UP COUNTRY EXPERIENCES

January 2014

Upon my arrival in the office in Freetown I shared the story about Ryan Carlson(2yrs) when told to say hi to Grandma Sara he said “Hi Grandma Syrup”.  From that moment on I became Grandma Syrup!!!  Love it!

A Cutie In Moyamba

At one of the first Stakeholders Meetings I met a darling young teacher with the Peace Corps whose students will be participating in the newly formed Fambul Tok Peace Clubs.  There are 5 schools in each of 6 districts with 50 Peace Club members in each school to start.  I arrived with over 600 bracelets made on the Rainbow Loom by young people Chloe and Lance Coonrod, Sarah Mufson & friends, and myself (OK so I’m not so young!).  The bracelets will be distributed to Peace Clubs in selected schools since there are not enough to give to all the schools in all the districts.  I am not sure when I will visit the chosen schools.  I’m sure the bracelets will be a hit so I’ll need to get busy and make the rest of the 1500 needed for all the students in all the schools.  I can send them by UPS to the Fambul Tok Headquarters in Freetown when I am done.

We had quite an adventure getting to one of our meetings in Moyamba. 

What To Do?

A tree had fallen down over the road in the night.  Motorbikes could duck under, but we could not get past it.  We enlisted men from the village to come to the tree and using a handmade ax and chopping knife, they were able to cut the tree so it could be moved out of the way.  The wood was very hard and they worked up quite a sweat getting the job done.  I encouraged them to sing while cutting and they did.  They got a big kick out of that. 

In one of the very remotest villages at the end of the

He Was Not Afraid

motorcar road in Moyamba three of the attendees spoke about how they had never seen a white person before and they were so happy I took the time and cared enough to visit them.  It was so touching I cried. 

Adama Making Friends With Val

The little ones would stare at me, but when I waved for them to come over, they would hide behind an adult or solemnly shake their heads “no”.  One poor little one burst into very loud tears.

Another section expressed a desire for me to attend their bonfire.  It is this kind of appreciation from the people here that is most humbling.  I am told it is because I integrate with them so well by dancing with them, eating their food and exhibiting genuine interest in them and their lives.  All of this is true, but I do all of that because it seems natural and I delight in all things I can learn and experience.

There is a difference in Sierra Leone this time.  The infrastructure is improving, the atmosphere seems more vibrant and productive.  Hard to explain the feeling I am getting as I travel around.  The two districts I have visited so far are new ones for me and are much poorer than any of the ones last year.  That being said, these two districts have the most educated children and a large number of schools.  Interesting!

My Guest House experience is much the same.  No running water.  Buckets baths and filling the toilet tank to flush the toilet are the norm.  In the villages the toilet facilities range from flat stones on the ground surrounded by a tall enclosure made from straw to the luxury of an enclosed toilet with a hole surrounded by a raised cement seat.

Some of the guest houses offer breakfast with the price of the room.  Those are 70,000 Leones per night ($16.00) while others with no breakfast are 45,000 per night ($10.25).  I stayed in the latter one for 4 nights. 

$10 per night Guest House

Since I was staying for a number of nights, I paid extra for fuel to run the generator for power (fan to sleep and charging time for phone, computer) lasting 6 1/2 hours instead of the 2 1/2 hours they offer.  I also negotiated breakfast everyday and one lunch for the FT staff and myself on our non-field day.  I gave money to buy the food and a salary to the woman who shopped and prepared it.  All this for and additional 230,000 Leones ($52.00)

The biggest expense was a large can of powdered milk for my coffee.  When quoted 35,000 Leones ($7.95), I thought it was a bit high, but I had never purchased a large can before only small baggies.  I was also able to try the local coffee!  Evidently there are some small industries for local consumption and roasting and grinding coffee is one of them.  The coffee is finely ground, but not instant so it creates a coffee sludge in the bottom of the cup much like Turkish Coffee.  It, however, is delicious.

On the second day of using the powdered milk I looked more closely at the can.  It was baby formula!!!! This explained the high cost.   It tasted fine and had all kinds of good vitamins and minerals contained within.  No side effects except this almost uncontrollable urge to suck my thumb!

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara

Fambul Tok 2014

Stakeholders Meetings

Many of you know I will be observing the beginning of the Fambul Tok peace process this journey whereas last year the observation of the village success stories was the focus. 

The very first step for 2014 was taken last January 2013 when Fambul Tok conducted Chiefdom meetings in several districts.  By ballot, 6 sections in each of 6 districts were chosen to go through the process in 2014.

The next step is the Stakeholders Meeting and this is where I begin my journey through the process.  The attendees are 2 people (1 man & 1 woman) from each village in the section and are leaders or elders in their communities.  The Section Chief also attends.

The Fambul Tok staff, with me along, conducted 5 of these meetings in 2 districts.  The meetings had the same structure, but the participation and questions varied from group to group.

Jibrila Interviewing an Attendee

At the Stakeholders Meeting the following takes place:

1. Before the meeting starts each participant is privately interviewed using a questionnaire asking such things as to the ability to feed the village, how respected they are in the village, their willingness to work with FT, are there known unresolved conflicts from the war etc.
2. At the beginning the facilitator asks how they heard about Fambul Tok.  The radio seems to be the way for most. It is stressed that FT will come to the people in the villages using motorbikes.  This differs from other NGOs (Non-Government Organization) who do not go below district level for their activities.
3. Then the facilitator imparts the Fambul Tok values, and how the process is structured to work.  FT sees the importance in bringing back some of the old traditions particulary the ceremony of honoring the ancestors and those who died in the war.  This subject is well received in all the meetings.  Some state that their religious leaders have forbidden conducting these ceremonies, but the people are delighted to hear they will be used as part of the FT peace process.
4. Then the attendees are asked if they wish to work with Fambul Tok.  If yes (and it was yes and has been always yes), then they are asked for input regarding their particular needs that may not have been met in the initial explanation of the values and process.
5. They are asked to provide 20 names, 10 women and 10 men from the section with each village having representation.  Two committees will be formed from these 20 names.
1. Reconciliation Committee (RC) who will be trained in mediation and reconciliation techniques.  Two of the members must be youths (18 to about 25) and be one of each gender.  The other 8 (4 women & 4 men) must be made up of the elders in the communities such as the Mammy Queen, Chief, religious leaders, etc.
2. Outreach Committee (OC) who will be trained to observe in the communities and bring any unresolved conflicts to the attention of the RC for them to get involved. The OC will be composed only of youths 4 men and 4 women and should be peer group leaders in the community or highly respected.  
3. The attendees provide a date for the list of the 20 people, no later than a week out.  The FT District Staff then travels to the designated spot to retrieve the list.
6. Once the date is given and after any unanswered questions are addressed, the meeting adjourns to food and conversation.

After the names are obtained the FT District Staff will do a spot check to ask the population of each of the villages about the integrity of the chosen person.  FT is very committed to provide people who are honest, nonpolitically motivated, village residents, respect all and accept all peoples in the village regardless of class, have no secrets, clean law record, and passionate about reconciliation on the committees.  If they find a candidate to be unacceptable, they will go back to the Stakeholders and ask for another name.

Once the committees are chosen the training begins.  This is the next phase I will be observing in about 2 weeks time.  In the interest of blog length I will tell about some of the experiences at the Stakeholders meetings in my next blog.

Much Love To You All,

Mom,Grandma,Sara

CHIEFDOM DIALOGS

Moyamba District

The topic causing the most discussion in this district was the distribution of assets upon death.  This is what the law says:

A Precious Child

If the man dies without a will, 35% goes to the wife, 35% goes to the child/children, 15% goes to the man’s parents, if alive, if not, then to siblings, 15% to the community/mosque/church.  Cleverly the example given used 100 cows divided 35/35/15/15 since percentages are not widely understood.

If the man dies with a written, signed and witnessed will, the will stands unless contested in court then the court decides.

Tied into the rights of when a man dies or there is a divorce is the importance of registering the marriage.  Without registration, the woman has no rights.  There are many reasons why it is important to register and they are discussed at length.  Before the law was established in 2007 the man could refuse to register the marriage and the woman had no recourse.

Fambul Tok presenters encourage the use of cajoling, pampering and negotiation to get the man to register, but if that fails, a woman can take a witness attesting to the marriage and register without the man.  Much laughter erupts as Micheala acts out how to cajole and negotiate in a coy and flirty way.

At one of the dialogs the community leader told how he had already caused the registration of 5 marriages and in another the plan was to register as many as could be managed within the next few weeks. It is wonderful to hear of such successes in such a short time between training the trainers and the dialogs. 

Incorporated with sexual violence against women that includes rape is female gender mutilation.  This is a subject that is very controversial because of long standing tribal rights of passage ceremonies and practices.  

The ceremony includes 2 weeks in the bush where a girl is taught all she needs to know about being a wife, mother and keeper of the home.  The women conducting this ceremony make a generous income from this and do not want the tradition to go away.  There is a movement to encourage continuing the 2 weeks in the bush with the instructions and lessons, but to stop at the point of mutilation.

The subject of sexual harassment caused more discussion in this district than the last.  According to the law if a man

1. Inappropriately touches a woman, 2. Looks at her in a lewd way, 3. Whistles and or make lewd comments, he will be fined 5,000,000 Leones! ($1,134.00) Not much by our standards, but HUGE here where salaries are as low as $60 per month.  

Micheala 

In one discussion a man brought up women touching men inappropriately saying the men will be too embarrassed to do anything about it.  Another man countered back saying the men will probably like it anyway!!!

The use of small skits illustrating some of the points were very effective in getting across the message through laughter and entertainment.  As one of the skits was ending a snake fell out of the tree above causing quite a stir.  People scattered in all directions pulling children with them.

Green Snake with Turquoise Head

It was a harmless little guy and quite beautiful.  I include a picture here of one from last year that was the same kind of snake.  Look closely as his green body blends with the leaves. Note the beautiful turquoise head.  Last year I was able to stop the people from killing it.  This year they were too fast and this one met his end.

One of the dialogs took place in a village far out into the district.  All of a sudden as the meeting was taking place we could hear drumming and tambourines.  There was a secret society ceremony taking place!  This is Mende territory and I recognized a Mende Mask that is made for each girl as they go through the right of passage.  It is attached to long thin straw covering the entire girl.  Prior to this I had only seen the costume and examples of the mask in the museum in Freetown.

One of the women, who is a leader in her community, asked if I wanted my picture taken with her and the troupe.  Heck YES!!!  

Mende Mask and Costume

At the beginning of the meeting I danced with the women and now I danced with the Mende girl.  It’s all on video too long to post here.

The subject of children’s rights were more of an interest here and caused much discussion.  I was happy to see the lively talks as I felt the children were getting a short shrift in the other district due to the seeming lack of interest.

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara

CHIEFDOM DIALOGS

Pujehun District

As I stated in one of my first blogs we will be conducting Chiefdom Dialogs to sensitize the people in the villages about the Government Acts regarding women and children's rights.

So far we have conducted two of those meetings.  The subject matter is quite volatile, but it is interesting that the subjects to cause the most dialog and passion differed from one chiefdom to the next.

When Chiefdom Dialogs are conducted there are attendees from the sections as well as the villagers from the village where the meeting is held. The representatives from the sections go back to their villages to repeat what they have heard.  There is also a radio broadcast about the subject that night for all the country to hear over battery operated radios.

The subject in the first meeting causing the most passion was domestic violence. Men began accusing their women of not providing a meal when they came home from work or going out with their boyfriend while the man was at work. This allows them to retaliate with beatings, in their estimation. The women then responded with accusations to the men as the reasons they do what they do including going out with their girlfriends and beating the wives. The meeting deteriorated into shouting matches making it difficult to subdue the crowd.

At one point in time I wasn’t sure if we would be able to finish the meeting, but order was finally restored and the rest of the information given.

Telling How She Feels About The Laws

The second chiefdom reacted not at all to the subject of domestic violence. Their hot button was about the distribution of assets upon death or divorce.  This

With Her Baby Strapped To Her Back

discussion, while passionate, remained orderly.  In the past when a man died his brother, cousin or some other male family member from the husband’s side, could come in and take over the property sending the widow and children into the street.  Now that is not allowed and will result in a jail sentence if done. This point created the most discussion. 

In the past if a woman left a man for any reason he could back to her family and request all the money he has paid for her keeping since the marriage began!  This is no longer allowed in the new law.  This was not good news for the men.  My take is he needs to pay her for all of the services she provided during the marriage which then makes it all even!!!

As always, when we attend a meeting of any kind they feed us.  The second village provided red country rice and sardines. Really good with the red rice being my favorite. 

Red Rice & Sardines YUM!

When I was finished eating, I handed my plate to one of the village children hanging about for them to finish as is the tradition.

While waiting beside the truck before leaving I began moving to the music coming from the radio. I can’t stand still when I hear African music!  I tried to get the children to dance, but they were shy.  I then got into the truck.  The village chief walked up to my open window and began to “dance” with me through the window. Soon he asked me to get out and to dance proper which I did much to the delight and amazement of the villagers.

Just as we were leaving a young man walked up to my window with a tiny creature that looked like a baby deer.  He handed it to me and wanted me to buy it.  It was so precious and frightened. As I held it it stopped shaking and cuddled close to my heart making me sad to let go.  It was not a deer but part of the tiny antelope species probably similar to a Dik Dik. 

I asked where the man got it and was told in the bush. It was either stolen from the nest while the mother searched for food or the mother was trapped and the baby taken then.  Oh, how I wanted to take that baby with me.

On the way to Bo where I would spend one night on the way back to Moyamba, I witnessed a monkey being butchered for meat.  Evidently, if you want bush meat the district of Pujehun is the place to get it. I asked if it was legal to eat bush meat and was told as long as it was trapped and not shot, it is.  While I have eaten all different kinds of meat from all over the world, I don’t think I could eat monkey.  They are too cute!  

Much Love To All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara

Moyamba District

January 4 & 5 2014

Fambul Tok is working under a grant from the US State Department to educate the communities regarding women’s and children’s rights in the 6 of the 14 Sierra Leone districts where Fambul Tok is active.  The project is titled: Global Women, Peace, and Security Initiative even though it covers both women and children.

There are Sierra Leone Government Acts established in 2007 to address these subjects, but they have not been enforced to an acceptable level.  Nor have the communities been educated about the Acts or how to get help to enforce them.

Sadly, rapes and beatings of women and children in the home, the communities and schools is still wide spread.  Even the teachers can be flogged by the administrators and their peers. Men and youths fight in the communities and can be marginalized by their peers and not protected by authorities.  The handicapped are marginalized and their needs not met. Most of them beg for a living.

This educational program is designed to point out what is considered domestic violence, community violence, child abuse, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and psychological abuse, by listing them and giving examples of all.  

It also covers many women’s rights such as the right to have their marriage registered so they are protected under the law when the husband dies or if he leaves her.  In the past the husband could refuse to register the marriage, but the new law allows the wife to register the marriage by producing a witness stating the couple is married. As you can imagine when this was covered in the meeting it created  many questions and much dialog. 

Children’s rights are part of the program such as the right to be heard, educated, fed, provided with medical care, clothed, respected, kept safe from abuse of all kinds, etc.  One of the women participants gave a talk about her experiences as a child and how it effected her life.  I will tell that story in another blog. 

Training Location

The first step in the process is the Training Of Trainers (TOT).  This takes place at a district level. Representatives from each Section in each Chiefdom are selected to attend the two day training.  We are here in Moyamba to conduct this training.  This is the last district to be covered and Micheala has scheduled it so I can observe the training package Fambul Tok has developed before going out to the Chiefdoms to witness the Chiefdom and Stakeholders (police, community programs etc.) Dialogs which is the next step.

At one point on our journey to Moyamba we stop to collect Lillian who comes from Kono District and will be a part of the session in Moyamba.  Lillian and I were together last year and she is surprised and delighted to see me as I am of her.  She is the one who taught me African dancing and I look forward to dancing with her and  the women again.

She does not disappoint because before the meeting starts the first day we all dance with even some of the men joining us!  Coupled with her teachings, my other dancing experience last year and our mutual love of dancing, I am able to follow her and dance, as she put it later, like a real African!!!! In one of the dances I anticipate some new moves and execute them precisely to the amazement of her and the women.  It just flowed from me and was not something I was aware I was doing at the time.  Such is a connection of the heart.

The two days spent in Moyamba at this training is a wonderful beginning to my journey.  The Fambul Tok team is spectacular in their presentation.  The subject matter is extensive and a lot to absorb.  Because of this Fambul Tok is dividing the Chiefdoms into four zones. 

Zones Deciding Committee Members

Each zone will have a team of five women and five men to serve the communities in ongoing education and administration of the process.  From each of the zone teams four women and four men are chosen to represent their district at the Fambul Tok International Office in Freetown.  In addition Fambul Tok is establishing local reference centers where the exact components of the laws can be found.

Next I travel to PuJoune, the newest district working with the FambulTok process, where we will begin the Chiefdom and Stakeholder Dialogs.

In the meantime I am in Bo for two days at a lovely new hotel with a swimming pool, internet and large room.  It is a great example of the progress Sierra Leone is beginning to enjoy after last year’s peaceful election.

Swimming Pool Dohas Hotel In Bo

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara

FREETOWN

January 2, 2014

This morning at breakfast I meet my housemates.  They are students in various programs of psychiatry working towards either a masters or doctorate who are there for an educational experience as part of their thesis.  

The house is located on a hill overlooking the ocean and the view from the upstairs verandah is spectacular.  Nancy Peddle owns the house and rents out rooms to interns, students and others to offset the cost of maintaining the house.  She has a nonprofit called Lemonaid Fund.  Go to www.lemonaidfund.org to learn more.  She is a psychiatrist herself as well as an educator and is running the program for the graduate students.

Later, under the guidance of Ishmail, one of the 24 hour guards for the enclosed and behind a metal gate house, I walk up the steep, rut filled, dirt road to reach the area where I am to take a shared taxi to the Fambul Tok offices now located up in the hills in an area called Hill Station.  I am told by a driver I need to change taxis to get there.  While the 2,000 SLL (46 cents US) to take the two taxis is less expensive than the 10,000 SLL ($2.30) for a private ride right to their door, I opt for the private ride.

The new location is lovely building that is much larger than in the downtown area where they were last year and, I am told, much less expensive.  I walk in and up the stairs and am met by Micheala who rushes out of her office and envelopes me in a huge hug.  One by one the rest of the staff returns from errands and lunch each one greeting me like long lost family. It is SO good to be back!

Micheala is excited to tell me that we leave for up country tomorrow!!!!  Hooray!  There is much going on in the districts and it appears I will get my wish of spending most of my time there this trip.  As we enter into the activities I will explain fully.  However, this also means with no internet access in over 90% of the areas, I will be communicating on a very sporadic basis.  

In the meantime I have much to do to get ready.  Change money and get a new sim card for my African mobile I left behind last year and then go home and pack. Pack??? I just unpacked and badly at that.  I know what I will be doing for the rest of the day - organizing myself!!!!

Micheala sends me out with a driver to do the money change, get the sim and be delivered to my place.  Changing money was quite an experience.  The driver goes to a street in downtown where men are standing around waving us over.  I misunderstand and ask him where is the bank?  He says you want to go to a bank?  I ask are those men back on that street changing money and at a better rate?  He says they are and it is.  I apologize for misunderstanding, so back we go to the men.  I choose one and he gets in the car, we park and lock the door!  He asks how much I wish to change I reply 1,500USD.  He gives me an exchange rate of 4,400SLL per dollar.  This is better than the international bank exchange rate of 4,200SLL so I agree.

This amounts to 1 million 600 thousand Leones!  Since the largest bill they have is a 10,000 Leones note which come in stacks of 500,000 Leones, I have a lot of counting to do to assure I am getting all I am owed.  

Tonight I join my housemates for a delicious meal of couscous, veggie soup and chicken grilled covered in African spices.  YUM!!!!!  The conversation is lively and interesting.  A part of me wishes I could spend a little more time in Freetown with them (they will be gone in two weeks) and yet I am anxious to get up country.

If you wish, you can call me on my African mobile phone .  To dial it from the states: 01123276326609 or +23276326609.  Or you can also send a text/sms to the same number.  

Much Love To All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara

Sierra Leone 2014

ARRIVAL

First London and an overnight stay at the Hilton Terminal 5 which was no where near Terminal 5!!!  The Hilton that is really AT the airport is at terminal 4.  Who knew??  It is New Years Eve, I have over 24 hours to kill so I thought it might be fun to go into London and do one of the London Walks in the afternoon.  However, the weather is nasty even by London standards so I hang out at the hotel, read, sleep, and read some more.  Miss the Big Ben action on TV at midnight, oh well.

The flight from London to Freetown is uneventful.  I was able to snare a free business class ticket using points so I settle into my seat numbered 1K.  No first class on this flight.

The flight attendant offers me something to drink and informs me I am the only one who is sitting in that section!!!  I must say I have never had a whole section to myself; row, yes, section, no.

Upon arrival in Freetown exiting the outside door I spy Mustapha who was our driver each time we journeyed up country last year.  It is so fun to see him I begin jumping up and down.  He collects my luggage trolley and we proceed  to his car.  We are taking the government ferry.  A new experience.

We drive like a bat out of hell only to get in the ferry line and sit for over an hour before the boarding process begins, but we are assured a spot on the ferry.  Since it is January 1 and the end of holiday, MANY people and cars are taking the ferry.  As we wait the “human mini-markets” carrying smoked oysters, smoked fish, oranges, bananas and other goodies parade back and forth selling their offerings.  Finally it is time to board. 

Interestingly enough the cars and people all use the same ramp- a ramp that has the sea water rushing over it at intervals!  Needless to say it takes FOREVER to load the ferry, but it is interesting to watch the people, some with HUGE suitcases, maneuver that ramp and try to avoid the sea water.  Every now and then they let a car go through.

Finally, we are boarded and are stuffed onto the ferry like sardines in a can.  After a half hour ride, we are there.  Then we sit and wait until all the people get off and as they pour down the stairs on both sides it seems the line will never end.  

At last we are on our way to the place I will call home for the next 5 1/2 months.  We arrive at 11PM.  The house manager meets me and shows me to my room.  After unpacking, rather haphazardly, I fall into bed.  Like Scarlett O’Hara I will think about organizing tomorrow.

Lynne and Ed gave me a gift of a water purifying wand using a special light.  Due to my late arrival I had no drinking water.  I used the wand that very first night!!!!  Thanks, again, my dear friends.

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara