AFTER ELECTIONS AND OTHER HAPPENINGS

November 28, 2012

Electricity seems to be at a premium in Freetown all of a sudden. From the time I arrived on October 2 to before the elections we had power virtually all day and night. It would go off intermittently, for very short periods and seemed to be storm related.

Ever since my return from Up Country to Freetown on November 18 we have had more frequent interruptions for longer periods of time.  Yesterday was the worst so far; no power most of the day and all night.  Generators are expensive to run so even the office (which has had NO electricity for at least a week now) has limited hours of productivity.

At the apartment they can afford to run the generator for only a few hours at night and even then it is not strong enough to run the A/C unit in my bedroom. Up country conditions are looking better all the time!!! At least there you KNOW what to expect and can plan accordingly.

Speculation for this shortage of electrical service runs the gamut from the fact that the Minister of Services is from the losing party and is sulking, to it is (as reported by the government) caused by the road construction and underground cable issues, to the fact that the government has run out of money to buy the fuel to keep the main station running.  Some say the present ruling party, who was reelected, provided a false sense of prosperity and productivity by providing abundant supplies of electrical power to improve the chance of reelection.  But whatever the cause, it is what it is and we will deal with it.

I now have a guest for a couple of weeks.  Mustafah is a professional documentary photographer and a colleague of Sara Terry, the filmmaker of Fambul Tok.  He is here to study the water sanitation methods (or lack thereof) with an eye on Cholera.  Cholera is a real threat and this year many died here as a result.  He is American, used to work for the WSJ in New York, has moved to Berlin, and is now out on his own.  He is taking on projects or creating projects that he feels will have the most positive impact on humanity. It is fun having him and we have lively conversations after work over dinner.

I am amazed at how much I am loving this country, electricity or no, hot showers or no. There is something about it that speaks to me in great volumes.  If the reelected administration can do the right things, it is poised to become the fastest growing economy in the world!  This according to Al Jazeera news.  The feeling of positive energy after the peaceful election and continuing peace, supports that view in my estimation.

Before I left on this journey it was on my mind that a follow-up documentary should be made to showcase the positive changes brought about by Fambul Tok.  I spoke about that to Micheala one day and she said she had been thinking along those same lines!  We agreed that the story should feature the Peace Mothers cooperatives and their great success stories of creativity.  This creative thinking has resulted in prosperity and better living for their families and an empowerment of the previously very marginalized women that is fantastic to behold. 

During the process of putting together the journey for the US Ambassador’s wife, Annerieke, to go up country and visit some of the villages where the Peace Mothers have the biggest success stories, she spoke with a local TV personality named Isa about the purpose of our journey.  Isa expressed an enthusiasm and desire to accompany us with her film crew to do a short documentary of our trip!!!  This journey will take place from 16 December to 21 December.  Isa is finding the funding to make the film a reality.  I planned to publish a coffee table book about the journey and still will do that.  The book will be a gift to the US Embassy, Fambul Tok and me from me :-).  It will be available to Fambul Tok as a fund raiser.

Mohamed from the hotel in Kalbala sent a text that the brave little mouse who invaded my room is still around.  He said he would trap it before my next stay.  I told him that the mouse is so brave and clever he deserved to live.  Mohamed thought that was very funny.

This morning on my way to the office, I had a great compliment paid to me.  A woman who is always at her table selling her wares on the street next to my apartment called me her “Padi” (friend) as I called out my usual “good morning”.  Great stuff!!!

For those of you who meditate or are thinking of meditating I am reading a book that is the best one on meditation techniques ever.  It is called Everyday Meditation by Tobin Blake.  For Amazon Kindle users it is available as a Kindle book. 

The fruit bats are back!  Mustafah and I watched them flying from the vicinity of the coast to the area of the Cotton Tree downtown.  There were thousands of them. Thus the dry season is officially here.

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara

Check out these pictures of interesting signs, posters and signs on buildings.

Efforts to educate girls are strong.

The campaigns for use of condoms and to get tested for aids produce many billboards as well as signs in youth centers such as this one.

They LOVE Obama here. There are many such posters, T-Shirts and other signs.

If you cannot read the saying along the edge of this roof it says: We Do Not Allow Flies On Top The Meat

This "God Is Good Tele Centre" is an example of a blessing for the business by including it in the name of the business.

Spread on the ground drying are peppers, rice, and okra.

Thatched roof houses are common in Koinadugu District.

ELECTION OBSERVATIONS

November 17, 2012

Thursday morning, the 15th, Michaela and I attended a meeting at the ONS office along with the other local organizations who attended Monday’s meeting.  In addition, the European Union Observers were there.  This is a team of professional observers that travel around Africa observing political practices, levels of corruption and elections.  Some are long term observers and some short term.  They are from Poland, Slovenia, Check Republic, and Sweden and have their fingers on the pulse of what is really going on.

Chernoir, me, Kathy,Abdulai, Sumaila Team 8

Team 8 from the US Embassy arrived on Thursday evening.   After getting settled in Kathy, the Gender Advisor, Mohamed and I took the walk into town to get roasted goat for everyone.  Abdulai with US Aid at the embassy, had arranged for dinner to be brought to us from a local woman named Jen.  She brought local rice, so much tastier than imported, and a sauce made with potato leaves.  Between the two we had a delicious feast!

As we spoke with Jen we discovered she is the sister of Zainab, the district Peace Mothers coordinator for Fambul Tok!  I guess I should not be surprised since it seems that all the people of Sierra Leone are related in some way.

Chernoir, the embassy driver, provided several meals from local women also.  Between Abdulai and him we were well fed for lunches and dinners.  I got to taste ground nut soup and beef soup, both delicious.

I am fortunate that the team from the embassy can accommodate me so I can stay to observe the elections.  Michaela returned to Freetown on Thursday and without embassy transportation I would have had to go with her.  The car is a new Toyota Land Cruiser and is very cushy.  In the back are boxes of MREs (meals ready to eat). water, and a refrigerator.  They have a waiver for me to sign saying the US government is not responsible for any injury or death happening to me while riding in their vehicle.  There is a emergency evacuation plan that takes us into Guinea (is that safer????) in case of wide spread violence.  They are prepared for any contingency.

Friday, the day before the elections, we drove to several of the villages we are to visit tomorrow.  Abdulai put together a proposed plan of 7 villages and we tested the amount of time to drive there, etc.  One nine mile drive took us 50 minutes one way over very bad roads! We also wanted to see if the supplies were arriving on time.  Before leaving for the villages we met with the police, ONS, and NEC (National Election Center) directors.  Team 8 had not met them and wanted to introduce themselves and get their perspective.  We were scheduled to meet with the EU observers later in the afternoon.  One of the longterm observers had given me her card at Thursday’s meeting and I passed it on to Kathy so she could set up the meeting.  We felt it was important to find out their schedule so we aren’t all observing in one place at the same time.  There was no central coordination of the many observers sent by various organizations.

Women's Peace Prayer & Fasting Group

Before setting off to visit the villages Kathy and I wanted to stop by one of the Mosques where women were spending the late morning and part of the afternoon fasting and praying for peace.  The women’s prayer and fasting movement started at the Catholic Church in the early morning, moving to the Mosque in late morning to finish.  At 1:30PM as we approached the Mosque we spied a group of women walking up the road.  We are too late!  They are done.  I recognize Zainab in the group and we stop to chat.

Later that afternoon we learn from the EU Observers that there is still some level of coercion going on by both major parties.  Use of state funds, bribery, etc. are suspected, but hard to prove.  They are staying where some of the major players in one of the major parties is staying and have observed some suspicious behavior.  But hey, American politics isn’t all purity and above board either.  I doubt any government in the world is completely corruption free.

6:30AM Waiting For Polls To Open 

This morning, election day, dawns misty and cool.  We are due at the RC (Roman Catholic) Elementary School, our place of beginning, at 6:30 to observe the opening.  The polls open at 7AM and the lines are already long and the school yard full of people when we arrive. At this center there are 7 polling stations.  Depending on the size of the area and the center serving it, the number of stations vary from center to center. The objective is to have no more than 300 people processed at each station.

Checking ID Card At Entrance To Polling Center

At 8:30 we set off for our next stop and spend the day going from village to village. Everywhere is peaceful and the people patient.  Well, for the most part.  Some are frustrated because the system in place that assigns them to the correct line for voting is faulty.  In the beginning the number on their ID cards is used to sort them into voting lines.  It becomes apparent early on that this isn’t working.  The people get to their assigned lines only to find their name wasn’t on that list but on one in another station.  This means going to another line and cutting in front of others so they don’t have to go to the back of the new line.  Until those in the new line understand what was happening there is yelling and some level of anger.  The check lists are arranged in alphabetical order by last name.  Once they change the system to alphabetical by last name, like the lists, all comes to order.

Belly To Back In Line

The day goes by with only technical issues, no violence, no fighting, all is peaceful and calm.  It amazes me how close people stand to each other in line.  Belly to back.  The mix of women to men appears to be equal.  This is fantastic because in the past two elections women were harassed, sometimes severely, at the polls.  We see no such activities this time.

The paper voting system is labor intensive, but necessary since most of the country is not able to report electronically.  Even in Freetown where such systems exist, they are not plentiful.  By the time we return to the polling center where we started this morning to watch the closing process, it is about 4:40PM.  The polls close sharply at 5PM.  At 7:45PM the counting and sorting are still in progress - with candlelight, flashlights, cell phone lights.  There is not a generator at the school so no electricity!  

It will take about 10 days for the official results to be announced.  The boxes containing the ballots and official results from some of the very remote areas will not be picked up for up to 3 days.  Preliminary results begin to be announced on the radio immediately that evening.  It is apparent even early on that the lessor parties (there are 10 parties all together, 8 lessor and 2 major) have received almost no votes.  This is means the 2 major parties are getting the votes.

In the past two elections there has been a runoff vote.  It requires a 55% popular vote majority to declare a winner.  With 10 parties getting votes this has not happened in the past during the first go around.  This time, however, with the miniscule number of votes going to the minor 8, a runoff may be avoided.  This is good because the peace that stands now can continue.  A runoff causes high tension and the potential for unrest is even greater then during the initial election.

The people of Sierra Leone deserve huge accolades for holding the peace.  Big smiles grace the faces of the people who stop me to ask what I thought of the election.  They know I was Up Country and want to hear my story.  When I congratulate them and say the people of Salone should be very proud of their accomplishment of a peaceful election, they just beam. They know the world is watching and a peaceful Sierra Leone will bring in the foreign investors so vital for their growth.

Of the 3.2 million eligible voters 2.7 million registered!  Early results indicate an 80 to 85% of those registered turned out to vote!  Wow!  We should get that kind of interest in the US. Our public is too complacent.

Tomorrow I make the journey back to Freetown where I will stay for a few days until time to go back Up Country.  This time we will be sensitizing the people for a peaceful runoff, just in case.  The Peace Mothers’ Grandmother is ready to dance!

Much Love to You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara

MORE ACTIVITIES IN KOINADUGU

November 14,2012

During my “downtime” here in Kabala Town I rode a motorbike for the first time.  Michaela left on Sunday morning for a meeting in Mekene and then on to Kono and Kailahun until late Wednesday.  I expressed a desire to go with her.  It is the week before the elections and as they are both hot spots especially Kailahun, she felt I will be safer here.

She will return here on Wednesday and then to Freetown on Thursday so she can vote.  The US Embassy observer team has room for me to accompany them on election day here in Koinadugu and to take me to Freetown on Sunday. They are staying in the same hotel called, Tech 2, as I.

The occasion for the motorbike ride was to attend a meeting of some of the stakeholders at the Office of National Safety.  Fambul Tok district offices do not have cars only bikes.  Abraham came to get me, I climbed on, grasped one side of him with my left hand, the back of the bike seat with the other and off we went.  He drove as slowly as he could for my safety.

The bike is amazingly comfortable due to its very springy suspension system.  As you know the roads here are very bumpy, but the bike took them with ease.  Abraham asked if I had ridden on one before and I admitted it was a very, very long time ago (think high school).  It seems I was making the right moves for a rider in the back and he was surprised.

As part of the meeting all in attendance visited the Chief who won the election the day before.  However, there had been a skirmish resulting in the hospitalization of a young man after the results were announced.  It seems the chief himself threw a rock at his opponent's house. This is what started the skirmish.  His opponent is his nephew! To atone the Chief parted with some cows to give to the aggrieved.  

The ONS Director (Office of National Security) and the Police Director felt it was necessary to visit the Chief with a message of the importance of him gathering his people to impart a message of peace.  They said he needed to embrace the loser and ask for forgiveness for the injury to the young man.  It is up to him as the leader of his Chiefdom to keep the peace and not be the perpetrator.

We then visited the losing candidate to express our condolences and to hear his side of the issue.  The ONS Director made the appeal for peace and hoped he will accept the Chief’s apology and forgive the young man causing the harm.  He stressed with him as he did with the Chief it is important for this to happen so the community can live in harmony.

During all this running around I was able to ride in the ONS car instead of a motorbike.  While the experience was fun, the lack of a helmet for me makes it not a smart idea to make riding around on a motorbike a habit.

Mohamed

Later that afternoon I spent some time speaking with Mohamed, the manager of the hotel.  He is a delightful young man and we had a great chat.  On one of my walks I noticed a place that seemed to serve food at the top of our road and I asked him about it.  Even though there is a blackboard outside with the offered fare, they are not serving food anymore.

Mohamed told me he had taken me to where the white people eat called Choices.  HMMMM!  If this establishment relied on white people to make a living, they would be out of business!  I did see one white man peek in the door, but the rest of the 20 or so patrons were locals. 

Roasting The Goat Meat

I expressed a desire for something more local and he asked if I like roasted goat.  Yes!!!  That night we walked to a place where a man is roasting goat over a charcoal oven/grill type apparatus.  He cut the piece of goat Mohamed chose into small pieces, combined cut up onion and, yep, peppers as he grilled.  As we waited for our dinner, I took photos of some of the other waiting patrons.

Waiting For His Goat Meat

He wrapped the cooked goat, onions and peppers in newspaper, put it in a small plastic bag and we made our way back to the hotel with our dinner.  Using toothpicks we ate the very delicious goat.  So delicious I had him take me back again last night!

Another Patron of Goat Meat

Tonight we will be trying a different local place for some kind of potato specialty called Irish Potatoes.

Girl Who Took Inventory

As I was relaxing in the dining area of the hotel some children approached me.  Soon there were about 6 or 7 of them.  They wanted me to take their pictures and some of the results are at the bottom of this blog.  One little girl came over and began to inventory me and my parts.  She recited the word as she touched each in turn: eyes, ears, hair, hands, clothes, feets, shoes, boobies :-).  Then the others took turns touching my hair.  I drew the line at a group grope of the boobies.

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara

At first he was afraid of me, but once I took

his picture he wanted to sit

by me and chat away.

UP COUNTRY FOOD,EATING,LIFE 

November 12, 2012

It occurred to me that I should have another blog about miscellaneous subjects.  This one is about travel and living Up Country.

Rice Paddy (light green patch)

Sierra Leone is a beautiful country.  Very tropical and lush flora.  Water is plentiful making rice one of the main agricultural products.  During the 11 year war all production stopped and the rice paddies reverted to indigenous conditions.  Rice production is back, but is still not enough to supply the needs of the country.   That is slowly changing.  Local rice is very fat, quite delicious and very different from the imported kind.

Local fruits are bananas, bananas and bananas.  There are many different kinds of them.  Green ones that are ripe and delicious.  Yellow ones that are yellow both outside and inside and are very sweet.  Red ones are also very sweet.  I am told there are hundreds of different kinds!  Plantains are used for all meals and are cooked in vegetable oil until soft and sweet or made into thin chips like our potato chips.  Papaya and mangos are seasonal.  Pineapples, oranges, and something like a tangerine they call a lemon (it is NOT a lemon as we know it) fill the stands.

  

Carrots, green beans, tomato, casava, potato, sweet potato, onion and garlic can be found seasonally in the local stands.  Hot peppers are a favorite here and come in red and green.  They are very small, but mighty! Outside of the super market in Freetown imported apples are sold.  The sweet potatoes are huge and a pale yellow-white color.  They are quite firm even when cooked.  

Local avocados are delicious and cheap, try .25 each!  They are large like our Florida ones, but have a skin and taste like our Haas. One day we stopped the car to buy them from a human mini-market.  I was puzzling over how I could eat it when I watched Sheku break his open with his fingers, tear off a chunk, and begin to eat the meat by separating it from the skin with his teeth.  When in Africa...... 

Nuts called ground nuts are a small cousin to our peanuts.  I happen to like them better.  Chestnuts and coconuts round out the selection.  The chestnuts (called bread nuts here) are roasted and warm when bought - yum!  They take the green colored shell off of the coconuts and then cart them around town in a wooden wheel barrow to sell.  Ground nuts are shelled, place in plastic wrap then wrapped up tight into small round packets.  To eat them you make a small hole in the side of the packet and shake them out a hand full at a time.  Cost?  Ground nuts are about .12 a packet, chestnuts about .25 for a medium bag full and I haven’t had coconut.  Bananas sell for .12 to .25 for a large hand.

Three of the districts grow cacao and coffee is also grown here.  However, there is no industry in Sierra Leone; all the cacao and coffee beans are exported.  No local chocolate or coffee can be found!

With the exception of the super markets that sell imported products, shopping is done along the streets of the towns lined with stands.  The super markets up country are more like our small convenience stores and are found only in the larger towns.

Through The Car Window Banana Buying 

Often as we travel through the small villages we will stop a human mini-market to buy our bananas, ground nuts, or freshly hard boiled eggs.  Hard boiled eggs are .20 each.  Michaela LOVES bananas but is quite particular.  She can tell if a banana has been tree ripened or not.  She will only buy tree ripened.  I tease her and tell her she has a nose that can smell a tree ripened banana a mile away.

A typical local meal in Salone always includes rice.  A large bowl of it is dumped onto your plate.  Then whatever else you have ordered comes in a smaller bowl.  You are given a fork and soup spoon wrapped in a tissue.  A packet of purified water is given to each person.  Sometimes a glass is given sometimes not.

The selections to go with the rice are, okra stew with smoked fish or meat, casava leaves with meat, potato vine leaves with smoked fish or meat, or beans with meat and are all cooked in red palm oil.  ALL the selections are liberally spiced with the small and mighty peppers.  I have tried all the above and have gotten used to the spice.  The only thing I have not been able to bring myself to eat is cow hide.  It resembles a large worm and is rubbery and tough.  

Evidently cow hide is popular in Ghana too.  Seymour from Ghana tells me that in Ghana there is a scarcity of hide for leather goods so much is being eaten!

I like the food here very much.  The proper way to eat the rice is to take a small portion of whatever is in the small bowl, mix it in with some of the rice and then repeat the process until all the rice is eaten.  It is impossible for me to eat the whole portion of rice. Mixing it all in at once is not done.

One dish I have not tried is soup.  The soup can be either fish, pepper, ground nut or goat. Michaela tells me I could not tolerate the super spicy hot pepper soup.  My next meal, I am trying the soup unless the offering is pepper soup!

One meal I particularly liked was in Kailahun at the hotel.  The cook and I had a conversation one morning when I was waiting to be picked up.  He had a plate of sauteed sweet potatoes and offered me a taste.  Delicious!  On my last day I asked him if he could make me the sauteed sweet potatoes and country chicken.  He covered the chicken in a spicy crust and fried it serving it with the chicken.  YUM!  A country chicken is very lean as it only eats what it can find on the ground, but is very tasty. 

The accommodations up country are called Guest Houses. They all have a living room and dining area.  I guess you could compare them to very large Bed and Breakfasts.  Most have a kitchen and at least serve breakfast included in the price of the room.  Some offer lunch and dinner also.  The one here in Kabala, the main town of the Koinadugu District, serves nothing even though they have a dining room set up.  Wait!  They do serve soft drinks and beer, including Guinness!!!  And play LOUD music each night.  The children and some adults gather outside the open door to watch the TVs and listen to the music.  Those who want to buy drinks come in and sit down.

Bathroom With Buckets For Bathing Kabala

The accommodations vary from district to district.  The differences being A/C VS Fan and running water VS no running water.  Here in Koinadugu I have one of two out of five fan cooled rooms that has a “bathroom” as part of my room.  There is no running water so there is no sink, just a toilet, a drain in a corner and three large buckets of water replenished daily.  The water tank on the toilet has no top so it is easy to pour water into it for flushing.  Using a small bowl to pour water over me while standing by the drain, I take a bucket bath each day.

Bed, Chair & Table in Kabala

Electricity is provided by generator in all areas up country.  Freetown and immediate environs are the only locations having public electricity.  Here in Kabala the generator runs from 7PM to midnight.  By midnight it is quite cool outside and the breeze coming in the glassless screened windows is enough to make sleeping very comfortable.

Most people have no electrical source at all.  It is common to see many small stands “selling” cell phone charging service.  A couple of locations serving drinks and food have a generator running all day.  They also have TV sets and are the places people gather to watch the news and sports.  Yesterday, while having lunch, I watched Manchester City beat Tottinham in a very close and exciting game of football (soccer to us).

This is primarily a Muslim area so the call to prayer can be heard clearly each morning.  I love hearing it.  

Below are pictures of my room in Kono and in Kabala.  The cost per night has ranged from $17.50 in Kabala to $50.00 in Kono.

Living Room For All Guests in Kabala

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara

Kono Bed in a very large room.

Note that shower head points straight out so must be used as a hand held. 

Dining room in hotel in Kono.  This is the place where everyone came to eat, chat and work on the computer.  No internet, but could at least write blogs to save for further posting.

KAILAHUN TOWN STAKEHOLDERS MEETING

November 4, 2012

Michaela has worked wonders and all the main stakeholders will be at the meeting this afternoon.  The most important aspect of this meeting is the recording of the statements made which will then be broadcast over the radio nationally.

The time arrives for the meeting being held in the Youth Center.  The stakeholders begin arriving.  The town Chief and Sata, the women’s advocate, are among the first to arrive.  Some of the town’s people are also in attendance.  Among them are a representation of the town’s Peace Mothers.

Stakeholders Town Chief Speaking

Sata opens the meeting with both Muslim and Christian prayers. She then introduces Sheku from Fambul Tok who speaks about Fambul Tok and the background behind the formation of the organization.  He explains the purpose of Fambul Tok and how the process works.  This is done for the radio broadcast of the meeting and to inform anyone in the audience not familiar with Fambul Tok.

Sata expands on Sheku’s presentation by speaking about the Peace Mothers and their role in encouraging a peaceful election.  She continues by stating the purpose of the meeting is to bring the stakeholders together for statements and support of a peaceful election.

The first to speak is the town Chief of Kailahun.  Peace in all aspects is very important and especially during election time.  He is very supportive of Fambul Tok and their process.  Using the radio to broadcast and spread the peace messages is a very important tool.  He plans to bring all the chiefs in the area together to speak about this subject for now and after the elections.

Next is one of the Section Chiefs who further supports the messages given by Fambul Tok.  He emphasizes that voting quietly and then going home to wait for the results is the way to behave.  Supporting whoever wins with joy is the next step because everyone is a citizen of Salone.  No one wants war ever again.  It is especially important for the youth to support peace and be law abiding.

The young man from the PPRC, also representing the DCMC, states that his organization will be in charge of peaceful elections along with the police.  Women need to be equal in elections and in all aspects of life in Salone.  It is a principal of democracy and is a rule of law that everyone is equal.  Without women’s participation in that principle of law Salone cannot be a democracy.  This extends to anyone who is now marginalized including the handicapped.  Safety and security measures are paramount to ensuring peaceful conduct.  He sites an example of the PPRC and the police acting together just yesterday.  There was a very volatile situation between the APC and SLPP in one of the villages.  The potential for deadly violence was strong. Together the head of the Salone Police and himself were able to diffuse the situation and avoid violence.  This cooperation must continue.  All 10 political parties will be monitored to make sure they adhere to the law and any potential conflict will be put down.

The pastor of the Pentecostal Church calls for all to live in peace according to the principles of the Bible.  For the past two months he has been stressing the need for peace during the elections and beyond.  He is planning a three day fast and prayer session for those who wish to join him.

A teen age girl gives a heart felt statement about how she is supporting peace and encouraging all young people to join her.

The Muslim Imam used Friday’s service to spend two hours speaking about the need for peace.  He and his people are praying to Allah for peace.  It is important to honor all brothers and sisters of all faiths no matter what.  He prays that Allah will answer the prayers with a peaceful outcome.

A young man representing the youths (in Salone a youth can be an unmarried male up to age 35) of the area stressed the need to disseminate the peace message everywhere by all means possible now and after the election.  Salone cannot have another war.

Next the head of the police for all of Sierra Leone states that the people here think the police are biased but it is really a case of lies.  The importance of peace goes beyond internal Sierra Leone.  The need to prove Sierra Leone to be a peaceful country extends internationally.  Future investors and businesses are watching the elections to see if they will want to come to Salone and do business.  The police are dedicated to the success of this election and will work with all entities to make sure peace is kept.

After everyone has spoken (I was unable to understand a couple of the presenters at all) Michaela thanks everyone for attending on such short notice.  She also thanks the radio representative for being here to be a part of this important day.  She hands out posters to all the stakeholders.

Speaking of the radio, I forgot to mention that I was interviewed by a reporter after the Ambassador Peace Mother meeting.  He also interviewed Lillian and one of the Peace Mothers.  Lillian and Zinab called me (I now have a Sierra Leone mobile phone) on Friday morning all excited.  They are listening to my interview!  How fun!

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara

CHIEFDOM VISITS KAILAHUN

November 3, 2012

Mustafa, Michaela, Yatta, Sheku and a reporter appear at 6AM to pick me up for our journey to the three Chiefdoms.  It is a neck breaking journey over the worst roads yet.  When the Ambassador told me the roads are worse in Kailahun, he wasn’t kidding.  It takes us about 1 1/2 hours to go the 20 miles to the first stop.

Remains of House in Town

The police consider this Chiefdom of Kissitungi to be one of the “hot” spots with a great potential for violence during the elections.  This area is where the war started and was one of the most violent areas of the war.  Entire villages were destroyed by fire and vandalism.  There are still burned out houses dotting the sides of the roads and in the middle of rebuilt villages.  Some of the burned out houses are big with pillars and verandahs and are built out of fancy bricks and blocks.  Their newer cousins are out of mud brick and are basic in design; a testimony of the difference in economic conditions pre war VS post war.

Example of Large Home

After meeting with the police, we go to a community woman’s building in the village of Buedu instead of the Peace Tree because rain is possible.  The women begin to arrive.  The number of small toddlers and babies is amazing.  This area is where beheading of children took place during the war so it is wonderful to see a new generation now being born.

Meeting in Buedu

It takes Yatta, the Fambul Tok Peace Mothers District Chairwoman, a few minutes, but she finally gets the women to sing and dance.  I’m not sure whether it is because they aren’t outside or if they aren’t quite as joyful.  As usual, I join in the dancing and they are happy I join them seeming to be more enthusiastic after that.  Some new women appear with gourds covered with stringed beads that they begin to shake about. The dancing women start another dance to the rhythm of the gourds.  This dance requires jumping movements with stops and starts and they challenge me to join; I do.  Whenever I misstep we all laugh together.

This meeting is a bit different from the others I have attended.  Almost at the start the women are invited to speak.  These women have a different message.  One speaks of the need for all to love one another and stop judging.  Another speaks of the need to discipline their children instead of allowing them to start trouble.  A man speaks stating that the women are the cause of conflict.  He can be sitting quietly having his palm wine when his wife will come up to him and tell him that this man she knows was saying terrible things about him.  She is insistent that he do something about it and he feels obligated to go find the man and start a fight.  He needs to “save” his reputation as a man.

One of the women tells Michaela it is a good thing Fambul Tok is there today because they were planning to fight.  Fambul Tok’s presence and message prevented that from happening.

Interestingly enough Michaela has told me that 95% of the conflicts in the communities before Fambul Tok’s intervention were caused by the women!  This is especially true in the polygamous communities which this is one.  The men listen more to the youngest wife who uses her position to cause trouble.

Note man with Obama Shirt!
Kissikama

When we travel to the other Chiefdoms the themes are similar.  There is a lack of trust and in the Chief Headquarter’s village of Kissikama Chiefdom and the community is divided, literally.  We happen to be in the building that is located in the center of the village in neutral territory.  One side of the village is for APC and the other for SLPP.   Neither side goes into the other half of the village for fear they will be accused of spying!  The women and men speak of the need to work together and stop this division in the village.

When the meeting is over, the daughter of one of the women who has been helping me with names of the speakers sits next to me.  Out of the corner of my eye I see her looking at me.  She stretches out her hand and with one of her fingers quickly touches my arm.  I smile down at her and ask if my skin feels different from hers.  Then I feel her skin and say it does because hers is softer than mine.  Her mother is laughing at this exchange.

As we travel through the villages many of the children wave and say Pumwe, meaning white person.  They probably don’t see many whites and want to make sure their friends see me too.  I am usually the only white person around even in Freetown.  It should make me feel self conscious but it doesn’t.  I feel very welcomed and am greeted with smiles and “how you sleep?” or “how da body?” when I smile, say good morning and wave as I walk down the street in Freetown on the way to the office.  The children on the way to school want to slap my hand as they pass me.

When we get to the last stop, Kissiteng Chiefdom, the place where the meeting is to be held is full of people dancing to loud music coming from gigantic speakers.  We meet with the police who say they can’t stop the people from using the space even though it has been reserved for us.  The community center is available so we go there.  The concern of the women in this Chiefdom is about the lack of fairness for the election of the Chief not so much about the presidential election.

Kissiteng Chiefdom Meeting

Michaela and Yatta manage to get them back on track by bringing out the posters that have been handed out in the other meetings about a peaceful presidential election.  As they explain the meanings of the posters the women and men begin to pay attention and agree to become a part of the peaceful general election campaign as well as the Chief election.

As I was going to sleep last night I reflected on how different it “feels” here in Kailauhn VS Kono.  There seemed to be an underlying current of tension and dark energy.  I wondered why.  Was it because we arrived in Kono during a political rally with singing and dancing going on?

After visiting the villages today I realize it has nothing to do with that.  These people are still struggling with each other and the after effects of the war.  I feel it is because this is where the war began and some of the worst atrocities happened.  Many are implementing the Fambul Tok values and moving on and are frustrated with those who will not see the importance of that.  Those people are still stuck in the past.  It is evident to me that there is more follow up reconciliation to be done.

That being said, there are good stories here and successes brought about by the Fambul Tok process.  One such story happened about 3 years ago shortly after one of the first reconciliation bond fires.  There was conflict in one of the villages.  They sent for the ex-combatants to come and fight to solve it.  When they arrived instead of fighting they sat down to talk, asked questions and resolved the conflict the “Fambul Tok way” as they put it.

Much Love To You All,

Sara