BLACK AND WHITE BALL 2014

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

In honor of Black History Month, each year the staff of the American Embassy puts on a ball.  The attendance has grown from the first year where it took place in the embassy residence parking lot to over 200 in attendance this year.  My friend, Maggie Kadi, invited me to attend with her and her husband, Mahmoud.

Mahmoud, Me & Maggie

The ball was held at the Country Lodge, a very posh hotel up in the hills.  It was at that very same hotel Ambassador Michael Owen spoke to our West Africa study educational tour group in March of 2011.  Genie Wray, Ambassador Owen’s former Executive Assistant, spearheaded the spectacular event.

We were met by embassy staff at the top of the stairs leading down to the poolside event.  I recognized the greeter, Abdul, from 2012 when I assisted him in arranging a dinner for the Ambassador and staff in Kono.  He remembered me too.  As we were escorted down the stairs we could see tables and chairs bedecked in linens and bows awaiting our arrival.  We were led to one of Genie’s tables reserved for her special guests. The weather was perfect with soft velvet air and stars above.

Ours was one of the first tables invited to join the line at the buffet tables.  In keeping with the theme of the night, the selection was a variety of soul food and was delicious.

The theme was Motown Meets Freetown and featured Sierra Leonean music artists who represent the fledgling music recording industry here.  A short history of the civil rights movement in America was presented.  Then the dancing began.  I was one of the first up on the dance floor (anyone surprised at that?) and was met by Abdul who honored me by dancing the first two dances.  I moved on to join Maggie, Genie and others to dance the night away.  Loved every minute!!!

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara

NOMAD IN SIERRA LEONE

2014

Once again I have decided to become a Nomad!!!  I am spending so much time up country it doesn’t make sense to maintain a room in Freetown as well as pay for guest houses while away.  In January I spent 6 nights in Freetown and in February, so far, 4 nights.

View From Balcony of House

On Friday night I gave Nancy my 30 day notice to vacate the room I am renting in her house not knowing where I would end up during stays in Freetown.  We began to have a conversation getting to know one another better.  After a bit she offered me a really generous alternative.  I can leave my things in the room I have been using for $100 per month and then pay $25 a night when I am in Freetown.  She said if she needs the room her staff will move my things to a room she doesn’t rent.  I am here to tell you trusting a solution will present itself works!  

There is a woman who is a friend of a friend of mine who also may wish to accommodate me.  We have had several conversations but have not had a chance to meet.  I told her we can discuss this when we meet.  If Nancy’s house is full, I may be able to stay with her on occasion.  And then there are always guest houses :-)  At any rate, all is falling into place and I am soooo grateful!

I am including some pictures of views of the ocean from the house and the street in front of the new location of Fambul Tok offices.  There are oil platforms that are

Oil Rig Dead Ahead!

now in place off shore in front of the house.  Rumor has it that the president is attempting to change the constitution so he can run for a third 5 year term and, indeed, the constitution is under review as I write this.  He wants to take advantage of the revenue the oil production will bring!!!

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara

Check out the Dust - Road Construction

SCHOOL PEACE CLUB

FAMBUL TOK 2014

Micheala at Chiefdom Dialog

After attending more Stakeholders meetings and Chiefdom Dialogs in Pujehun and Moyamba, we visited a school in Pujehun that has students involved with Fambul Tok.  They are called Peace Makers and are members of a Wan Fambul (One Family) Peace Club.

Fambul Tok has 5 schools in each of 6 districts for the first year of the project.  The clubs are limited to 50 students to start.  The facilitators of the clubs hold meetings several times a week and give guidance and training to the members in intervention techniques and peace making activities for both at school and at home.

Banner

When we arrived at the school the Peace Makers and their facilitator were all gathered under trees awaiting us.  Once we said hello, they started to sing for us.  As I watched their faces and listened to their song it was all I could do not to cry it was so touching.

Next they acted out a skit about domestic violence and how they as Peace Maker children could intervene to diffuse the confrontation.

The skit depicted a man coming home to find his wife gone.  The wife enters to find the man staring at some bags the wife has left after her shopping.  He begins to shout at her asking where she was and why was she not fixing his dinner. 

Domestic Skit

They begin to tussle and are hitting each other on their backs and arms so hard we can hear the blows!!! Then a neighbor comes in to stop the fight and their child appears.  The child sits down with her parents and explains that this behavior makes her very sad and embarrassed.  She gets them to agree to forgive each other and to trust one another in the future.

While this skit is going on, one of the girls watching has a rag over her eyes so she cannot see the action.  She is cringing as the blows land.  It is possible this has happened in her family and is hard for her to watch this enactment.

Mohamed & Elizabeth

We ask for an example of the type of intervention to achieve peace that has happened in this school.  The facilitator, Mohamed, tells of a student who owned a book (owning  a book is not easy and very hard to buy) the teacher wanted to borrow.  The student let the teacher have it to read and the teacher lost the book.  The student reported the incident to the principle.  When the teacher was chastised by the principle, he began to take it out on the student for exposing his deed to the principle.  The president of the Peace Club got his facilitator involved and was encouraged to intervene.  The Peace Maker did and was able to diffuse the conflict and reach an agreement.

This is a BIG deal as the teachers often flog the children for the slightest provocation and are greatly feared.  It is the aim of the Fambul Tok Peace Clubs to bring about a calmer environment at school and home that will change behavior over time.

Holding Up Bracelets

After the presentations were finished I presented them with rubber bracelets made by Chloe and Landon Coonrod on a Rainbow Loom.  They were very thankful and enjoyed picking out the bracelet that appealed to them.  The most popular ones were the ones including the glow-in-the-dark bands.

Holding Up Bracelets

I told the students the bracelets were made to thank them for their efforts in bringing peace to their schools and homes.  I said that Chloe and Landon are very proud of them.

More Bracelets

I will be visiting more schools and will hand out the bracelets Sarah Mufson and her friends made reading the message Sarah sent with the bracelets.  There will be a blog bout that as well.

You should know, Africans smile after the picture is taken!  Trying to get them to smile for the picture is a challenge. ;-)

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara

IMPRESSIONS OF KAILAHUN

It was requested I write my impressions of one of the districts that is posing more of a challenge than the others.  I thought I would share them with you, my blog readers, as well.

Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara

In order to present my impressions of the Kailahun District I need to take you back to 2012 and my observations of the meetings there and in Kono and Koinadugu, the other two border districts very heavily effected during the war. 

In October 2012 Fambul Tok was conducting Chiefdom Dialogs sensitizing the sections for a peaceful election in the three districts considered the “hot spots”.  A core group of Peace Mothers representing the Fambul Tok sections in Kailahun, Kono and Koinadugu were trained as Peace Ambassadors.  They were given the information and tools necessary to take to their villages to sensitize the village population. 

Before attending meetings in Kailahun, I journeyed to Kono and Koinadugu to observe the sensitization there.  While the atmosphere may have differed slightly from meeting to meeting, the overall feeling was positive, and level of interest keen.  Group interaction from both men and women was supportive of the efforts for a peaceful election.

The women met us at the car dancing and singing creating a feeling of joy.  The singing and dancing continued all the way to the Peace Tree where the meetings took place.  It was evident most of the men were supportive of the women and their roles as Peace Ambassadors.  Attendance at the meetings was well balanced between genders.

Driving into Kailahun I felt a heaviness in the energy.  Before visiting any villages or attending the meetings I could sense a very big difference in the atmosphere.  My first meeting was to be the day after arriving.  As I was going to sleep all I could think about was how the energy differed and wondering why.

Over the course of the next few days I rode along with the Fambul Tok staff conducting the dialogs for a peaceful election.  Never were we met at the car with singing and dancing.  It took an effort to get the women to dance at all.  The men who did attend were mostly sullen, disengaged, and obviously not in support of the Peace Mother Ambassador effort.  Gender balance did not exist.  There was an absence of the same general feeling of joy and willingness to unify that I felt in Koinadugu and Kono.

Sometimes the attendees were more interested in speaking about the issues and problems around the local elections VS sensitizing for a peaceful general election.  In some cases it took great effort to keep the meeting on track.

Upon arriving in Salone January 2014 I am whisked up country to Moyamba to attend a ToT (Training of Trainers).  Then to Pujehun to attend Chiefdom Dialogs and Stakeholders Meetings and back to Moyamba for the same purpose.  These two districts, which are new to me, also have a feeling of progress and positive energy.

This year as I drive into Kailahun the energy feels lighter than 2012/13, but still very different from any of the other districts.  We stop in three villages to gather needed information about the Peace Mother’s Cooperatives for the “African Project”.  It is evident the men still want to be a somewhat controlling influence in the Peace Mother’s activities.

I attend a Stakeholders Meeting of the Councilors (elected officials), Paramount Chiefs (inherited position, but can result in election if there is controversy) and Peace Mother representatives; the first meeting of its kind.  The purpose of the meeting is to define the roles and responsibilities, method of inclusion and interaction of each entity to provide solutions for enforcing the laws of women’s rights according to the 2007 Gender Acts.  It is hoped the way forward will be evident and decided at the end of the day.

After a general discussion and agreement of women’s issues needing attention, the attendees are broken into groups of Councillors, Paramount Chiefs and Peace Mothers to define their roles and responsibilities, list challenges, and impart their recommendations to resolve the challenges.

Since Fambul Tok emphasized the creation of a safe space, the individual groups are quite outspoken about what they felt lacking from the other groups.  The Peace Mothers are especially honest in their criticism of the other two groups’ performance concerning support of women’s rights and their ability to obtain the help needed in enforcing the laws.

The criticisms (needs) of the Peace Mothers causes a lively debate between the Councillors and Paramount Chiefs.  It becomes so lively that the meeting dissolves into pointing fingers and a much heated debate.  The situation is diffused when I got the Peace Mothers to join me in dance and song, but the meeting ends because it is evident there will be no way forward solutions today.

The next day the FT HQ staff and District Staff attended a Chiefdom Dialog to sensitize them regarding the Gender Laws.  There were more men attending this year compared to 2012.  However, it was quite evident the women still felt very marginalized and controlled by the men and subjected to the old traditions.  It was not long ago that the practice of contracting with the family for a marriage while the child was still in the womb still existed!  If the child was not a girl, then it was invalid.  If a girl, she was promised and then supported by the future husband from that time.  The marriage could take place when the girl was as young as 10.

It is my sense that Kailahun was a “hot spot” even before the war and has a past of violence between families.  Certainly the women and children, especially girls, have been very marginalized and still are.  It is also my sense the presence and involvement of Fambul Tok’s process of reconciliation and power of forgiveness has made a difference and will continue to do so although they have more challenges here than any of the other districts.

I was told by one of the district staff members that Kailahun is the “forgotten” district.  Nobody comes here just to visit; there is always a purpose.  Many people in Salone will visit other districts, but die never having been to Kailahun.  

It may seem like there is no hope for improvement and development, but that is not true.  I feel the change from last journey to this and with Fambul Tok’s continued involvement I am confident the improvement and development will continue albeit more slowly here.

NEXT STEPS

Fambul Tok 2014

On the Monday after the full staff meeting, John called a meeting of the HQ staff (me included :-)) to look over the planned activities for each of the 6 districts over the next 6 weeks.  The plans were formulated at last week’s meeting by the district teams using the goals and priorities established for the organization for 2014.

One by one the district flip charts were spread out on the floor for all of us to see and discuss.  From that discussion various members of the HQ staff were given assignments in the field.  Micheala, Sheku and I are assigned to go to Kailahun, Moyamba and Pujehun for the next two weeks to observe and offer guidance.  One of the primary focuses is the compilation of information on all the Peace Mothers groups in all 6 districts.

FT has two USAID grants at the moment.  One is the grant for women’s and children’s rights laws as I discussed in earlier blogs.  The other is called Project Africa and is funding women’s efforts in establishing and running small businesses.  The grant requires the cooperatives to open a bank account, list on going activities, report number of members in each group, and make the name and mobile number of the chairlady for each group available.  If she is without a mobile, then anyone in the village who has one will be recorded as a way to contact her.

It is this information that must be gathered.  Easy, right?  Wrong!!!  Here it is not possible to look up a contact number and call to get that information. Email is nonexistent up country.  What is required are in person visits to the sections and villages to gather accurate information.  It is not even possible to make an appointment ahead of time, so the key player may or may not be around when we arrive, but a contact mobile number is obtained to call.

Freetown East Side Congestion

Monday evening January 27 we set off for Bo where we will stay overnight before getting to Kailahun the next day.  I am picked up at 18:30 (6:30pm) to make our way through Freetown.  The upper road is closed for continuing development so we are forced to go through the east side.

The east side contains the heaviest traffic of ANY place in the world I have been.  This includes Moscow, Cairo, Bangkok and Beijing.  The streets are narrow and sidewalks almost nonexistent.  Thus hoards of people, HUGE trucks, cars, motorbikes and buses all vie for right of way to travel resulting in slow go to no go. There are three of us smashed together in the back seat of a Toyota Land Cruiser, a very old one containing virtually no leg room, with the driver and Micheala up front.  We stop once for gas and once for food to go.

Moving at the pace of frozen molasses, it takes us over 3 hours to just get out of Freetown.  We arrive at my hotel in Bo at 0100 the next morning!!!!  I have to bang on the door to wake up the attendant for a room.  Good thing I have stayed there in the past so she knows who I am and just hands over a key.  I sink into bed in air conditioned bliss.

Yesterday morning was spent running errands in Bo.  Banking transfers needed to be done so the district staffs will have the funds to carry out their activity plans, super market runs, and food orders placed.  I needed sunglasses and while waiting in the car for the

Human Mini-Market

banking to be done, I hailed down a human mini-market carrying a variety.  He steps up to my window and I try different styles.  He holds up a tiny mirror for me to see the effect of each pair.  I decide on a very attractive and comfortable pair in purple and ask the price.  15,000 leones or less than $4.00!!!  The same pair will cost at least $10.00 and closer to $15.00 in the US.

Another human mini-market saunters by selling bene cakes and ground nut cakes.  Benes are what we call sesame seeds and ground nuts are our peanuts.  They aren’t really cakes, but more like candy. 

Groundnut Cakes

Bene Cakes

The ground nut cake is like our peanut brittle. They are cut in long thin triangles are yummy and will provide snacks on the long trek ahead of us.  I buy 10 of each kind for a total of 20 for 10,000 Leones or $2.27!  She hands me a bonus ground nut cake since I bought so much.

The main roads to Kailahun are hugely improved since last time.  They have been graded, covered with crushed rock and paved.  Drainage ditches are being dug and new bridges installed.  We travel over all the stages of the road building.  Sections of the road are finished at different times so we go from graded to crushed rock to paved and back to graded.  No rhyme nor reason that I can see.  On a side road we pass by completed bridges where the road is barely begun. However, the roads IN the district are another story.

We stop at our first village with the intent of gathering the Peace Mothers documentation. 

"Good Afternoon"

I am immediately surrounded by the children.  They say good morning and I respond good afternoon.  Then they parrot good afternoon and we all clap for their accomplishment.  Micheala buys sweets for them from the peace mother who sells sweets in the village.  To make sure they each get one and only one (they will try to sneak in line again) one of the adults in the village organizes them and keeps an eagle eye on who has and who still needs.

Waiting For Sweets

We visit three villages for Peace Mother documentation purposes which takes us all afternoon.  This is why I say gathering the information is not easy and very time consuming.  I realize, again, how much we take for granted in the US and Europe where roads are modern and travel fast and easy.  Where you can email or pick up a phone and call making communication instantaneous.  You need a form? - fax it or scan and email it, or get the form off the internet, fill it out, press a button and Voila!!!  Not here in any wide spread availability.

In each village I play with the children and in one dance with a few women.  Men are weaving country cloth for a special occasion in one of the villages.  They aren’t too happy when I approach to watch wanting to know why I am there.  Once I mention Fambul Tok, I get smiles all around.

The roads from the villages into Kailahun Town are just the same rough and bone crunching roads I remember so well.  After a second long, long day in the car, I am happy to reach the hotel.

Today I am taking a day of rest while the Micheala and others travel to 14 villages for the gathering of information.  They left at 0500 and will return at about 1900.  As much as I wish to be there for every minute of every day, I have realized my body is better served to space out the long and arduous travel required to reach most places.  This is true especially in Kailahun because Kailahun’s roads are the worst of the lot.

As Betty Davis quipped “growing old is not for sissies”  Sigh!!!!

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara

GATHERING OF ALL

Sierra Leone 2014

For some reason the mood has not struck me to write.  Hmmmmm!  Never had that experience before!

I am now officially a member of John Caulker’s, Fambul Tok’s creator, HQ Staff!  What an honor.  He announced this at the recent meeting of all Sierra Leone FT staff members where they recapped the year and made action plans for the coming year as an organization and then for each district over the next few weeks.  He also asked me to speak about my ideas for bringing FT to my area of the US.

I have been sharing a new training package aimed at schools developed by FT and Catalyst For Peace, the US charity funding FT.  The pilot has taken place in schools in eastern America and England with much success and now the official kit is available.  Claire Spector and I (mostly Claire since I am here) are putting together, with the help of Catalyst for Peace, a viewing of the full length Fambul Tok documentary in Sebastopol, CA at the Rialto Theater on July 8, 2014. The aim of this showing is to expose leaders in the community to the FT process and to explain how the use of the new educational program can benefit many organizations.  It is also a fund raiser for Claire’s nonprofit.

Claire is a lawyer whose nonprofit (www.ACT-Solutions.org ) provides sliding scale services to families in conflict.  Follows is her statement to the Rialto Theater’s owner :

“ We will mount a media and public relations campaign and will send notices of the benefit to the Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire list of Sonoma County attorneys, mediators, mental health and financial professionals, Sonoma County Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution and Family Law Sections, Bay Area Integrative Mediation, area associations of mental health professionals, as well as to North Bay Educators, Gang-Prevention Program Execs and Staff, Religious Leaders and Peace and Justice Groups. Charles is also willing to promote the benefit with an announcement to his extensive email list. We, and Catalyst for Peace, will also post the event on our Facebook pages.”

After I finished explaining the plans for the benefit and the fact that I can see the package adaptable to not only schools but different “family” groups coupled with my wishes to expand FT’s forgiveness and reconciliation process in the US, John announced he would send Micheala Ashwood to our function!  Micheala is a key member of the FT HQ staff in Freetown.  She will be in DC at a conference just before the date of our event.  Wow!

What “family” groups other than school classes, you ask?  Church groups, work groups, families, gang prevention, homeless shelters, etc.  The program and process is very adaptable, inexpensive and modular making it a viable tool in many situations for many different organizations.

Charles Sepos, Claire’s husband, has a very successful radio show with a large audience in the Santa Rosa area and beyond.  He will be interviewing myself and Micheala on his show on July 4 just before the event and will host the event itself.  I feel so blessed to have Claire and Charles so passionate about the possibilities Fambul Tok brings.

We are hoping to bring Sara Terry, the filmmaker, to attend the event as well.  It all depends on sponsorship and funding.

Kono Team At Work

Attending the Fambul Tok staff meeting allowed me to reconnect with those from my last journey here and to meet new staff.  I was able to observe them as they worked together on the first day as district teams to create their presentations.  Where we use technology for that purpose, they use flip charts for theirs, but the presentations were no less effective because of the lack of technology.  

The second and third days of the meeting were much like those I attended over my corporate career as far as content was concerned.  Successes, challenges, action plans and the future of Fambul Tok presented and discussed.  A “Paking

Packing Lot

Lot” or Action Items List was put in place to house the most urgent subjects needing attention.

It was very evident as John facilitated the meeting he has created a staff that is truly a family.  They joked, laughed, supported and encouraged each other.  No one was left out, no idea unheard no matter the position in the organization.  John acknowledged that each member is as valuable as the next and needed for a successful outcome.   It was a joy and pleasure to observe.

One of the buzz phrases form my old corporate life was “you must walk the walk and talk the talk”.  John and his team family do just that in spades and with great pride.

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma Syrup/Sara