DNA Tests Bringing African Americans to Sierra Leone

We left Freetown before the crack of dawn and I made sure not to get relegated to the back seat, i politely asked the reporter who had decked himself shotgun to move to the back and he obliged. I made sure to wear one of my very long africana dresses so that i could wrap it around my feet as i did my best to get into the fetal position using a lappa as my pillow. We were in a convoy of two SUVs headed for what i thought to be a brief stop in Bo and then on to Sulima on the South Eastern coast next to the Liberian border. I chose sleep over the green scenery on the Bo-Freetown highway and though i woke up intermittently at checkpoints and pit stops at Mile 91 and Moyamba Junction it was only long enough to remove the kink in my neck to curl back up to sleep.

After what seemed like forever but really was only 3 hours we stopped behind the SUV carrying our esteemed guests, we had reached Baima a town on the outskirts of Bo Town. Our guests were Fred Jordan and Nanette Cutliff two African Americans who had traveled to Sierra Leone from San Francisco, California to speak at The African Network's yearly private sector entrepreneurship and investors conference. Coincidentally both Fred and Nanette had several years earlier taken DNA tests to unveil their African ancestral origins and as fate would have it their DNA had not only brought them to Sierra Leone but more specifically to the mende ethnic group in the South & East of the country.

I stumbled out of the car worried how my now sleepy face would look on camera. The other half of our two man production crew MP Conteh was already out of the car and half way through his fag. I put on some lipgloss, hoping that would be enough and walked over to Fred and Nanette who looked as tired as i did but clearly anticipating the ceremony of which they would soon partake. School children, women and men of Baima chiefdom stood in the entrance community and sang to the drums, shegura and other traditional instruments whose names i do not know. They sang: "home again, home again, when shall i see my home? when shall i see my native land? i shall never forget my home".

Fred and Nanette waved and shook hands and I walked behind them while MP Conteh ran in front of us to get a shot of us entering the village, the welcome party closed in behind us and we walked up the hill to the community center. The villagers were already seated along with the regent chief at the high table that was later introduced to us with his proper name and title. The chief spoke in Mende and while someone else translated for us in a melange of englishkrio.

The Regent chief recognized the other lesser and greater chiefs present, the teachers, the elders, the women, the councilor and every person of note that was present and yet still at the end of it all apologized for not being able to recognize everyone because of time. He announced that we were gathered together because our brother and our sister have finally returned home. He spoke briefly about slavery and said that though our people were driven away they had now returned. A member of our entourage Sallia was asked to introduce Fred & Nanette to the people as he Sallia was also a son of the very chiefdom of Gbaima. Sallia went further into the history of slavery and said that before the time of his great great great great great great father that the ancestors of Fred & Nanette had been taken into slavery and generations later Fred & Nanette had used DNA to trace their heritage to Sierra Leone and that now they were back home.

After the introduction, Fred got up and spoke heartily about a journey he had made with his son many years earlier visiting African countries from Senegal to Kenya looking for people who resembled him, a lifelong quest to know where he was from. He explained that his mother had bore 13 children and that he was 1 of 1200 in his family of brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, grand children and great grandchildren and by taking the DNA test he had answered the question of African ancestry for all 1200 of his family. Fred pulled out a copy of Steven Spielberg's The Amistad and explained the story of a mende man by the name of Sengbeh Pieh who had triumphed against slavery and beat the US Supreme court to gain his freedom and return back to Sierra Leone. Fred proudly exclaimed that the mende people of Sierra Leone were therefore stronger in his eyes than any other African people. He spoke of the importance of his journey to Sierra Leone and called it a milestone in his life.

As he sat down i thought how disconnected indeed we were from our history of slavery...It is almost that we convinced ourselves here on the continent that slavery happened to THEM that THEY were sold into slavery and therefore it is not our shared history but rather a history of some far far away people in a far away land.

A mende Gorboi debul (masquerade) heavily clothed in rafia came out of nowhere in the crowd and zoomed up to where i was seated and my heart jumped out of its heartcase...i didnt know what was going on. I started to whimper until i was instructed to touch it. I didn’t realize women could touch them so the little girl in me who had been scared of debuls couldn’t touch the Gorboi. It went over to the Regent cheif guided by it's handler and the Chief touched it. He went to Fred and Nanette and others at the high table and they touched it. Finally it came back to me and the krio pekin in me reached out and touched it...i didn’t die...wheww that was close. It danced for a good 15 minutes shaking its rafia reminding me of those dragons from the Chinese New Year Performances. It was beautiful and my camera could not catch it in motion, every attempt was a blur of rafia. Finally the Gorboi debul got money and it was appeased and retreated out of the community center.

After the Gorboi debul had exited the Regent Chief announced that the Songai Chief ruling family was now going to adopt Fred and Nanette as one of their own. A bottle of Schweppes and a cup of water was produced, and one of the other chiefs poured libation on the floor and began to incant the ancestors and the spirits while mixing the liquor with water and earth. While the incantations were being chanted Mr. Fawundu who is Crim and Mende by tribe but born again Christian in religion afraid of participating in a heathen traditional practice began to repeat In the name of jesus, i cover u in the blood of jesus. I couldn’t help but laugh. The chief took the concoction of water, earth, liquor, and blessings and rubbed his forefinger on the heads of Nanette and Fred, the Chief pronounced that hence forth Nanette would be known as Gilo Songai while Fred would be known as Mundalo Songai. The rebirthed children of the Mende tribe were then handed gifts of country cloth from the community as the hall broke into song and dance. We walked out of the hall and joined the rest of the traditional dancers, drummers and well wishers as we headed to the several acres of land that had been set aside by the community to be given to Gilo and Mundalo as an incentive to return to their ancestral home and contribute to its development.

Gilo and Mundalo overjoyed and grateful rejoined our waiting convoy as we headed to Bo Town, Sierra Leone's second largest city. Starving, we headed to the Lebanese owned and operated SABs Restuarant. We spent the next hour or so in high spirits eating and laughing, all of us happy and satisfied with the days events. After Lunch we jumped in our now dust covered cars for the 4 hour journey back to Freetown to join the frenzy of people gathering at Taia Resort for the next day's investment conference.

After we came back from the adoption ceremony of Fred & Nanette, now uncle Mundalo and aunty Gilo, we spent the next two days participating in TAN conference events including the investment conference and the post conference cocktail at Country Lodge. Uncle Mundalo spoke about the importance of building economic ties between africa and african americans, connecting the dots of our common history to unleash africa's potential. As the president of the San Francisco Black Chamber of Commerce, Fred Mundalo presented a plaque to His Excellency Ernest Bai inducting him into the Black Chamber of Commerce. Uncle Mundalo's speech was preceded by a presentation by actor Jeffrey Wright who has spent the past several years working on a sustainable mining project that seeks to add as much value to its stake holders as to the communities in which they mine. His mining company Taia LLC work (no relation to Taia Resort) in partnership with the Taia Peace Foundation the charity arm of Taia LLC. Just this month the Taia Peace Foundation gave Sierra Leone Road and Transport Authority 1.4bn leones ($350,000) raised earlier this year from a benefit in New York city attended by former US president Bill Clinton, Jessica Alba, Ben Stiller, three representatives of Penguia Chiefdom in Pujehun, Sierra Leone and other important folk. The night was brought to a close by Creole Jazz vocalist Gwyn Jay Allen performing songs from his album "I Love Loius: a Creole tribute to Loius Armstrong". It was a wonderful collection of a diverse group of people connecting all the dots of the African network. The festivities went well into the late of night but i excused myself in preparation for our trip to the slave castle ruins on Bunce Island.

The folks over at Visit Sierra Leone had organized several trips to Bunce Island in previous years but I had been unable to make the trip. To complete Fred and Nanette's narrative experience back to Sierra Leone we had to visit Bunce Island, a slave castle that could have once been the place of no return for Fred and Nanette's ancestors. According to anthropologist and historian Joseph Opala, more slaves went directly to the Carolina & Georgia Rice Plantations from Sierra Leone than from any other slave castles on the African coast including Goree & Elmina.

We chattered two speed boats from the Pelican Water Taxi courtesy of Visit Sierra Leone that provided us with a tour guide for the trip. The view heading to the island was spectacular and the sea breeze was good too. It was a one hour journey to the island with a short pit stop on one of the surrounding islands to pick up Mr. Brima, an elderly temne pa, the self appointed custodian, tour guide, and keeper of the visitor's log of uninhabited Bunce Island.

We got off the speed boat and i was overwhelmed by the silence; no people, no beep beep, no disturbing smells, no nothing, nothing. It was serene and i loved it. When we began the tour i was immediately struck by the difference between Goree and Elmina and Bunce which seemed like it belonged in a category all of its on. What we saw were the ruins of a castle on an island that is poorly cared for and over run by trees and shrubs and grass. Pa Brima who struggled to speak krio tried to reconstruct the story of slavery in Sierra Leone and the history of the castle that had passed through Dutch, Portuguese, and British slavers. He spoke of a temne man by the name of Adams who served as servant/care taker/slaver under all three European slave eras and he would eventually show us the broken and efaced tombstone of Adams as locals now struggle to claim ownership of the island that has now been declared a national heritage site as well as a UNESCO world heritage site. A week after i visited Bunce I met a direct descendant of the slaver Adams and jokingly suggested that his family pay reparations.

As Fred and Nanette walked through the Island they were most touched by the explanation of the treatment of slaves at Bunce Island. According to Pa Brima and our VSL tour guide, female and male slaves at Bunce Island were kept for up to 4days without food and then forced to run around the castle up to six times. Anyone who could not complete the obstacle course was whipped merciless and set aside as a weakling unfit for the sale. Those who made it up to the 4th through 6th round would be separated and branded for sale. We saw the canons left over from several attacks on the castle over decades of scrambling for Africa's human resources. We walked over to what would have been the door of no return and i entered into a cave that would have held the slaves for the last time before they left for death or the new world. the cave was pitch black, and the wings and screeches of what felt like hundreds of bats frightened me and i jumped out of the cave. We concluded our tour by signing Pa Brima's guest book as he remembered to tell us that Colin Powell had made the journey to Bunce Island some years before. In his autobiography My American Journey Colin Powell's expresses his feelings after visiting Bunce Island, he writes “I am an American…but today, I am something more. I am an African too. I feel my roots here in this continent”

Before we left the island i asked Fred Mundalo Songai Jordan two questions: What do you think we can do to bring more African Americans to Sierra Leone and will you come back? "I will be back sooner than you think. But most importantly i hope to spread the word and tell others of the hospitality that i have been shown here in Sierra Leone and the beauty of its people and the country. I intend to go on a campaign to convince the San Francisco Black Chamber of Commerce to have their annual conference here in when Sierra Leone turns 50 in the year 2011. But as to what will bring African Americans to Sierra Leone, it is simple. African Americans need to know that they are welcome with open arms, that they will be safe and that there are people here who can facilitate their visit. African Americans are a proud people who are not only proud of being black but they are also very proud of being African and i believe that they will come."

Fred signs the guest book and we take a photograph together a memory I will always cherish. I believe that as many more African Americans use DNA to trace their ancestry we will find that many more are willing to make the journey Salone and even go so far as to making substantial contributions to the country's national development. We just need to do our part to make sure that when our DNA brothers and sisters come home they actually have facilities and facilitators to make the trip a worthwhile experience.

for more information:

http://www.yale.edu/glc/gullah/index.htmhttp://www.yale.edu/glc/gullah/index.htm

http://www.taiapeace.org/

http://www.news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200513882.shtml

http://www.yale.edu/glc/events/bunce.pdf

SwitSalone presents the Official Launch Bumbuna Phase 1 (50 Megawatts)

My father and I woke up at 4am to make the five hour journey to be a part of the Official Launching of the Bumbuna HydroDam Phase1. While I wanted to attend Bumbuna simply for the purposes of making this post and fulfill my obligations as a socially concerned citizen, my father a staunch life long supporter of the APC was attending to perform praise and worship of his party’s accomplishments. We stopped at Wusum Hotel for a quick breakfast before finally making our way to the dusty road to Bumbuna.

I cuddled my pillow as we drove the flat red dusty road towards the Dam. The first marker that we were getting close was a turn into a small village that was littered with uniformed school children of different ages waving and singing awaiting the president’s arrival. I waved to them thinking—how mobutu sesekoesque. Then the hills began to emerge from the earth and we were surrounded by lush green rolling hills in every direction. It was beautiful and peaceful and it renewed my faith in our environment, that all wasn’t lost and that there was still so much of God’s grace and bounty of nature untouched. I had seen a documentary film about the construction of a dam in India and the amount of environmental damage, lives lost, and communities displaced because of the dam and so those thoughts were in the back of my head. Fortunately, there was no indication of that and it all looked dam good 

Marker II that we were close….was a check point manned by armed military personnel asking to see our invitation. We provided a piece of paper on GOSL letter head with our names on it that really could have been typed and signed by anyone with the ability to google the GOSL coat of arms and use MS word. We passed on to the check point number2 where we were welcomed by a group of red and white clad APC supporters who were going to make a lot of money on the dance and sing hustle in front of the checkpoint. Finally we made our way to the parking area. I was really really excited to be there. I am convinced that I was probably, if not the youngest young person present.

I let the camera strap weigh on my neck eager to snap my first couple shots. I didn’t have to go far when I saw three men wearing white booboo gowns with red letters etched unto them glorifying Earnest Bai and his party. One of them was carrying a stuffed lion on his head. I asked him why he was carrying it and he said the lion was Earnest Bai. I smiled and snapped. As we made the left turn unto the paved path I saw Palo (minister of Defence) flanked by his soldiers, he had a permanent smile on his face. We said our hellos and I continued on my journey to Uncle Bumbuna.

Green, White, and Blue tents had been set up for guests, dignitaries, and the rest of mankind. The Program was to start at 11:00am and as eager beavers we were there by 9:00am when most of the seats were still unfilled. Slowly, the guests began to arrive and I spotted the usual suspects...the members of cabinet, and other party people, foreign dignitaries the likes of the Nigerian High Commission, reps from DFID, ADB, and ofcourse Salini officials (the Italian Company responsible for bringing Bumbuna to its 1st Phase-50Megawatts of completion).

I went around snapping photographs, wandering about and taking in the sights. This hydrodam project started some 30 years ago. The kind of government project that people joked about, an urban legend much like the bridge to lungi. Many people had lost faith in the project and some even wondered if it indeed existed. Since I been back I always felt that the government whether APC or SLPP should have spent considerable energy updating people on the status of Bumbuna so that we wouldn’t hear the news as gossip from the opposition party or even worse the local press. But I guess that would have called for transparency and actually including the masses as stakeholders.

I think there is a general maybe cultural perception that when things go off track that the best approach is to hush hush. Say for example you’ve assigned someone a task and for whatever reason it has gone off plan, instead of them bringing it to your attention to forewarn u so that u know ahead of time. They wont say anything until u ask “have u finished your assignment?” and u get something like this “well I wanted to do it but when I went there the door was locked and the guy who had the key had left, I wanted to wait for him but then I came here to tell u but when I came u were on the phone so I didn’t want to disturb you, I know that was three weeks ago but then I forgot to go back there. Make ah go day now?”

Basically its that people are afraid to tell the truth if it isn’t all good while on the contrary they should keep us properly informed so that there are no surprises. I’m sure the masses would be loads more understanding and even more patient with the powers that be if they let us know what was going on.

When the program of events finally started it was your usual speech speech speech…this donor and that donor, praise and worship. Amen.

A lady on the board of directors of NPA had everyone grumbling as she went on to explain every little bit that detail that had been accomplished by NPA since the president took over. According to her speech the government has increased power output by over 1000% since coming to office and now with the completion of Bumbuna Phase 1 (and yet still insufficient for out power needs). It was a good speech but the sun made it unbearable and we were eager for her to finish. By this time the battery on my camera had given way and I sat on the concrete slab behind the media and let the sun suck all the fluids out of my body. I was so hot I could have easily started sobbing but my tear ducts had evaporated. Finally IB Kargbo announces a short break before the president’s speech. Thank God!! I walk over to uncle Soulay and I got a bottle of water and made small talk here and there.

Before the break IB had announced that a short comedic and musical performance was to follow. The first group to perform was Jungle Leaders, a personal favorite and they sang a pro-government song in response to Emerson’s Yesterday Betteh pass tiday…the gist of the song was simple…its to early for Emerson to say yesterday betteh pass tiday ( they called him an SLPP supporter) and that the critiques should give the govt time and space to perform its duties. The next performance was from a kid called Innocent who I later found out had been paid by APC to write a response song to Emerson, they had even given him an SUV to drive. As he walked up he was treated like a golden boy and while he performed his song Gi Dem Chance all the ministers and APC big wigs walked up one after the other to throw money on him. His musical talent was nothing to write about but his album was up for sale and supporters scrambled to buy the cd. If only other artists had this kind of govt support to promote their work.

After all the enjoyment, the crowd was called to order and everyone returned to their place. The president began and all protocols observed etc. the theme of his speech “we shall not tire, we noh go taya”….a call and response that after the second time the crowd answered We noh go taya. I’m sure his speech writers were smiling to themselves like “that was a good one”

EBK spoke…..blah blah blah APC….blah blah thank u to our donors….blah blah blah APC….blah blah blah…development…blah blah blah APC…blah blah blah we shall not tire….we noh go taya

At the end of his speech and applause the high table consisting of EBK (EBK wife was absent tho his mom and whataman were present tho not under the high table), IB, VP, and VP wife, the ministers, and people under the tents stand up join hands and break out into the APC Party song, arms swinging and jubilating. I made a point to mark out who weren’t singing the party song just in case we turn all Bolshevik and need to wipe out the traitors. Comrade follow me.

The Returnee Files – Q&A with Sheka Forna

I often say some people just have Sierra Leone running through their veins. They are drawn to Sierra Leone whether they like it or not. Here is a man who’s family strikes me as such. His dad, was the popular politician Mohamed Sorie Forna who dared to warn against some of the excesses of the Siaka Stevens regime, and for that he paid the ultimate price in 1975 when along with fourteen others he was executed. His sister Aminatta Forna delivered the highly acclaimed “The devil that danced on water” and during this Q&A he talked about his grown up daughter who visited Sierra Leone two years ago for a ‘long holiday’ and is still enjoying it – even though she had only visited Sierra Leone once before, aged 10! Even his baby son, is coming home.. even though he has no choice in the matter I’m sure he’ll love it. Here’s is a family with whom Sierra Leone is intrinsically linked.
Here is a man who takes the old myth that Sierra Leoneans are not entrepreneurial and blows it wide open.  The first time I met Sheka, we were both in the UK. At the time, he was running Regal Exchange, a firm he set up with his partner to provide business training and support services to clients in emerging markets. This, after being in sales and marketing for over 20 years with Carlton and ITV in the UK and Sierra Leone Airlines in Sierra Leone.
Our paths crossed many times after that and on one of those occasions while on a flight back from London in 2008, he told me he was relocating and also about his new business venture a Mobile Money Transfer Service, SPLASH. Such a cool name. With SPLASH launching a few weeks ago I thought he’d make a great subject for the Returnee Files….

When did you move back to Sierra Leone? How long where you out of the country? You here permanently?
SF: I Left in 1987 and move back permanently in January 2009.
Why did you decide to relocate to Sierra Leone?
SF: Since leaving I’ve had a long-term desire to return. My departure was intended to be temporary, but was prolonged by the deteriorating security & economic situations.
In 2004 I set up a company (www.regalexchange.com) focusing on providing continuing education for African professionals. This increased my interaction with Africa and heightened my desire to return to Sierra Leone. The clincher was reading in ‘The Economist’ an article about mobile payments in East Africa - an idea I thought would be deployable in Sierra Leone, and which I set out to achieve.
Did family and friends try to discourage you from returning home? If yes, can you share some of their concerns?
SF: My family, including ironically my Danish wife, were very supportive of my move. My stepmother, who is based in Freetown, had for some time been coaxing me to return. English friends were less enthusiastic. Many still had negative images of the civil war etched in their minds, imagining that I was returning to the country portrayed in the film ‘Blood Diamond’.
How and what steps did you take to prepare your move/relocation to Sierra Leone?
SF: I’d been visiting SL on a regular basis – once every 3 years or so. In the year before my return I visited 8 times, ensuring that the economic & political climate was ripe for my business idea, & that I had put the essentials in place for my & my wife’s arrival.

What is your profession? Have you been able to get the most out of your educational qualifications achieved abroad?
SF: I obtained a BA in Business Studies in the UK. I find that the business environment in Sierra Leone is somewhat different from that imagined in the rarified atmosphere of European academia. However prior to forming Regal Exchange my work experience in the UK was in marketing. This has proved useful in establishing my business.
If you own/run a business/organization, did you move to establish your business? How did you go about setting up the business and how did you find the experience?
SF: I did move to establish my own business. Before returning full time I visited on at least 8 occasions, establishing the relationships & obtaining the approvals I needed to proceed. Although intensely bureaucratic & time consuming compared to the UK, I found the process relatively straightforward. The biggest hurdle was a general lack of understanding of mobile payments on the part of regulatory authorities, which resulted in a need for much repeated explanation & many briefing sessions. As one senior regulator noted, the powers that be in Sierra Leone observe developments elsewhere, never for one moment imagining that they will one day come to Sierra Leone.
What type of business do you have? How can folks get in contact?
SF: I run Splash Mobile Money limited, a mobile payments system allowing customers to transfer money between mobile phone users by means of SMS messages.
Our website may be found at www.splash-cash.com. My e-mail address is sheka@splash-cash.com
What culture changes did you experience after your move? What surprised you the most about life here?
SF: Nobody seems to be in a hurry. Everything takes a long time. Everybody needs to be reminded, coaxed & cajoled. Everything needs to be checked & double-checked.
I wasn’t too surprised by too much on my return, with the exception of the Sierra Leonean ability to party. Even on ‘school nights’ you are likely to encounter supposedly gainfully employed individuals out on the town until the small hours.
Have you adjusted to the Sierra Leonean lifestyle or are you still living like you did abroad?
SF: I have a Danish wife, so will always have one foot in foreign climes. However I think that we have adjusted pretty well to a Sierra Leone lifestyle – of cold showers, of a lack of privacy, of the kongosa & lie lie
How have you handled the infrastructure limitations, including electricity, water, sanitation, etc.?
SF: On the domestic front I’m lucky enough to have I a flat within my cousin’s house, where all these things are taken care of.
Out of home you have to take things in your stride. If these things bother you, then Sierra Leone is not the country for you.
What’s the best thing about returning home?
SF: The food
The worst thing about returning?
SF: The roads
Do you think living abroad--education, work experience, culture-- have enabled you to contribute to the development of Sierra Leone
SF: I hope so. In an ironic way I believe that that the war may yet prove to have been a watershed for Sierra Leone. Many people left for pro-longed periods allowing them to become truly exposed to functioning economies, democratic systems of government, a free press, well run companies, corporate social responsibility, the individual’s responsibility to the state, accountable government, human rights etc. etc. These are values that we are returning with & which I hope will prove to be positive influences for the country as a whole.
What challenges do you face in Sierra Leone? For example: at work, with friends and families, lifestyle?
SF: Nobody seems to be in a hurry. Everything takes a long time. Everybody needs to be reminded, coaxed & cajoled. Everything needs to be checked & double-checked.
In regards to family the last decade has fostered a culture of dependency, with those perceived to be better off expected to subsidise any & all who are worse of than them. No account appears to be taken of ones’s own circumstances.
Society is small & cultural activities limited. One has to be prepared to meet the same people when out & about & to hear the same anecdotes many times over.
If you are in Salone with your family, why did you decide to bring your children?  How have your children adjusted to the new lifestyle and culture?
SF: My, grown up daughter, came to visit Sierra Leone two years ago, ostensibly for a long holiday, having only visited once before – when she was ten. She is still here & loving it. My wife has recently given birth to a son. We intend that she will return with him shortly. I do not imagine he will have much to say on the matter.
Will you return to the country where you relocated from?
SF: I don’t imagine so. I will visit, but intend to make Sierra Leone my base.
What is your long-term vision or hope for Sierra Leone?
SF: That we will develop a broad based middle class, who will be able to contribute positively to Sierra Leone’s development. They exist, they’re just not here.
If you were asked to encourage others to return home, what would you do/advice? Any regrets?
SF: Do as did Caesar. Come & look if you want to conquer.
No regrets.

Time to bring back Jimmy B?

I remember a few years ago, there was hardly a week that went by without one album launch or the other. Now, for one reason or the other Sierra Leone music seems to be fading again. No doubt the musicians face a lot of challenges, piracy being one of them. Producing music of great quality that can compete is required, undoubtedly. Nigerian music has taken over the dance floors here and for good reason too, the stuff coming out is great!

A few years ago Jimmy B was credited for the renaissance of Sierra Leone music, I believe he was called the Godfather of Sierra Leone music or something of the sort. Unfortunately, there was some sort of a falling out with the other artists. I’ve just been listening to the radio play a couple of songs off his album “Sweet December” album. I’m no music professional but the quality of his sound far surpasses that of other Sierra Leonean musicians. Maybe it’s time to get Jimmy B involved once again in the development of Sierra Leonean artists. The talent is still there, but unfortunately there is no focus. I believe we need to create a new form of music that is uniquely Sierra Leonean and that will be the key to the International success we enjoyed during the days of ‘Palm Wine’ music. I feel the Nigerians have been able to do so successfully in the past couple of years or so. There are various peeps trying to do their thing but based on his past record and experience, something tells me Jimmy B may just be the man to take Sierra Leonean artists to that other level.

Only in Salone: British High Commision Visa Section Inffeciency Alert

I had already planned to complain about the cost of getting a British Visa as a Sierra Leonean national when upon arrival at the British High Commission I was informed that prices had been increased because of the exchange rate. I asked the security officer why the website hadn’t been updated to indicate this change and he said sorry ma they are working on it. As of Oct 13th 2009 when I changed my appointment to the 19th Oct the website still had le.970,000 as the fee, and they have now increased it to 1,290,000. British nationals applying for Sierra Leonean visas pay about le.450,000 a fee that is set by Sierra Leone immigration. If you are going to charge such excorbitant prices the least you could do is update your website i'm sure they have enough money for that.

I want to make a recommendation to the SL High Commission (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and SL Immigration to in the future develop a policy where they do matching fees with respective Embassies in Sierra Leone. I guess they may be thinking that they don’t wont to deter foreign nationals from coming to SL and that is why the fees are so reasonable but I will say that they should use the same rational the British High Commission uses i.e. high fees cover processing costs, deter undesirables from entering their country, and use the fees raised to pay high commission staff etc. etc.

So the price of the visa was strike 1. The price increase that was not updated on their website was strike 2 please read on for strike 3.

Already fuming at the price increase I was informed that I had to make a photocopy of the 32 pages of my passport. “Why isn’t it on the website that you must photocopy all the pages of your passport?” “sorry ma please ask them when you get inside”.

I walked away from the High Commission determined to find a place to photocopy the documents to make the 12midday processing deadline. I went to two locations in Lumbley that had photocopy on their signboards. Neither of them actually did any photocopying. I had reached my boiling point and my eyes turned read as the steam whistled from by ears.

I finally went to a friend’s office on Wilkinson rd and was able to scan the documents and print them before I headed back to the security post at the British High Commission.

They took my phones and I asked me if I had a camera or USB device. I said I don’t have anything. He said ok good luck and I retorted I don’t need luck. I went through the metal detectors and followed the arrows to the visa/consular section.

There were a handful of people waiting to be processed by two Sierra Leonean…a man and a woman. The man behind the counter says “I recognize u from somewhere” and I said “probably television” and he said “yep on TV”. I asked him why they hadn’t updated their website re the price change and he said that they had…and I said no u have not and he said yes we have and I said NO YOU HAVE NOT. I also asked him why did I have to photocopy all the pages of my passport and he said because the visas are processed in the Gambia.Yes i know they are processed there but why is not on your website and you have to photocopy 32pages of your passport.? I said that was problematic and he said I can complain there is information on the wall and I said or I will. He took my money and my papers and said that I should wait to be finger printed. I sat down and much to my surprise my friend Omar’s dad walks in, also at the high commission for a visa to attend the SLIEPA conference in November.

Some minutes went by and I asked the guy behind the counter if they served lunch. He smiled, “do u wanna buy me lunch”? “No, I just thought that with all the cash u guys have your provided refreshments”. He smiled again, only I was so not joking…my belleh bin don begin fo at.

A little later I get called into a small room where a Salone lady I had seen about town was sitting with my papers in a file. She didn’t ask me anything and just made guttural and nasal noises to herself as she flipped my application pages and typed some info into the computer. . We didn’t exchange any words. She asked me to put my fingers on a biometric scanner much like the one at the airport at JFK. I did as I was told.

Then she told me to look into a camera…and kept repeating I can’t see your eyes I need to see your eyes. I guess my side swept bangs were in the way. Eventually she saw my eyes, took the photograph and told me she was done. I made my exit after she handed me a slip that said that I qualified for premium visa processing service which meant that my visa app would be processed in Freetown and not sent to the Gambia. I am to collect my passport in 2days. Will they or Or wont they?

Should I wait till after I receive my passport to post this blog? Will they not give it to me if I complain on my blog? Well we shall see cause I’m posting right now!!!!

Sierra Leone Cricket Squad beats Rwanda to advance to the World Cricket League (WCL) Africa Division 2

(couldnt find any cricket images of the team)
(map indicating countries with cricket teams in Africa)

As i checked in at the Kenya Airways counter two weeks ago on my way to Ghana. I was flanked by almost a dozen young suited brothers in a maroon and green combo. I couldnt make out the crests on their jackets but when i asked later i was informed that they were the Sierra Leone National Cricket Squad on their way to a competition in Malawi. Countries included in the Africa Division 3 competitions were Malawi, Rwanda, Gambia, Lesotho, Morroco, and the Sierra Leone underdogs.

We got on the airplane and the teams manager a very dapper greying krio gentle man in a straw hat turned around to respond to a team member behind me who was asking to have his photograph taken in the plane.
"Bo you sure say u want make ah shoot you"-team manager.
"Yes shoot me"- team member
"Bohboh you sure? Oona yeri oh na di man say make ah shoot am na plane"- team manager
People started to chuckle aware that he was poking fun of the player.

A Lebanese guy sitting next to the team manager asked where they were going and he explained that they were headed to Malawi for a competition.He wished them good luck. Not to be out done and totally meaning it, i too wished them goodluck as i exited the airplane two hours later when we landed in accra.

I was most proud and happy to learn when i came back on tuesday that the team had in fact returned home with medals last week as the runners up to compete in the World Cricket League Divison 2 Africa competitions to be played in Benoni, South Africa next year.

The cricket squad consisted of 5 Under19 players and 8 seniors. Sierra Leone and Lesotho were the only two teams playing with 100% locally based and born players

Back in April this year Sierra Leone and Uganda were the only african teams to qualify for the U19 championship September games in Canada. However, the canadian government refused them visas and they failed to make it to the competition and were disqualified (according to the Canadian consul in ghana-Sierra Leone submitted their visa apps too late...but it is the widely held view that they are afraid that the players will not return to Salone after the matches in Canada)

Despite all this the Cricket Team continues to fly the national banner up way way high. Your cricket is cool!!!

A VERY BIG CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU TO OUR NATIONAL SIDE.

YOU MAKE ME VERY PROUD

SOS Valentine Esegrabo Melvine Strasser

SOS signal is a prosign, its respective letters have no inherent meaning per se


On April 29th 1992 I was 7 years old. Valentine Strasser was 25. The APC of my father and Joseph saidu momoh was at the zenith of its decay and decadence and way month don man dem noh day get pay but this is not a commentary on the politics of then or now. This is about Strasser. Every couple years or so someone takes interest writes an article in the paper and some people feel sad, others laugh, while many make a mockery of his current state rightly drinking his days away at a poyo bar living off his military retirement package. Some pipul dem kin say "if mi na bin Strasser ah noh fo bin end up so". Ask anyone about Strasser and they have an opinion..."oh he started out well with the right intention but he lost it", "na da im ooman way im bin day wit na im make im end up so" "na blood day fet am".

Valentine Strasser is a victim and a perpetrator. A victim of youth, ignorance, arrogance, power, a perpetrator of violence and like most military dictatorships Strasser and his comrades were choked and strangled by excesses, ills, and the corruption of absolute power.

I lived in Sierra Leone for two years of their almost 4 year rule, from age 7-9 and mi na bin pekin but I remember the fear in grown folk’s eyes. The way people hush hushed when they spoke of the killings or jail sentences, early retirement, or who had left the country in exile. Congosa, rumors, and accusations beat the rhythms of the era. I heard Bambay Kamara had an underground safe with big snakes that he worshipped. I heard his house was ransacked. I heard his wife (who was a really good friend of my mom's) was stripped naked in the street. My heart used to jump every time their convoys sped down the road causing chaos as cars swerved every which way to let them pass.

Those were the days when u could get a beating for getting to work late and grown men in suits would sweat beads as they were made to frog jump in the sun. Those were the days of kabasah lodge skirts and bleached out skins, pato banton's "go pato", community empowerment, national cleaning Saturdays, Leone Stars victories, and 50 heroes of Sierra Leone handbook, mural paintings and city wide beautification projects. Those were the days when people were scared into doing the right thing. Those were the days when being young was cool. Those were the days of national pride.

We left Sierra Leone in 1994 for Ethiopia and that concluded our NPRC experience and their regime went south after that. They plunged the coffers of the state and infighting led to a coup d'etat that oust Strasser and brought in another one of his comrades who eventually gave way to the democratically elected government of Tejan Kabbah.

Strasser is now in his early forties withering away and he could quite easily spend the rest of his days playing poyo to poyo. In fact with life expectancy the way it is in Salone he may not even have that long to live...who knows...

What I do know however, is that the constitution of Sierra Leone makes provisions for former heads of state and Strasser is not and has not benefited from it. Whatever your thoughts on Strasser or his regime we must show the man some compassion. It would be telling of us as a people if we let this man's life close in such a way and do not find avenues to restore his dignity as a man, a citizen, and as a former head of state.

What message does Strasser's current state send to young people?? If you ever get an opportunity to be in a position of power, steal mercilessly so u don’t end up like Strasser.


(Two of his former military comrades Maada Bio and Karefa Kargbo can both be found rubbing shoulders with Freetown’s elite. I wonder what they did right that Strasser did not)

The Returnee Files – Q and A - with Dr Sylvester Nicol

I’ve been talking about doing a series on those of us who have decided to return home to chart a new chapter in our lives. What finally got me going is my recent trip to London and talking to folks out there. There are so many of us who want to return home but are either unwilling, unable or just don’t feel like they have enough information or understanding in order to do so. Some are just plain scared. So I’ll be doing a series that hopefully sheds some light on the experience of those who have returned in the hope that it will help others make the decision.
I start with a man who has to be commended for what he has done and created. Also, because of the sector he has chosen to do this. Health. One of the sectors in dire need of trained personnel and good facilities. Also it is probably one of the most difficult to attract our doctors in the Diaspora to come back to. Obviously because, let’s face it.. many make a good living. A lot to sacrifice. He had that too, and a practice in the US. Yet, he opted to come back home and set up the Davidson Nicol Medical Centre. A Physician Specialist trained abroad, he is without further ado, Dr Sylvester Nicol…



When did you move back to Sierra Leone? How long were you out of the country?
DSN: I moved back in 2008 having been out of the country since 1996. I am now permanently living and working in Sierra Leone.
Why did you decide to relocate to Sierra Leone? Did family and friends try to discourage you from returning home? If yes, can you share some of their concerns?
DSN: I decided to come back because it is my home. I had a lot of concerns raised by family and friends but also some encouragement. Their concerns were the usual, infrastructure e.g. electricity and roads, level of poverty etc
How and what steps did you take to prepare your move/relocation to Sierra Leone?
DSN: I have always planned to live and work here. Moving to Sierra Leone I believe requires a particular mindset. That which says come what may, home is home. Also if you don’t fix up your home who will?
So what do you do?
DSN: I am in full-time self employment as the Proprietor and Medical Director of the Davidson Nicol Medical Centre. The DNMC is a brand new medical facility comprising of an inpatient and outpatient department. The outpatient component consists of consultation rooms, pharmacy, a full service lab, Xray and ultrasound/Echocardiogram. Our inpatient facility consists of 3 ICU beds, 2 private rooms and 10 general beds. In the near future we plan to open our surgical floor which will consist of an operating theatre and 9 surgical beds.
Did you move to establish your business? How did you go about setting up the business and how did you find the experience?
DSN: Yes, I moved to establish the Medical Centre. As I said, I had been conceptualizing the services we wanted to deliver so it was a matter of finding the right people to do the job and bringing them up-to-scratch to perform their duties.

What culture changes did you experience after your move? What surprised you the most about life here?
DSN: The most surprising thing in Africa is how people make do with what little they have and still remain hopeful and even cheerful. It’s amazing!!
Have you adjusted to the Sierra Leonean lifestyle or are you still living like you did abroad?
DSN: Maybe surprisingly, I have adjusted quite well here in Freetown. There is very little I miss, living abroad.
How have you handled the infrastructure limitations, including electricity, provision of water, sanitation, etc.?
DSN: You do what you can. For any business, electricity is a major line item in the budget. We’ve been lucky with water. Sanitation is improving generally and we keep our hospital clean!!
What’s the best thing about returning home?
DSN: The best thing about returning home is being home.
The worst thing about returning?
DSN: You miss family, friends and co-workers. Relationships that one has developed over time are difficult to sever but the internet does help!
Do you think living abroad--education, work experience, culture-- have enabled you to contribute to the development of Sierra Leone
DSN: Absolutely. However, I look at it as a two way street. Indeed, living abroad has been enabling in terms of education, work ethic and a different perspective on life in general. However, aspects of our culture imbibed at an early age here is Sierra Leone including dedication, respect for authority, tenacity etc definitely helped one significantly to contribute to the development of our host countries while we work and live abroad.
What challenges do you face in Sierra Leone? For example: at work, with friends and families, lifestyle?
DSN: Well, one faces numerous challenges wherever one lives. Professionally we have trained a lot of our health care workers in the use of our equipment. Power supply is a source of concern and of course there is the extended family!!!
Will you return to the country where you relocated from?
DSN: No, I do not have any plans to do so at the moment.
How can folks get in contact?
DSN: The Davidson Nicol Medical Centre is located at 3 Bright Lane, Cole Farm off Wilkinson Road, Freetown. Tel: +232 78 998 866
What is your long-term vision or hope for Sierra Leone?
DSN: My hope for Sierra Leone is for maximum employment for young people, peace and stability. Also, I wish for Africans in general and Sierra Leoneans in particular to come to the realization that as a people we can do well if we organize and optimize our considerable resources.
If you were asked to encourage others to return home, what would you do/advice? Any regrets?
DSN: By all means Sierra Leoneans need to come home if at all they can. In my opinion, it is best to set up a business, provide services of some kind, think up innovative solutions to the myriad of problems we have, go into manufacturing or farming. The list is endless. However, one needs to know the ground well and that can only be done through cultivating credible professional and business relationships over time. Also, one has to research and refine ones ideas well before implementing them. If possible, it helps to start small, work out all the kinks and hitches before ramping up.
Regrets? Not yet!!

What will become of a nation…

… that doesn’t treasure its past?

Is it that we don’t have much to be proud of in our history? Or is it that we have ‘other priorities’? Is the saying “know your future you must know your past” just another tired cliché?

I know I didn’t pick up much about Sierra Leone history in school either, probably because it was taught with such boring manner that ‘kekking’ to go play stopper football seemed a much more attractive proposition. The thing is, history should not only be taught in schools in the first place.

This topic has been on my mind for quite a while. I have previously gone on about a need to have a recognisable memorial to pay due respect to those of our fallen during the conflict which would also serve as a reminder of a place we never wish to revisit.

What brought it even more forefront to my mind was after visiting some of our heritage sites as I decided to do a few weeks ago. These are some of the sites we take tourists to, and hope to continue doing so in the future. The sites I looked at where the ones in Freetown, and the neglect in some of these National Monuments is shocking. I can’t imagine any in the provinces is much better.

Take the Old Fourah Bay College at Cline Town, an institution which made great contribution to education not only in this country but also in the sub-region and beyond. Apparently, it’s now owned by the Ports Authority and they seem intent to let it waste away… of best I say, turn into a local market/drugs den/barber shop and Lord knows what else goes on there.

Haircut anyone?

This roofless abandoned no man’s land is what used to be the prestigious Fourah Bay College so called Athens of West Africa in it’s day.

A stones throw from what used to be a wonderful piece of architecture (apparently, the original roof was made from the timber of captured slave ships) – is the National Railway Museum.

This was a pleasant surprise actually. Maybe it’s the boy in me that came out as I took a ride on the pumping trolley..I felt like something out of the Benny Hill Show, looked it too. That was fun.

This is basically alive because of the efforts of a Colonel Davies who used to be took a Colonel stationed here with IMATT. This project was to restore trains that used to be in use in Sierra Leone. This includes the coach built for Queen Elizabeth II before her visit to Sierra Leone in 1961 as well as various other steam and diesel engines (one of which is in really good condition). There are some great photos from over 50 years ago – this gives you a sense of what it used to be like and the inevitable question of where/when/how did it all go wrong.

The usual story then unfolds, they are badly in need of funding to continue their work, so please pay a visit to this place and make a contribution. The guide was great!

This was also my first visit to the Martello Tower at Parliament in Tower Hill. Martello Towers where the sort of defence mechanism of the day (a small fort) and its counterparts can be found in Britain and other countries of the former British Empire.

Ours was erected apparently because of frequent attacks from the Temne, under King Tom. It was never used in battle and was effectively a white elephant (some things never change eh?! LOL). It was later converted to a water tank to supply early Freetown. It’s now falling apart.

As is the Wharf steps and Old Guard House constructed in 1818.

and finally, Bunce Island… a piece of Sierra Leone history which connects us quite strongly to a piece of global history - a point in time that the acts of men will never be forgotten and we are allowing it to slowly become rubble with no real attempt to save what is left.

Meanwhile other castles and forts in the region which arguably are not as significant as Bunce Island have been preserved and commercialised without disrespecting those who suffered in agony within their walls. It is as if all these monuments slowly disappear we can deny this was ever part of Sierra Leone’s history. A history which we should be proud of telling our kids and their kids. We cannot change it but we can use it as proof of how far we’ve come and as a reminder of the sacrifices of those who have got us here.

So what to do? Besides overhauling the school curriculum which I think is a must at some point.. the body in charge of protecting these heritage sites is the Monuments and Relics Commission. Woefully inadequate. Whether it be because of no funding or because they are volunteers, the bottom line is the current structure is not working. Money is required no doubt, which is why I think the Commission should be put under their various City Councils. The Councils have the mandate to collect tax and the various commissions whether in Freetown, Bonthe or Kono should benefit (and be accountable) for a portion of this. Now judging from the ‘Toilet Tiles’ scenario as with the Clock Tower, the actual task of preservation and restoration probably best remains the responsibility of the Commission. They need the funding and where else is it going to come from? They could go cap in hand to Western agencies I guess, but Sierra Leone is a part of all Sierra Leoneans and we have a responsibility of preserving our history. If we do not value this then I guess we deserve what we get, and for every bit of our history that dies, the same happens to our future.

Vickie Remoe Vs. Philip Neville of Standard Times

This week in Freetown
Monday
i called Phillip Neville editor of standard times to report a certain small but recurring issue that had been brought to my attention. A couple weeks ago a friend called "Vickie u know say u picture day na paper tiday" "R u joking" "Nope, u picture day na standard times relationship/advice section"

My heart began to pound as i wondered which one of my escapades could have landed me in the papers...hmm...i could think of only one.

Well it turns out that standard times has been using a photo of me with the eyes blacked out under the headline born to rule men. The article was generally on women who control men etc. and said nothing about me at all and my image accompanied the story. I was shocked and a bit confused and though i resolved to take it up with them, i didnt.

Until...

It happened again every friday for two weeks and i realized they may never leave me alone.I called the editor and explained to him that my picture was being used in the paper without my permission. Mr. Neville said that was impossible and that i should find a copy of the paper and tell him the page. I told him i didnt have a copy but that it certainly was me as several friends had recognized me and I'd seen it myself.

He told me to call him back once i had the paper i said ok knowing full well from the sound and tone of his voice that not only did he think i was lying but that he felt he had better things to do.

I was surprised when my phone rang some ten mins later with Mr. Neville on the phone. "Okay, i have the paper. where is your picture" I told him the headline. He flipped to the page and said "This can not be you. this woman is lightskinned and she has long black hair" I was almost going to go off on an outburst about sierra leone women etc etc but simply i said "no its me, standing on pa demba rd" "it is not possible that it is you we got this image from the internet" "Okay fine. i will send u the link to the site where u got the image and the original from my desktop".

He said send it as tho he didnt believe that i was going to send it or that i would send it and he would have the last laugh

I got his email address and sent the photo and the link to my blog. At about an hour later i got a call from someone from standard times seems Mr. Neville could not handle the defeat.

Someone came on the phone "oh hello my name is so and so and i am sorry oh. we did nt know it was someone here. i searched on the internet for sierra leonean faces sorry. Anyway where in town do u leave". Ignoring his advance i said "please confirm that u will not use my image again. thank u" "Yes we wont use it again sorry" "thank u"

Please send me 5,000 of them trousers without pockets…

I had to laugh when I heard about this on the news… they should take out the zippers as well. LOL. Surely Lungi is not as bad… surely…

------------------------------------------------------------------

Nepal bans airline staff pockets

Officials said there were growing reports of bribe-taking at the airport

Staff at Nepal's main international airport are to be issued with trousers without pockets, in an attempt to wipe out rampant bribe-taking.

The country's anti-corruption body said there had been growing complaints about staff at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan airport.

A spokesman said trousers without pockets would help the authorities "curb the irregularities".

The move comes after the prime minister of Nepal said corruption was damaging the airport's reputation, AFP reported.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) said it had sent a team to the airport to "observe the growing complaints about the behaviour of airport authorities and workers towards travellers".

"We discovered that the reports were true," spokesman Ishwori Prasad Paudyal told the AFP news agency.

"So we decided that airport officials should be given trousers with no pockets."

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Nepal bans airline staff pockets

If I had a cane…

I’d probably have used it. Seriously, this dude is casually emptying his trash over Savage St bridge as if it’s the new ‘bommeh’. We really need to take responsibility for our actions. Next time you’re passing through the Savage St Bridge, have a peek over the bridge. Either side.

Dispatches from Salone: Stories I Like to Tell Part II – My Friendly Airport Security Lady

This is from one of my favourite blogs on Sierra Leone, read on about Airport Security. Salone Style…

==================================

Dispatches from Salone: Stories I Like to Tell Part II – My Friendly Airport Security Lady

This is the second installment of Stories I Like to Tell About Sierra Leone. (Also check out the first one, about my friendly corrupt policemen.) If you are a blood relative, close friend, or have bought me a drink anytime over the last year, you’ve probably heard this story already. Sorry. 

If, however, you are one of the 3 people who read this blog despite having no personal obligation to do so, read on!

To preface the story, I must describe a bit about Lungi Airport, Sierra Leone’s national airport and gateway for the small number of tourists the country has begun to attract, thanks to – as Tony Blair wrote after a recent visit – its “unspoilt beaches, beautiful tropical islands, world-class fishing and diving, and a rich cultural and historical legacy.”

Freetown City Council clears out streets..

On one hand you think, ‘how sad’. Then again you think why would anyone open up shop along a public pavement then refuse to remove it and disregard all warnings and advice to do so.

The streets should be a lot more sane if street traders were removed from their place of business but then again, I guess the Council has to give them an alternative place to trade from and insist on them using it. Now the skeptic amongst us acknowledge that this has all being done before. “They will be back”. They said the same of the beach bars and so far, not yet. Can’t fault the Council for trying.

Journey to the Lakes: My Journey to the Lakes - Tuesday 3rd – Thursday 5th February

This is a blog from a good friend of mine who was very instrumental in the days before VSL was born. She even loaned me her Lonely Planet, Sri Lanka guide for some inspiration. She is finally satisfying her passion to see more of Sierra Leone! More power to you. By the way, the Sri Lanka guide is in good condition and I promise to return it soon. Honest.

Enjoy…

Journey to the Lakes: My Journey to the Lakes - Tuesday 3rd – Thursday 5th February

One stop shop, 12 steps pain

This is a sort of update following the article on the pain I went through trying to register a sole-proprietorship business in Salone. Silly me for trying to go through the process again. I had sworn I’d just do it the easy way and pay someone else to go into the dungeon that is the Registrar’s office. Anyhow, I was encouraged by the glossy posters and adverts that the One stop shop was now in operation and business “na salone dae cam sweeeeeet!”

For reasons I won’t go into here I decided to go and register another business, after all it would be easy right? First person I run into was Mr “Oath of secrecy” (read other post to make sense of this). He was sat on the waiting bench, and the devil in me thought maybe he’d been sacked and he was back to beg for his job back. Er.. no, he still works there and was probably on a chill break.

Now I must give it to them, the building is a lot brighter and now boast at least one computer on the ground floor. The 'knick knack' sound of typewriters that greeted my on arrival last time seemed to have gone. The front office staff are now seated behind glass booths as in banks, and the walls are dressed in posters explaining the steps in registering your business. Niiiice!! I'm loving this place!!

I head to the window that is for Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships. Guy was kind enough to tell me the steps and said the first thing I needed to do was write a letter applying for the name. Fair enough, I did this and was back a couple of days later. He then sent me to the lady at the end who hands me a slip, then tells me to go around to the NRA officer to make payment which I do. NRA officer sends me back to the Sole Trader officer guy, who sends me upstairs to get the receipt and slip stamped by another bloke. After which I'm asked to go back downstairs and... this is a process I had to repeat 3 times!!! So at the end (of my patience, I wasn't quite finished).. I Had 4 receipts, and 12 steps. I was a little irritated but stuck with it nonetheless. When I went back to the downstairs (after 12 steps) the fellow then said I should go outside and make copies of the some more forms. COULD SOMEONE BUY THESE PEOPLE A PHOTOCOPIER PLEASE?!?!

Frankly, at this point I had other things to do so I called it a day. I also called a high ranking official at the new 'One Stop Shop' who basically said I was being messed about and wasn't supposed to be the one doing all this. I certainly wasn't supposed to go outside and do photocopying. Well there you have it.. a thief in a suit is still a thief. The problem in the majority of the offices here is not process but people. Sometimes you wonder if attitudinal change is even possible with some folks. I truly believe some of the folks in that office are past redemption.

I have never been back. I asked my poor assistant to go continue the process and he's been asked to do more photocopying and for documentation they should really tell me from the onset I'd need with my application. Anyhow, we're taking it one step at a time. Whenever we have free time, he goes down there and do another couple of steps then back to the office for more copying.

Arik Air finally takes to the skies

Great anticipation followed the announcement and high profile launch of Arik Air, which was branded as Sierra Leone’s National Airline. Of particular interest is the Freetown-London route which could well benefit from some competition. You would think they would start operation the next day but unfortunately they apparently came across some glitches which meant their launch date was pushed back. You’d think all of this would have been settled before the President got involved in such a high profile launching ceremony. The good news is that they finally started operating today, the bad news is folks looking forward to the Freetown-London route will have to wait that little bit longer. Nevertheless, they will add some flavour to the airline industry here and hopefully increase the professionalism within the regional airlines industry. Their flights starting today will do Freetown-Lagos/Dakar/Banjul. Good luck to them!

Mr Minister, next time be more positive

Why is Sierra Leone still failing to attract tourists seven years after the end of the war? This was the question the Minister of Tourism was asked on the BBC World Service about three weeks ago. I was hoping for a composed response which highlighted some of the progress that has been made on that front and some of what they were doing as a Ministry to attract tourists back to Sierra Leone. He could have pointed to the fact that in fact tourist figures are rising, that more people (with no ties in country) are booking holidays here. It does not matter if the numbers are small, the trend is upwards. Or it could have been mentioned that in fact The Observer, The Sunday Times, The London Metro and Forbes had all done fairly positive pieces on Sierra Leone just 2 weeks prior to the interview.

…or that Lonely Planet are updating their guidebook on Sierra Leone.

Or even better.. that there will soon be a dedicated travel guide on Sierra Leone – a first - The Bradt Travel guide out next month which promises to be a fantastic asset to the revival of tourism in Sierra Leone..

Instead, my Minister - in my opinion - got defensive and reverted back to using the war as an excuse. The same old talk about the infrastructure not being acceptable and our health system being rubbish. While this may not be inaccurate, most people already know this. It felt to me like he was saying… well, with everything that’s wrong with Sierra Leone, why would anyone want to come here. It may not have been his intention but this is what it sounded like to me.

This felt like a slap in the face for all those people who are hedging their bets on a resurgence in Sierra Leone’s tourism industry. People who are trying to change the image of Sierra Leone and get tourists back here. Take Rainbow Tours for example, a reputable tour operator based in the UK specialising in tours to Africa. They have braved into a world that so many others shy away from. They didn’t even need a ‘fam trip’ to make the decision to run tours in Sierra Leone. Ask the NTB and they will tell you how many folks come here for a free holiday under the guise of a ‘fam trip’.

Take Sammy Williams, a Sierra Leonean based in France who has developed a resort at Lungi. No fuss, just gone about his business doing it.

Or Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary , constantly growing since it was established. They now have three lodges, two traditional roundhouses and one at tree canopy level.

There’s Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary which has greatly increased in profile in the past few years and is now a popular request from our guests.

Spare a thought for Dayo Metzger, the main guide at Sierra Leone’s only National Park where he waits patiently, faithfully for a guest to turn up and make his day.

Take the fishing Lodge at Bonthe, a quality establishment looking to attract big game fishermen to this beautiful and sleepy corner of Sherbro Island.

Or what of the guys at River Number two who have demonstrated that communities can indeed work together to create sustainable projects. Go listen to their story and the challenges they’ve had to overcome.. together.

What of Banana Island? Another sustainable community driven project creating opportunities for the people of this island.

and, people like Vincent Kanu who has invested over $2m into his hotel at Makeni.

There is the resort development project at Mama Beach, not to mention the development along Lumley Beach of which the ministry is well aware, and all the little guys along Lakka, Bureh and Tokey Beach.

I know politicians being politicians they dream of a massive resorts and hotel that they can point to for its sheer vastness and that’s fair enough I guess, but tourism is much more than that. All these establishments are making a direct positive impact in the communities where they operate.

To do anything but support these people and use every given opportunity to promote Sierra Leone and the progress being made over the last few years - is in my opinion - an injustice.

It’s over a year.. dude, you still here?!

December 15^th 2008 marked my first year in being back in Sierra Leone. Friends know I said it was a one year project… but they also know things take longer in Sierra Leone so I’ll be hanging around these for a while longer... a long while longer by the looks of it. Why has it taken my over 3 additional months to write my obligatory ‘1 year on’ post? Combination of factors… busy December, exhausted January and uninspired February.

Sierra Leone

Let’s face it, for most people that have been following the progress of Sierra Leone over the past few years the general view is that the country has been seeing consistent growth. Slow - but growth nonetheless. This year, the economy is set to shrink mainly because of a combination of factors, mainly the global economic situation, fall in diamond revenues, fall in remittances and - if you believe it - the decline in the cocaine transit trade.

I haven’t lost the optimism that accompanied me back home, just an even starker realisation of the challenges this country faces. Man, there’s work to be done here. Now and again you’ll get something will renew your sense of optimism only to have something else burst that enthusiasm. I quite often around and wonder how a country that was once a shining example for others in the region just sink so low. The biggest threat probably facing this country what seems increasing gap between the North and the South which politicians may seek to exploit. This is probably manifesting itself in the increasing clashes between the ruling APC and the opposition SLPP. If the politicians don’t practice mature politics and put country before self, then I do not want to think where this could lead us if this trend continues unabated.

VSL

Visit Sierra Leone is still coming along nicely. There have obviously been a lot of changes since coming back, and trying to run a mainly online outfit in Sierra Leone has its drawbacks. Still, there is a level of satisfaction when you get up in the morning and look forward to the day because you’ll be doing exactly what you want to. Priceless. It is promising as a business, but still struggles because of the limited tourism industry. We are now working on bringing tourists in with Rainbow Tours who are a reputable and experienced tour operator, the first major tour operator to actively market Sierra Leone as a destination for their clients. They have been doing a good job of it too.

On the negative side, I regret not being able travel around the country as much as I would like mainly because it gets rather busy. I’d also love to be on the forums a bit more bit the crazy Internet connection doesn’t always make this possible. I’m very grateful that the community spurred on by committed members, moderators and senior members has continued to thrive. I’m proud of VSL forumites because so many of us have made the move back home while many others continue to make plans to do so.

Returnees vs. homebase

I’m very interested in the dynamics between us, the folks who were away especially during the period of 1995-2001 and those who never left. I’ll be clear and say I don’t think those who where away during the war should feel guilty, because few people stayed by choice. However, I feel mutual respect is very important. Some of us returnees can be quite arrogant and bullish in our approach because we feel that we know how to fix things, while some of the homebase are often standoffish and defensive plus they actually know how things work and can frustrate the hell out of you if they wish to. I’ve had horrible experiences with both sets. Both groups have a tremendous part to play if Sierra Leone is to experience renaissance.

The President has called for more of us to come back home which would be a fantastic thing for many reasons but I guess the question is how you harness the positive characteristics of both groups so we understand and appreciate that we’re working towards the same goal. What can we learn from each other? How do we learn from the experiences of both groups and use it positively for the development of this country we claim to love? How do we make sure there are enough job opportunities to go around for all? Or that those who want to invest are actively encouraged in doing so rather than be greeted with unnecessary hurdles every step of the way. This is the challenge.

Health

If there was one sector that I’d love to see more Sierra Leoneans come back to get involved in, it would be the health sector. It needs investment in almost all areas with well trained people. Some of the experiences I’ve heard from friends who are involved in the sector have been depressing. A common joke is that if you fall ill you almost have to pray you have typhoid or malaria, because that is what you will be treated for anyway. But seriously, significant attention needs to be put into developing some strategy to get medical professionals back home. In a nation I wouldn’t call healthy, retaining newly trained doctors is difficult and some of our most experienced specialists are now approaching retirement age or past it. Surely, this doesn’t bode well for the future.

Hopes and Aspirations

As mentioned, I am still very optimistic about Sierra Leone’s future mostly because I know the country has all it takes, if only we could harness the real power within rather than always look for solutions elsewhere. I’m spurred on even more as I see more of us coming home to participate in nation building in our own little way.

For others thinking of relocating

We need more folks to come back home… we really do. It’s just important that you know exactly what you’re letting yourself into… things may not happen as fast as you wish them to but they will happen. Don’t stand on the fence, if you think you’re ready to make the move then actively plan for it. It’s not a bad option – but it can be frustrating as hell. Just don’t be under any false illusions… it’s not a decision to be taken lightly especially when the stakes are high. We need Sierra Leonean investors, artists, medics, intellectuals, educationists, planners, managers... we need reinforcement! Together, let us clean our house and make it even more welcoming to strangers.

Regrets

None. With a bit of inspired leadership there is no telling the heights this country can reach. As a people and as a nation we deserve better. Giving back is a must, we owe it to our children and those that will come after them. We owe it to our people who fell during the war and our brothers and sisters who continue to die from curable diseases. Every avoidable death feels to me like a failure of a nation to protect their own.

So no doubt there will be challenges aplenty and frustrations in abundance but as we all continue to do our little bit – maybe we can finally do this beautiful country some justice.

No regrets. No retreat, no surrender.