.  WOW!

The other day in the Daily Good.org there was this quote: 

“There is a hard law.  When an injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive” Alan Paton.

Much Love to You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara