Diplomatch: Football for Sierra Leone

As the players, friends and colleagues from the United Nations, took to the artificial turf football pitch at Manhattan’s Pier 40 in New York City, fans cheered knowing this was a game with a difference.

3,000 miles away and a world apart, children in football mad Sierra Leone, a nation at the bottom of the Human Development Index still recovering from the effects of a brutal civil war, would soon benefit from this beautiful game.

This past Saturday two teams made up of United Nations diplomats, including the Secretary General, participated in ‘Diplomatch’, a charity football game to benefit Play31, an NGO that provides footballs and equipment to communities in Sierra Leone so that children can exercise their right to play.

According to Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, “This is a small, but symbolic event. We are participating to show solidarity with the people of Sierra Leone, to give hope to children in a war torn country known for the use of child soldiers. The UN takes this very seriously.”

Play31 was founded on the idea of Article 31 of The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates that every child has the right to play. In Sierra Leone the organization provides children with the most basic necessity for play: a football.

The organization believes in the unifying power of the game of football and attempts to use the ‘beautiful game’ as a way toward creating peaceful societies.

Play31 began in Sierra Leone, partnering with local NGO Forum of Conscience, an organization that works to reconcile people and communities torn apart during the war. Play31 provides material and logistical support for football games that are part of a follow up to community reconciliation ceremonies.

Founder of Play31, Jakob Silas Lund, said that there would be a two-fold benefit from Diplomatch. First, from the money donated through sponsorships recruited by the Ambassadors, and second, through raising awareness of both the situation in Sierra Leone and of Play31’s work in the country.

With the participation of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and coverage on CNN and the New York Times, many more people will know about the children all over the world who live in a situation that doesn’t allow for their right to play to be realized. In the case of Sierra Leone it is poverty leading to child labour and violence leading to broken communities that creates this situation.

“It’s amazing for me, personally. Last year I was riding in the back of a 4x4 truck from Moyamba to Freetown and today we’re standing here in New York City,” said Mr. Lund.

“I met the Ambassador from Lichtenstein a year ago, I told him about Play31 and he said, ‘let’s do a match’, but it never materialized. Then I met the Ambassador from Chile and he said, ‘let’s do a match’, so thanks to these amazing ambassadors it finally came together.

The Ambassadors from Lichtenstein and Chile captained the two teams. They were also instrumental in recruiting the other players from various diplomatic missions from around the world.

For Heraldo Muñoz, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations, football is a global game with the power to create change and rebuild broken communities. For him, the efforts of Right to Play are having a real impact.

“Right to Play symbolizes, through this game, (the right to play) for the children of Sierra Leone. They bring footballs and equipment to the children of Sierra Leone. We’ve raised some money and had a good time, and we are also working to help children stay away from violence. It’s the beautiful game,” he said.

Ambassador Christian Wenaweser has served as the Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the United Nations since 2002. For him the event was more than just another charity fundraising event. “We were very happy to do something fun for a good cause. You just need a ball and the will to play. This was an opportunity to get out of the UN and to have a good time for a good cause.”

Donations to Play31 can be made via their website at www.play31.org.

Photo-Voice Project Brings Tiwai And Villages Together

With images ranging from banana trees, a football, a bag of rice and a village path, residents of the eight villages surrounding the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary are sharing the things they want to protect for future generations.

The project is meant to build stronger connections to the reserve and to help protect their culture from increased tourism.

Thirty-two people participated in the photo-voice project, organized by Canadian researcher Jennifer Thompson of McGill University and the Environmental Foundation for Africa, the organization that operates the sanctuary.

Thompson had people take photos of the things in their community that the wanted to preserve for future generations.

"It's cultural conservation," she said, explaining that the project gives communities an chance to voice their concerns about the Tiwai Island project and decide what they want to keep and build on for the future.

"It's a dialog that will continue using a tool that local people don't normally have access to," Thompson said. "Using visuals to explore how people feel about a place is kind of new."

Tensions

The Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary has one of the highest concentrations of primates in the world. Eleven species, including the endangered colobus and Diana monkeys and wild chimpanzees, live alongside pygmy hippopotamus and 135 different bird species.

Originally a research station, the reserve was created in 1987 as a way to provide for the communities while protecting wildlife. It was destroyed during the war, and rebuilt starting in 2001. The sanctuary received its first visitors in 2004.

Even though the creation of the wildlife sanctuary was a community-driven project, the relationship between the wildlife sanctuary and the nearby villages has been strained.

The island is known to have mineral deposits, including diamonds. But farming, mining and hunting are not allowed in the reserve, so villagers have given up potential income from these activities.

The communities do get some money from the sanctuary. Forty per cent of the visitor's fees go to fund community projects, including the ongoing construction of a mosque and a school. Tiwai also employs eight permanent workers and four night staff.

But some villagers expected to earn more money from the researchers and tourists coming to the reserve. It is hoped that Tiwai will eventually become an economic engine for the area, but this will take time.

Community Impact

Thompson hopes that the photo-voice project can help address some of the concerns and create a sustained dialog and bring Tiwai and the surrounding communities together.

Momoh Magona, the project officer with the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, thinks the project has already been successful.

"The project is a good one," he said. "They [local villagers] like that their voices are being heard and they now feel that they are part of us."

James Gbomgbotoh, 18, lives in Kambama village near Tiwai. He participated in the photo-voice project in order to share what he had learned after moving from Bo Town.

"I'm from far away [Bo] and I heard about Tiwai and I heard it was popular. When I got to Kambama I didn't respect it," he said. "There were no zinc houses, there was bush inside the town."

Taking part in the photo voice project allowed Gbomgbotoh to identify the areas of his village that needed to be improved as well as the things that needed to be protected.

"The way I see it, whatever your eyes see, that's what you should talk about. Like the mosque, it's broken. I took pictures of the mosque. It was not built fine. If it is a place where you worship God, it should be fine," he said.

"I took a picture of the water pump because it is not enough," he continued. "When women come in the evening to take water it is dirty. If there were two or three [pumps in the community] it would be fine."

He also took a picture of the school. "My brother and sister have to walk to Vaama everyday. They've started to build a school in Kambama, but it is not done."

Ownership

Catherine Kerr, an ecotourism advisor working with the Environmental Foundation for Africa, said each village is involved with decision-making for the reserve.

The Tiwai Island Administration Committee, which meets monthly, includes representatives from the communities. Government, universities, community members and other stakeholders meet to discuss the community development projects that Tiwai is able to fund.

The VSO Secure Livelihoods Programme, which placed Kerr with EFA, works to ensure that people have a reasonable standard of living, diversify livelihoods and build skills training.

For Tiwai this means making sure that the wildlife sanctuary operates in a sustainable way while involving local people in an economic and cultural partnership.

Additional funding is being sought for programmes that will directly benefit the community, including agriculture and arts and crafts training. Villagers will then be able to supply the sanctuary with the food and goods they make.
Gbomgbotoh believes that the eight villages surrounding Tiwai do benefit from the sanctuary, even if the impact is not felt immediately.

"The way I see it, Kambama has Tiwai totally," he said. "Tiwai makes Kambama improve. Visitors who come here leave money here. This money goes to help Kambama and the other communities. When there is money for development there should be decisions taken between Tiwai and the communities. The communities own Tiwai."

Political Satire Lives!

Combining my love of basketball and the mind blowing election of Barack Obama...

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/kobe_bryant_scores_25_in_holy_shit

The end of 'politics as satire'

A day after the historic election of Barack Obama as president of the United States of America I think it has finally sunk in that things will never quite be the same again.

Taking in the election at the home of an employee of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, on a couch with some Americans and a couple of Canadians watching the over-the-top graphics on CNN and making fun of the staid and boring BBC, we sit awaiting the news.

The mood is upbeat, giddy even, as we use our great legal and political minds to deconstruct the media coverage into stand-up comedy routines. We are the John Stewart generation, where politics is satire.

A day after the election it hit me that this may no longer be the case. The hope for change that has propelled Barack Obama to power is the call for the end of politics as satire. The mandate that Obama has been given is one of a return to leadership through excellence and decision making through consensus building - for the people, of the people, by the people.

Folksy charm and a promise of a return to family values provided an effective mask for a bumbling, conservative ideologue and allowed Bush to be elected in 2000. That election turned into 8 years of unmitigated disaster. Those 8 years created not just voter apathy, but a split in the national psyche. Red or Blue, patriot or traitor, with us or against us.

The movement to elect Barack Obama was the rejection of a politics ruled by war, evangelical christian social policy and neo-liberal economic policies that has seen the country nearly go morally, as well as financially, bankrupt.

We now see how the debate on torture, secret prisons, wiretapping and limiting civil liberties, while cutting taxes and deregulating the financial markets, has turned out.

Americans and the international community cried out for the country to right itself and to try to be the America from the myth, the one from the dream, instead of the one that seemed happy to enrich the rich and subjegate the poor around the world.

With the decision to choose a community organizer, a radical shift from the parochial interests of a closed inner circle, with a leader insulated by sycophantic advisors, America is choosing to reclaim its decision making processes, to reclaim its political power. The possibilities seem endless.

Politics as satire may now be over. There will always be right wing radio hosts to make fun of, but it won't be as much fun anymore. With this new democratic mandate their blather becomes irrelevant background noise.

2009 sees the beginning of a new era in American politics and John Stewart might be out of business.

Concord Times wins human rights reporting award

Defending champion of the Journalists for Human Rights award for excellence in human rights reporting in the newspaper category has repeated the feat in 2008.

The award ceremony also honored Concord Times' senior reporter Rachel Horner for outstanding performance and lasting contribution to the field of investigative and human rights reporting in Sierra Leone.

Other winners included Radio Mankneh, ABC Television, WIMSAL and freelance journalist Abu Bakar Jalloh for his documentary on scrap metal.

The ceremony took place at British Council and the keynote address was given by the first lady Sia Koroma.

She talked about equality in the consideration of press freedom and the importance of investigative, as opposed to sensational, journalism.

She said the media plays an important role in the development in any country. The award is part of a continuous testing of the efficacy of the work of the media and journalists in reporting on important issues.

"I request for JHR to extend their time from five years because of the work that you have done in this country. We want the work to be sustained, so that when you leave we will always remember you for your legacy of good work."

According to Elvis Gbanabom Hallowell, country director for Journalists for Human Rights the awards ceremony was being held to recognize the work of local reporters and local media houses.

"JHR is not an advocacy organization, but to train local journalists. We are moving from a promotional journalism to a developmental journalism. JHR is neither a master nor a mistress in journalism but is here to partner with local journalists to build their capacity and promote developmental stories."

Beach Bars Demolished!

Under instructions from the minister of tourism, virtually all beach bars on the beach side of Lumley Road, perhaps the largest tourist attraction in Freetown, have been demolished in what has been called a beautification exercise.

At about 12 pm yesterday a large crew of workers wielding machetes, crowbars, sledge hammers, axes and shovels, with heavy police and military presence violently took down all structures, including the popular De Base, Check Point Koma, Paradise, Ramada and Sea View beach bars.

The move destroyed many small businesses and put some 115 people out of work and into a search for a new way to provide for their families.

Police and military officials blocked the road to all pedestrian traffic and access to the scene for journalists, calling Lumley Road a restricted area where no pictures could be taken.

This occurred despite repeated proclamations from government and police officials of their commitment to the freedom of press.

After some time and following the arrival of many journalists on the scene, police could no longer restrict access.

According to Umaru Deen Kargbo, owner of Sea View Beach Bar, the action of the government was unjust. No compensation for the loss of the business has been offered, despite having permission and permits to operate from the national tourist board.

"I don't feel good. It has hit me personally, economically. I started from a 'cool man drinks seller'. I invested 18 million leones into the business. I had hired 10 employees from the national tourism training institute," he said.

Sea View Beach Bar had been operating on the beach between Aberdeen and Lumley since 2001.
The businesses on the beach side of Lumley were notified in a letter from Cecil Williams, the general manager of the tourist board on July 18th, that their businesses would be shut down and structures destroyed because of the "unsightly nature and (the) conditions of Beach Bar operations".

Building inspector for the ministry of lands and country planning Antony Kargbo said no permits were issued on the beach side of Lumley.

"They are violating our laws. We are not just doing this because we want to."

Efforts by the owners of these establishments to negotiate an acceptable settlement with government proved futile.

"The minister and deputy have been very arrogant. They told us they wanted to clear the area for tree planting, solar energy light system and to stop erosion," said Mr. Antony Deen Kargbo.

The erosion of the local tourist economy might be a more serious concern than the loss of some land into the sea. New fears are emerging that the loss of the beach bars and subsequent loss of pedestrian traffic will result in safety issues for those who would walk on the beach.

"This will turn into a social disturbance. We don't want this (area) to turn into a ghetto for bad reasons."

Adikallie Carlar Kamar, the manager of the Ramada Beach Bar said that the business had been paying the national tourist board based on a lease agreement. The board decided not to renew the lease for 2009 with "no reason that we understand" and sent a notification of the demolition order.

"Nothing is progressive in this area. When we came here it was bushy. There is no compensation, no negotiation!"

According to Ramatu Osola, owner of the Ramada beach bar, the government's actions were incomprehensible when it is still very difficult to start a successful business in the country.

"This is personal. This has nothing to do with tourism. How are we going to survive? We don't know. No provision, no compensation at all. Eight years of hard work. It's not easy to establish a business, nationally or internationally. We did it to improve our country. This is the typical Sierra Leone style."

The Ramada began operation in 2004 and over US$30,000 had been invested in the business.

In a statement broadcast on the Cotton Tree News minister of tourism Hidolo Trye attempted to explain why the government felt it necessary to destroy these tourist attractions.

"Is this what we intended for this country? Is this the image we want? No. So many investments on one side of Lumley Road but not on the other. This is the end of our culture of begging."

With the destruction of these viable businesses and tourist attractions, the hopes and dreams of proprietors, the livelihoods of hundreds of families and the favorite relaxation spots of tourists and Sierra Leoneans alike are left like so much rubble at the feet of the government.

Traditional Birth Attendants' role to change

By Rachel Horner and Kevin Hill

The Minister of Health has called for a reorganization of the way women in Sierra Leone give birth and will focus on the role of the traditional birth attendant. Currently one in eight women is at risk of dying while giving birth in this country.

“People who are in attendance aren’t able to deal with complications. Often these people are traditional birth attendants. They are not trained in any scientific way. We are going to change their role”, said Health Minister Soccoh Kabia.

According to the minister, the traditional birth attendants will be responsible for identifying pregnancies in their communities, referrals to health care providers and making sure women show up for appointments. They will also focus on antenatal and perinatal care, immunizations and dispensing vitamins, leaving deliveries to trained medical practitioners.

“We will get to the point of discouraging home deliveries. It will take time, 2 or 3 years, we must be systematic about it.”

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that almost half of all births in developing countries occur without a skilled birth attendant present - in Sierra Leone that number drops to only 43%. Globally, 529,000 women die every year in pregnancy or birth, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Minister of Health, Dr. Soccoh Kabbia, said that as part of the APC government’s health strategy the government is trying to answer the question, “why do women die?”

10-15% of all births have serious complications, including anemia, obstructed labour and infectious diseases not addressed prior to delivery. Delay in getting these complicated cases to a qualified medical practitioner causes numerous preventable deaths.

According to Dr. Thorlie, head of Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, women are at risk when using the services of traditional birth attendants because they cannot handle post-partum hemorrhaging or any other unpredictable complications that might arise during delivery.

“Traditional birth attendants are there to do normal deliveries. They are trained by an NGO then they go practice. They used to train old women with a lot of experience dealing with births. These days they train people who have no experience.”

TBAs can also administer oxytocin drugs, which are used to encourage contractions of the uterus to facilitate delivery. Used incorrectly these drugs have the potential to do great harm.

“TBAs give the drugs anytime, given too early causes hemorrhaging”, said Dr. Thorlie.

“We need to reorganize our health system.”

Amie Kondeh is a traditional birth attendant has been in the job for over 30 years. Kondeh is very popular in the Ginger Hall community for expectant mothers said she has never had a complication during delivery and no woman has died on her watch.

However, she said that “now (recently trained) TBAs have no patience in doing delivery, they care only for the money rather than the safety of the pregnant women and the unborn baby”, she said.

“I learned this job when I was in the bondo society bush in the early ‘60s. We were trained by the head of the Bondo society to delivery pregnant women. I believe it is a gift.”

Kondeh is not educated and cannot even speak Krio, but she is confident of her ability to deliver babies, even more than trained nurses.

Women normally pay Ms. Kondeh Le50,000 or Le60,000 for delivery - a big savings over the cost of a hospital stay.

During the interview with Concord Times, a pregnant woman approached Ms. Kondeh to deliver her child. While in great pain Marie Kamara told me that Kondeh had delivered 3 of her children and that she is sure of her delivery methods.

Kondeh’s delivery room is small with a little window. It has neither proper ventilation nor light. As Marie prepared to give birth, the room was very warm. Kondeh, the pregnant women and some other women attending were sweating profusely in and out of the room.

Marie successfully delivered a baby girl. Both are healthy despite the lack of trained medical practitioners and the risk involved.

For Sister Mansary, nurse at PCMH, getting to a hospital in a timely fashion is essential for safe deliveries. “You need expert attention. Most people have difficulty in transportation, causing delays. By the time they get into the major centres it is too late. This contributes to the high rates of maternal mortality.”

The delay in getting to hospital can be exacerbated by the actions of the traditional birth attendants. “Traditional Birth Attendants are not even trained. When they finish mismanaging (deliveries) they bring them here,” said Ms. Mansaray.

PCMH handles up to 8 or 9 caesarean sections per day. Most of the patients survive, but it depends on their condition upon arrival.When pregnant women arrive at the hospital long after complications to the pregnancy have been identified, the woman and child’s chances of survival are greatly diminished.

“When they want to deliver they go to traditional birth attendants, (but) they refer these complicated cases too late”, nurse Mansaray said.

According to Sister Taylor-Young, a nurse anesthetist, the lack of qualified and trained people means that pregnant women often trust those who cannot help in the case of a complicated delivery. “Everyone is a midwife, everyone is a doctor. Finally everyone fails. Abnormalities found early (means) lives will be saved.”

Sierra Leone’s devastated health care system cannot currently manage all the births that occur in the country. If the additional case load that is now managed by traditional birth attendants hits the hospitals the system will fail unless massive donor assistance can be found.

Reducing Maternal Mortality in Sierra Leone

By Rachel Horner and Kevin Hill

In Sierra Leonean 1 in 8 women will die giving birth. This horrifying statistic from the UN places the country among the worst places in the world for women to get pregnant and give birth.

There are many reasons for the conditions that have led to this situation, including a brain-drain that sees the best and brightest skilled healthcare workers leave the country for better salaries; the low economic status of women in the country that disallows them from making decisions on their own healthcare; and problems with simply getting from villages to health care centres that can provide the care required for complicated births.

The task of rebuilding and reforming a broken system has begun and there are things that we can do now to eliminate some of the senseless deaths that are taking our mothers, daughters and sisters from us.

According to UNICEF the key to avoiding maternal mortality is better healthcare during pregnancy, delivery and in the post-partum period. Healthcare interventions including antenatal care, HIV testing, skilled attendance at birth, emergency obstetric care and post-partum care.
"When offered across a continuum of care that integrates home, community, outreach and facility-based services, these interventions can have multiple benefits for mothers, children and the communities in which they live."

Cottage Hospital

Sister Safula Mansaray, a nurse in charge of operations at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital said delays in getting complicated pregnancies to the hospital mean that women will die.
"When there are complications they bring them here. They come in worse condition, but we still see them. Patients arrive from various clinics in the area. Women access them, their cases are mishandled. When they realize they can't handle it, they send them here. When they arrive they do not even have money to buy drugs. We are trying in our own way."

When asked how it feels to witness the condition of the women, she said, "It hurts. Sometimes you want to help, but you have nothing. We do what we can sometimes the woman dies."

Sister Mansaray estimates the hospital sees up to 8 or 9 caesarean section deliveries per day. "Most survive, depending on the condition they arrive in. Sometimes they don't have money to buy so they just lay there to die. Government supplies drugs, but not at the right time. Things that we need to intervene are not there. IV drips, gowns, even gauze."

Sister Mansaray points to the work of traditional birth attendants as one of the causes of delay reaching medical help for complications during birth. "When they want to deliver they go to traditional birth attendants (TBAs), but they refer complicated cases too late."

According to Sister Taylor Young, a nurse Anaesthetist, there are many unqualified people who sell their services to the detriment of pregnant women. "Everyone is a midwife. Everyone is a doctor. People don't know where to go. Finally everyone fails. Some do have money, but they do not want to pay. They say the husband is in the provinces, the family disappears and the women are left on their own," she said.

A small amount of preparation, once it is known that a woman has become pregnant, can be the difference between life and death.

Sister Taylor Young advises, "If you know you are pregnant you can plan for this. If abnormalities are found early, lives will be saved. We should plan. Put small small money aside. If you can plan for Ashobi society and marriage, you can plan for this."

Turn Around

According to Dr. Ibrahim D. Thorlie, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and head of Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, Sierra Leone can turn around the situation and begin providing proper medical care for pregnant women.

"The procedures for ante-natal care are the same here as in the rest of the world. The patient is registered in the out-patient department where she is screened by a midwife. If she needs a higher level of care she is referred to a specialized team. When the medical officer sees the patient he may refer the patient to a specialist or consultant. If the patient continues to come up to (the point of) delivery we will determine the type of delivery needed," he said.

Complications to pregnancy can be discovered early, if trained medical practitioner is able to examine the woman. Simple problems like high blood pressure or anaemia can cause a complication during childbirth. Caesarean sections, when planned in advance, can be performed as a safe, early intervention.

According to Dr. Thorlie, 50-60% of the complications are due to blood loss or chronic anaemia. Poor nutrition can cause anaemia. "If they are already anaemic in labour they are prone to losing more blood."

Delays in Care

Dr. Thorlie explained the main reasons for deaths that occur during childbirth. "The reason we have a high rate of maternal mortality is because of three types of delays in accessing care. First, in the villages, for traditional and economic reasons, when she feels that she is ill, if her husband is well off, she can seek medical care (at a hospital). If not, the family takes a decision, causing delays, and then sends her to the first (local) health provider centre.

Next, if there is no transportation from the first village to the next village there are more delays. Finally, when the patient gets to the health centre, if they have no skilled person - those who know what to do and can do it - or no drugs or supplies, they are finally referred to the hospital."
According to Dr. Thorlie there are many people who are exploiting the situation for their own financial benefit. "After the failure of the gold and diamond fields, the medical field is the next way to make money. People are getting the wrong advice, they start to treat them, or extort families. If the patient doesn't get what they need they surely will die."

Life Blood

"It is difficult to do free blood donation in this country. People are not assured their next meal. (The blood collected) is too small to reach demand. We ask relatives to donate blood. We have to convince people that donating blood will not mean they will die. We then screen the blood. Sometimes when they come with the blood it is too late: late referral, late arrival and no supplies at hospital. I am not a politician. I am a doctor. I cannot hide the truth", said Dr. Thorlie.

Philip Kamara, Laboratory Technician, said that blood needed to treat post-partum haemorrhages must be provided by the woman's family. Whenever a patient needs blood they have to provide a donor or two. The blood bank works on replacement donation. The bank has pre-screened blood available, but it must be replaced by new donations before it is allowed to be used.

"We bleed them, do the necessary screening, cross match for a service fee of Le5000 (US$1.50) per unit of blood. Sometimes we can do it for free. We had a patient yesterday who needed 10 units of blood, but the patient later died."

The blood bank currently has only 5 units of blood in stock. Each bag of blood lasts only between 21 and 35 days. The bank needs a steady supply of electricity to maintain its stocks. It has a backup generator.

"The major problem is getting blood bags, usually from medical stores from government. From March there has been no supply. Patients have to go to an outside pharmacy and buy them. Each bag is Le10000 (US$3.00)."

The bank also requires a steady supply of kits and reagents for screening the blood. The tests available at the bank for Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis and HIV take up to an hour to be completed. Rapid tests, which provide nearly instantaneous results, are available, but are not provided. In case of emergency these tests can save lives.

Additional Problems

Princess Christian Maternity Hospital faces many problems, including keeping qualified people on staff. According to Dr. Thorlie, the expectations of providing health care in such circumstances are difficult to meet. "Workers are not committed, remuneration is so low. A medical officer just out of medical school is paid under US$100 per month, a nurse with 20 years experience gets US$100 per month. We are expected to produce the best with little. We want to reduce maternal mortality, but we must have committed staff. Human resources cannot be retained because salaries are too low."

In addition to human resource management, supplies of basic necessities like electricity and water can also go out at any time. "The light goes off with the power cuts. It's better now under the current government, (but) he blood bank can be spoiled and we can have no light in the operating theatre."

"The provision of equipment, consumables and drugs is not regular. When we have enough, when they are around, maternal mortality rates are bound to fall", he said.

"We need to reorganize our health system. We who know do not have a voice. We are seen as being radical. If we can get real reforms to the system there is a chance, until then we cannot reduce maternal mortality. Our system is abnormal, those in power understand normal systems. What we say is greek to them. For all the workshops for TBAs maternal and infant mortality rates are the same. Health needs a permanent solution. They look to consultants from abroad. We need to go back to the drawing board and re-plan our system."

Government Strategy

In reaction to the need for a complete overhaul of the health care system in Sierra Leone, Dr. Soccoh Alex Kabia, Minister of Health and Sanitation, said that government is in the process of implementing their strategy for health care sector reform, with tangible results expected by the end of this year.

"The maternal and child mortality rate is very high, it has been high for a while now. We inherited a problem, the whole system is not functioning well at all.

Minister Kabia points to limited human resource capacity, institutional capacity and standards that are not up to par, a lack of medical supplies, energy and water as major issues facing the Sierra Leonean health care system.

Sierra Leone has only 64 government doctors, including 8 obstetrics and gynaecology, 5 paediatricians, 7 internists and one psychiatrist. PCMH is a major teaching hospital in the country, but it suffers from all of the problems that affect the rest of the system.

The government launched a strategic plan in February of 2008 that seeks to address these problems and answer the question, why do women and children die? "We believe once implemented in full it will turn the situation around. Government has not been able to offer good incentives. This plan addresses all the issues. After the analysis there will be follow through. By the end of the year, 5 districts and PCMH will be upgraded. We have a plan which will be implemented. We've done it the right way", said Minister Kabia.

"10-15% of all births have serious complications, including obstructed labour and infectious diseases not addressed prior to delivery. You need expert attention. Most people have difficulty in transportation causing delays. By the time they get to the major cities, it is too late. We often don't have the trained people to deal with the problem", he said.

With the cost of transportation from villages to medical centres often being too great for women to bear, the government is considering eliminating service fees for those most at risk.

"Currently the system works on a cost recovery system whereby patients are charged for services. We are aware that there are problems with the system - drugs that do not reach the people that need them. We are on the verge of deciding to allow free treatment for emergency services for vulnerable groups such as pregnant and lactating women, school aged children and the aged. HIV people already receive free treatment across the board", said Minister Kabia.

According to Minister Kabia, Sierra Leone is obligated to provide more support to the health care sector. The Abuja Declaration, adopted at the 24-27 April 2001 UN summit, and signed by Sierra Leone in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other related diseases demands that 15% of the GDP be earmarked for the health sector. According to Minister Kabia, Sierra Leone currently gives 9% of their GDP, or US$9 million. The health sector is supported mostly by donors.

International Assistance

Reproductive health technical advisor, Dr. Peter Sikana, for the United Nations Population Fund, said that UNFPA has worked in Sierra Leone for over 20 years helping to revitalize the health care system in the country. "We are focused on reducing maternal mortality. We want to ensure that every woman pregnant will deliver in a place where the nurses are skilled."

To accomplish this UNFPA is supporting PCMH through the preparation of a team of health workers to treat mothers who develop complications at the hospital. "In this regard we will provide drugs, equipment to put measures in place. We have spent US$1.2 million to reduce the maternal mortality rate in Sierra Leone. Drugs and equipment have just arrived, which will be distributed regularly and frequently to the hospitals, in order to save the lives of the mothers and the children of the country," he said.

Local Assistance

Abioseh Mansaray, Program Manager of the Sierra Leone Prevention of Maternal Mortality Association, said that the reason why women do not demand better health care treatment is that they are not in control of their financial destiny.

"What is disturbing women is the poor economic status of women in the country. Husbands hardly provide for women to seek antenatal care", he said.

His organization is in the process of providing a micro-finance project for women so that they can engage themselves in small business to afford these services. "We also want to sensitize men in reproductive health services, especially in the rural areas so that they will focus more attention on their pregnant wives."

Plan Ahead

With simple planning that begins when a woman becomes pregnant, including regular antenatal care and financial support from families, Sierra Leone can immediately save the lives of many women. With a forward looking strategy to tackle the problem, and promises of effective follow through from government and international agencies, putting the plan into action is the only thing that truly stands in the way of lowering rates of maternal mortality in the country.

Death and Life in Sierra Leone

Photographer Anna Kari, http://www.documentography.com/ and Time Magazine reporter Vivienne Walt document maternal mortality in Sierra Leone in this masterfully done photo/audio essay:
http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2008/sierra_leone_mothers/

I met with Anna and Vivienne for lunch as they were trying to organize themselves for a trip to a rural village for the story. Anna told me that she was confronted in Freetown by angy people who heard that Time was looking for dead women to photgraph. Dealing with this extremely sensitive issue was not easy, but Anna and Vivienne did a wonderful job detailing the injustice of the preventable death of a woman at the start of her child's life.

No drug charges in cocaine case?

By Mohamed Massaquoi and Kevin Hill

The case of The Inspector General of Police vs. Harvey Steven Perez & Others, known around Sierra Leone as the cocaine case, represents the biggest drug bust in the country’s history and the biggest challenge so far to President Ernest Bai Koroma’s government.

But in the haste to bring to justice those responsible for trafficking an estimated 700 kilograms of cocaine into the country, a scandal that has seen a minister sacked and 19 people charged with crimes, is the government about to bring about an injustice instead?

According to Vandie Nabie, Director of Complaints, Investigation and Legal Services at the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, if the new Dangerous Drugs law is used to charge the accused with drug offenses it may contravene the Sierra Leone Constitution of 1991 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“To contemplate legislation (of a new law) while holding the accused, it could be considered retroactive – that is the gray area. The charges must be prospective, not retroactive”, said Mr. Nabie.

The case of Inspector General of Police vs. Harvey Steven Perez & Others commenced on August 1^st, 2008 before Principal Magistrate Deen Tarawallie. The accused are charged with a range of offenses including unlawful possession of small arms, unlawful entry, malicious damage to the perimeter fence valued at Le20 million, unlawful landing, conspiracy for unlawful landing, conspiracy to pervert the cause of justice and conspiracy to aid the escape of fugitive offenders with the aim of perverting justice.

The defendants are in court on what Mr. Nabie called “holding charges”, or lesser charges meant to hold the accused in police custody until further charges can be brought against them. The indictments are based on the existing law when the crimes were committed.

At the time of the commission of the crimes, there was no law in Sierra Leone that covered the specific offense of possession or trafficking of cocaine. To retroactively charge the accused with the new law might violate their rights guaranteed under national and international law.

Article 23, subsection 7 of the Constitution states “No person shall be held to be guilty of a criminal offense on account of any act or omission which did not, at the time it took place, constitute such an offense”.

Article 11 of the UDHR states that “No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offense, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed”.

“There are limits to human rights which are outlined in the constitution. In cases where public safety or public morality is in danger, the government can intervene. But is this exception outdated?” Mr. Nabie asked.

According to him, if the government retroactively charges these defendants it would be “inconsistent with good governance”.

The new Dangerous Drugs law was drafted in 2006 to strengthen existing law, but was not tabled in parliament until after the plane containing the cocaine was intercepted and the accused arrested under a certificate of emergency by the President.

For a law to be brought in under a certificate of emergency the situation or issue at hand must lead to public emergency or imminent danger, only then can a certificate be issued.

According to Mr. Nabie filing charges retroactively under the new law is “not conducive to rights protection. At the moment charges are laid, (the defense will) file an indictment to the Supreme Court.” If the someone claims that their human rights are being violated in Sierra Leone, they must appeal to the Supreme Court to have their case heard.

Defense lawyer and President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, C.F. Edwards, said that if charges are laid under the new Dangerous Drugs law, “we intend taking it up to the Supreme Court. They may (file charges), according to the wording of the law, but according to good sense and international conventions, you don’t.”

According to Principal Magistrate Deen Tarawallie, “it is up to the prosecutors to file charges, but it is my understanding that you cannot charge someone retroactively. I was made to understand that a bill must be passed into law that would make provision to be able to charge retroactively.”

It would be up to the attorney general to approve the use of the law in this case, and the inspector general of police to levy the charges.

According to a high ranking official involved in reforming Sierra Leone’s legal system, who requested anonymity for this story, the new law was drafted in 2006 during the reign of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah and the SLPP. That government, heeding warnings on the increasing use of West Africa by international drug cartels as a transit point for drug trafficking, held consultative meetings nation-wide to better understand what cocaine could do to the country.

The Dangerous Drugs Act was then drafted to help change the image of the country as a player in the international drug trade and to act to save the Sierra Leone’s youth from the dangers involved in using and trafficking narcotics.

The act was subsequently presented to the SLPP government, but no action was taken. The act was also presented to the current APC government, but it was not tabled in Parliament until after the largest narcotics bust in the country’s history.

Cocaine trial defence may apply for new magistrate

By Ben Samuel Turay and Kevin Hill

Lead defence attorney and President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, C.F. Edwards, has stated that unless Principal Magistrate Tarwallie Deen allows for a transfer of two ill accused to a medical facility he will apply for a transfer to a new magistrate court.

The defence filed a motion appealing for the bail and transfer of two defendants to a secure medical facility after both began suffering from serious medical ailments. Principal Magistrate Tarwallie Deen rejected the application outright.

“The ruling given was out of place with our application. We applied that following the doctor’s evidence the defendants should be taken out for medical treatment. We will apply for a transfer to another magistrate court”, said Mr. Edwards.

Last Wednesday the defence held a walk-out protest in reaction to the rejection of the motion. The protest may continue as the defence team seeks to bring further attention to the plight of two of the accused who are suffering from poor health.

According to lead defence attorney, C.F. Edwards, who is also President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association the walk-out was staged to bring attention to a situation they say is a violation of their clients’ rights.

The conditions in which the accused are held should not violate international standards. Rule 60(1) of the Standard Minimum Rules states that “The regime of the institution should seek to minimize any differences between prison life and life at liberty which tend to lessen the responsibility of the prisoners or the respect due to their dignity as human beings”.

By not providing the two accused proper medical treatment the state may be in violation of sec. 20(1) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991, which states “No person shall be subject to any form of torture or any punishment or other treatment which is inhuman or degrading”.

According to Prinicipal Magistrate Tarwallie Deen the protests of the defence are unfounded. “They decided to walk out because, according to them were applying for bail and I refused bail; (granting or refusing) bail is at the discretion of the court.”

When asked how the court will proceed if the defence continues their walk-out protest, he said, “We will proceed or we will give them one adjournment date to get new legal representation.”

Plan and MTV Spotlight Strong Salone Woman

By Mohamed Massaquoi and Kevin Hill

In an effort to show the strength of young women, to protect their rights and to have their voices heard across the world, Plan International in partnership with MTV Netherlands has created a television show that focuses on an up and coming young woman in Sierra Leone.

19 year old Harriet Tucker, creator of youth radio show called Child’s Rights Watch in Moyamba and student at Fouray Bay College’s Mass Communications Department, is the subject of the show that will air on MTV in the Netherlands.

Child’s Rights Watch is a radio program that talks about issues important to young people and has developed a network of young co-hosts who create the forum for discussion.

“I started the radio program in Moyamba in 2005 where I came in touch with Plan International. I have gone to Kenema, Bo, Makeni to get children who I can work with because there is an increase of child rights violations (across the country). I know that with the radio program it will reduce”, Harriet said.

The partnership between Plan and MTV Netherlands is designed to use the large audience of the youth culture and music channel to talk to young people in the Netherlands about the importance of upholding the rights of girls, especially those who are living in conflict and post-conflict areas.

According to Lydia Tiemens, Project Coordinator with Plan, the show seeks to “get Dutch youth involved in development issues and to stand up for the rights of their peers.”

Plan International believes that girls are facing double discrimination because of their gender and their age. This discrimination often leaves them without access to basic health services, education, and forces them to face extremely high levels of violence, abuse, and harassment. It is hoped that through international support for girls pressure can be placed on governments to protect the rights of the girl child. The program is part of Plan International’s ‘Because I Am a Girl’ campaign.

The MTV show pairs Harriet with Giovanca Ostiana, a popular singer from the Netherlands, and Ashley Nyland, a Dutch student and MTV co-host as they go to Moyamba, Kenema, Bo and Freetown to talk to girls about the challenges they face. The group also records a song which will be played on radio across Sierra Leone.

Being a part of the project has given Giovanca a chance to see many of the issues that Plan International is attempting to highlight. “This has been a big experience. We’ve learned more about the impact of war on children. They face the consequences.”

It is hoped that increased awareness amongst the youth in Netherlands of the violation of the rights of girls living in developing countries and conflict and post-conflict environments will lead to increased support for these issues at the national level in their country.

Tackling juvenile injustice in Makeni

By Mohamed Massaquoi and Kevin Hill

Coordinator for the Justice Sector Coordination Office Wednesday disclosed that there are major gaps in the criminal justice system when dealing with juvenile offenders in places outside of Freetown and Bo, where remand homes and approved schools exist. Makini, in the north of Sierra Leone, is one such place.

Sarah Lewis made the statement in an exclusive interview with Concord Times at the Justice Sector Coordination Office (JSCO) Guma building Freetown. She said that JSCO has conducted a survey on the juvenile justice system in the country and Makeni was identified as a place of concern. Many juvenile cases in the city are not properly handled as the township lacked the required facilities to provide proper justice for children who are in conflict with the law.

“There is lack of coordination between the police, prisons and the judiciary in dealing with juvenile justice system. We have decided to organize a seminar for these stakeholders so that juvenile justice can be treated with the seriousness it deserves. We shall be talking about the child rights act, institutional and capacity development among others. We want to bring everybody together because juvenile justice is our major concern”, she said.

In an effort to combat these challenges the JSCO has created a pilot project called Makeni Chain Linked, which will develop greater communication, coordination and cooperation between the police, prisons and the judiciary.

The JSCO have put a manual together to provide training for officers of the Family Support Units so that they will be able to handle cases properly, especially those that deal with juveniles. “One thing that came out clearly during our survey was that Makeni does not have remand home. Therefore, children who are in conflict with the law are put in the same cells with that of adults”, she said. This practice is against the law in Sierra Leone and violates the rights of the juveniles who are placed at greater risk when housed with adults.

The community policing partnership is one of the methods JSCO has embarked upon to ensure that there is a reduction of the crime rate in communities across the country. Lewis further noted that access to justice is another area her organization is working towards as there are still many people, especially in the rural areas, who do not have access to proper justice system. “Over 70 percent of the population relied on traditional justice system therefore, there are plans to review the Local Court Act to strengthen the rule of law” she said.

Makeni Chain Linked is just part of the greater reform of the justice system in Sierra Leone, which hopes to establish a public defender unit, legal aid, witness protection program and to create alternate sentencing to create a more just system while alleviating the burden on Pademba Road Prison. These actions must be taken to strengthen the rule of law in Sierra Leone, to better uphold the human rights of its citizens and to hold accountable those who would violate them.

Closer to home

The story of a woman who experienced first hand the horrors of civil war in Sierra Leone and lived to tell the tale - she now calls Toronto home.
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/488690

Pipe cutting creates chaos for water supply

By Al Hassan Bah and Kevin Hill

Ishmail Koroma is a student who lives at Mount Auroel. Everyday he drives his locally made push-truck making trips to carry up to six gallons of water up the hill. For this back breaking labor each trip earns him Le3000 or Le500 per gallon.

“I have been in this business since we started suffering from the shortage of water. For residents around Mount Auroel, taps usually open around 2.00am. We usually get up from sleep to get tap water to reserve it, so that we can have tap water for the day: especially to drink. We have access to well water, but it is not good to drink. For the past couple of academic years I have been able to pay my schools fees with this business”, he said.

The shortage of water supply within this area is due to the destruction of the water pipes and dam near Fourah Bay College. Some people seeking access to water are cutting the plastic pipes that run above ground or through gutters. They collect the water they need and leave the cut pipe spraying water, disturbing the flow of water to residents down the line.

Freetown is facing a difficult time with its water supply. Overpopulation and low rainfall is causing a situation where scheduled stoppages of water service are required. Unrepaired leaks and illegal connections by people desperate to gain access to this necessity of life are making this difficult situation even more chaotic.

According to Guma Valley maintenance worker Gibrilla Kamara, the shortage of water supply with in the Freetown municipalities is due to the exposure and cutting of the water pipes by people seeking to create illegal connections, or simply easy access to water.

“That is why we are facing a lot of disconnections along the roads. Residents who are paying their water rate bills are suffering as people are destroying pipes along the roads with knives and blades at 4:30AM to find water before the shut down of taps. So resident pipe owners cannot even have a drop of water to make use of within the day”, said Mr. Kamara.

One such resident in the area is Mr. Osman King George. He said that residential pipe owners “have suffering every blessed day. To maintain our pipes, the only way to solve this problem is to dig and bury the pipes under the ground. The public is sometimes responsible for the shortage of water supply in the Freetown municipality,” he said.

The public should work together with the Guma Valley Water Company to report any pipe cutting, leakages and illegal connections that are creating disturbances in the distribution of Freetown’s water supply. Until then, there will not be enough drinking water to meet the needs of residents in this growing city.

The most hated man in Toronto

The story of the "Unofficial world champion of bicycle thieves".

Hastings Community Health Centre Needs Help

The Hastings Community Health Centre is the major medical service provider for the community of Hastings, but it struggles to meet the requirements of the people it has been created to serve.

With a scarcity of drugs, supplies, a leaky roof that has rendered the antenatal examination room moldy and unusable, and patients who cannot afford treatment or even transport to a referral hospital in Freetown , the community's health is at risk.

According to the Community Health Officer of the Hastings Community Health Centre, Sahr Gbandeh, these are challenges faced by all health centres across Sierra Leone. "The Ministry of Health set up health centres in catchment areas to serve the population in that area. Providing outreach services, including transportation, staffing and drug provision is a challenge. Drugs needed for treatment might not be available, so they have to be referred somewhere else", he said.

The government has recently begun supplying basic medicines again after more than a year of failing to provide them. A newly arrived shipment of anti-malarial drugs, oral re hydration salts to treat diarrhea and paracetamol will allow the centre to provide treatment for some of the most common, and often deadly, conditions to children who require them.

According to Dr. Amara Jambai, the District Medical Officer for Western Region, "the last time drugs were shipped to health centres (across Sierra Leone ) was July 2006. The basic essential drugs will soon get supplied in the space of the next two weeks. The drugs delivered to Hastings Community Health Centre were provided by UNICEF for the children." The health centre sees between 30-35 people each day and provides care for those with illnesses, as well as immunization, but specializes in family planning, including prenatal, delivery and antenatal care. There is no doctor, but there are nine nurses, an immunization staff and attendants. The Community Health Officer is also trained to provide services to patients.

If there are any complications with a birth, the woman and child are sent to a government hospital, at either Rokupre, which is currently under renovations, or Connaught . If she cannot afford the transportation to the hospital, the health centre will do what it can to help.

"Maternal and child mortality deaths happen in the rural areas. There are several reasons for that. Transportation, finances, the belief that hospitalization may not be the best option and delays in taking the right decision. Mothers might want to diagnose (her child) herself", said CHO Sahr Gbandeh.

Sierra Leone ranks at or near the bottom of rankings for child and maternal mortality. According to the US State department's statistics on child mortality, 15827 deaths occurred for every 100,000 live births in Sierra Leone. A Harvard Center for Population and Development Study counted 2100 deaths of women while in childbirth for every of 100,000 live births.

Midwife Elizabeth Komeh said that pregnant women often come to the health centre with complications such as anemia, obstructed labour needing intervention and high blood pressure which causes eclampsia. Eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy characterized by convulsions. The clinic recently acquired magnesium sulphate to help stabilize these women in order to send them to hospital.

When interventions beyond the capability of the centre occur patients are at risk because they "can't afford transport. We help them, take from the hospital funds, from the service fee. A certain amount of money from the drug sales go to the desolate, people who can't afford. We need cooperation, help for the hospital", said Ms. Komeh.

Fatmata Sesay delivered a baby boy two weeks ago at the centre. Her prenatal care was provided by the local health centre and she and her baby are now receiving postnatal care there as well. She said she the community centre nurses have been a great help through the process. "We pay Le 60,000 to give birth in the health centre", she said.

There are four beds for in-patient care at the centre, 2 for general medicine and 2 for maternity, but the majority of people are seen on an out-patient basis. The health centre does not have staff quarters. If an emergency strikes after the centre is closed, it is more difficult and takes longer, to get care to the sick or injured person.

Disability: Vocational Training for Self Reliance

By Ibrahim Jaffa Condeh and Kevin Hill

People living with the long-term effects of polio in Sierra Leone struggle with the physical limitations that prevent them from living fully normal lives, as well as the stigma attached to being disabled that sees them as being less than full members of society.

In order to combat this stigma and to give people living with the effects of polio a helping hand, vocational training programs in Hastings and Grafton are giving this population the skills they need to make a living in order to support themselves and their families. This training provides them an opportunity to be self-reliant, despite the physical challenges they face.

People living with disabilities caused by polio often live in poverty, which means that paying for food and transportation, living in poor housing conditions and having to provide their children with an education is an even more difficult daily struggle. Medical problems, including malaria, are always a threat, and the heavy burden of medical care is hard for them to withstand.

According to the Global Polio Eradication Program, Poliomyelitis or polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system, and can strike at any age, but affects mainly children under three (over 50% of all cases).

The poliovirus enters the blood stream and invades the central nervous system - spreading along nerve fibres. As it multiplies, the virus destroys nerve cells (motor neurons) which activate muscles. These nerve cells cannot be regenerated and the affected muscles no longer function. The muscles of the legs are affected more often than the arm muscles. The limb becomes floppy and lifeless.

There is no cure for polio, but it can be prevented through immunization. The polio vaccine, given multiple times, almost always protects a child for life.

People living with the effects of polio are a highly visible part of the street life in Freetown. Mohamed Kamara, age 26, struggles to get his daily bread through begging on these streets. He said, “Some of us are idling on the streets of Sierra Leone, doing nothing. We are calling on NGOs to come to our aid, as this will help get us off the streets. There is some thing in us that money can not buy, he said.

One such NGO is the Polio Women and Girl’s Development Organisation in Hastings. Senior Teacher at the centre, Fatmata Sesay, who also suffers from the effects of polio, said the organisation is training 12 young girls has 50 registered members, of which 17 are residing at the centre. Tailoring, hair dressing and soap making are some of the skills the women and girls are taught to increase their ability to be self reliant.

The centre at Hastings has six bedrooms with very good toilet facilities for use by the 17 residents. And the building was constructed, and the organisation supported, by British NGO Mission Direct.

Fatmata said, “Polio women are often victimised. Commercial vehicles often do not take them, which makes it hard for them to go about their business: because we are disabled people

According to Fatmata, the organisation has not received any funding from government, so they are reliant on Mission Direct to provide funds to continue the vocational training and residences.

“The rights of disabled people must be adhered to. They must be allowed to work in any office, if they are qualified. There is lots of discrimination and marginalization faced by disabled people. And we can produce better things, but people feel negative about the goods that we produce.”

Another graduate of vocational training is Junior George, age 25, a panel beater in Grafton. He said he feels happy despite the poor opinion certain people have of disabled people. “I face a lot of discrimination within my community, many see polio as bad people - only to cause problems,” he said.

Junior was trained as a panel beater in the southern province of Moyamba, at the age of 14. He now considers himself to be self employed. He makes buckets, coal pots and cutlasses, to name but a few. “The work helps me to feed my family. I am a breadwinner. I hope to see others doing jobs that will help them in the future, rather than seeing them begging on streets just to have a coin”, he said.

The chairman of the Handicap Activity Training Association at the Grafton polio camp, Sulaiman Charles, said the 42 people living in the camp face a lot of problems, including a lack of toilet facilities and money for transport to go to town. “It is difficult to have food for the day. The majority of us go begging on the street. We have skill training, (including blacksmithing) but our tools are not enough. Mobility is difficult. We sell here (in camp) or give to our children to go sell. We get enough money for food selling our goods.”

The industrious community has constructed their own community pre-school, with voluntary 3 teachers, dedicated to teaching 60 pupils who are the children of those affected by polio.

The Public Relations Officer for the Disability Awareness Action Group, Patrick James Taylor, said that since 2003 government not provided aid to disabled people. He asks all political parties to stop using the disabled for “political gains”. World polio day will be celebrated by the Disability Awareness Action group on October 24th, but so far accessing government assistance for the celebrations has proven futile.

Salone Drama Idol uses radio to fight HIV

In an effort to educate and empower young people in the fight against HIV and AIDS across Sierra Leone, 18 secondary school drama groups in Moyamba District and 5 in Makeni are competing for the title of Salone Drama Idol 2008.

Drama Idol targets secondary school students to establish safe practices early on in life because these youth are a high-risk group for HIV infection. Organizers hope to end the cycle of risky behaviours before HIV infections can occur.

The school groups are now competing against each other for the title of Salone Drama Idol on a weekly UN radio show, which includes positive music, the HIV radio drama, discussion and phone-in commentary in order to promote community dialogue on various issues surrounding HIV and AIDS.

Holding the competition has not been an easy task for organizers, who have experienced first hand the apathy many young people have towards HIV/AIDS programs. “It was difficult to get the kids excited at first with yet another NGO’s HIV sensitization campaign. Once they realized their voices would be heard across the country, they got excited”, said Grant Fuller, Coordinator of the Makeni based Drama Idol school groups.

Each drama is judged and graded in three categories: content, or how much and how accurately information was communicated, the plot, or if the storyline was realistic and finally the quality of the characters in the play. Listeners of the show participate by text messaging comments to the show and choosing their favourite drama.

According to Project Coordinator of Drama Idol Sierra Leone, Dale Crenshaw, the program is designed to “reengage existing peer health groups and get teachers to start thinking about health and sexual education.”

Moyamba District Children's Advocacy Radio (MODCAR) and Radio Maria have been airing the 20 minute dramas, written and performed by youth for youth, to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and services available in Sierra Leone.

A selection of the dramas have been uploaded onto the radio internet site 'Radiowaves' where young people from the UK and around the world can listen and have their say.

The competition for best HIV/AIDS themed radio drama is airing across the country on UN radio every Tuesday at 9:15AM, repeated on Saturdays at 4:00PM.

Used computers creating new hope for Salone youth

In a small drop-in center located near the National Stadium in Freetown, a group of young people including school dropouts, homeless youth, ex-child combatants and amputees gather to escape the harsh reality of life on the street. They talk, share and learn in a safe space called ‘iEarn’ that provides them a positive environment to help turn their lives around.

As a beneficiary of the World Computer Exchange (WCE) program, iEarn provides computer lessons and internet access, free of charge, to many vulnerable youth living in the area. The drop in center also provides other programming designed to empower and develop the talents of these young people.

Jonathan, a client of the center, was severely burned in a rebel attack during the war that left his hands and face visibly scarred. “I am a war affected person, and iEarn has made all the difference. If I lose a hand, I can only make it up if I learn to read and write. Carpentry, electrical – I can’t do it. It is better to come to iEarn than to sit at home idle. You can be a disabled, but you can still do something positive in the community. We have to link with (these marginalized youth), take them out of the streets and back into the community.“

The center opened in 1998, and received a shipment of computers from WCE in 2007.
According to iEarn coordinator Jane Peters, “staying at home or on the streets is not good. Outside can be offensive, here we provide a family, safety. Here there is a future for them. Amputees feel left behind, ex-child combatants feel left behind. At iEarn we are one, there is no discrimination here.”

Chrissy, a volunteer worker at iEarn used to live on the street before he started accessing the drop-in center. Now he helps others like him to turn their lives around and look forward to a brighter future. “Before, I was on the street, iEarn helped a lot. We find the kids on the street, wandering, victimized by the war. We are all brothers and sisters. No matter the condition, there is still hope for them.”

World Computer Exchange is an American NGO that aims to help youth connect to the internet, learn to use computers and bridge the global ‘digital divide’ by facilitating the donation of used computers from North America to local organizations in the developing world.

Lucas Aalmans, a volunteer with WCE, said that the donation of the computers gives to the host organizations a invaluable tool for young people, from accessing information to enhancing the education of those in primary and secondary schools as well as university.

The computers that are donated are usually between 3 and 4 years old, but remain in working condition. “Getting computers is often not the big problem, it’s the shipping costs”, said Mr. Aalmans.

WCE receives used computers and asks sponsors to pay for shipping costs, the greatest expense involved in the process. The local partner organizations that would receive the computers are required to commit to providing internet services and training to youth along with a US$30-$70 fee per computer. WCE then does a follow up visit to the organization to ensure that the donation is used for its intended purpose and not for someone’s individual gain.

“We want to make sure that those who want computers are serious. Some might say I want ten computers when I only need two. The fee is based on the quality and the speed of the computer”, said Mr. Aalmans,

“Sustainability must be built into the recipient organizations. Funding (for the provision of services) must be secured before the donation”

WCE facilitated the donation of 200 computers to Sierra Leone in 2005, but because of bureaucratic difficulties, getting clearances from the government of Sierra Leone, suspicious of that the shipment of used computers was potentially dangerous ‘e-waste’, the process took two years to complete.

The shipment also suffered from the loss of 30 of the 200 computers after the container was unsealed at the dock in Freetown. This loss meant that the donation had to be reorganized and recipients received fewer computers.

Saa Moses Lamin, coordinator of Waterloo based Youth in Action Sierra Leone, received 15 computers for his organization serving deprived children and youth in the Western rural district, Kono and in slums across Freetown. Youth in Action uses football as a means to attract children to their programs ranging from rights-based approaches to poverty alleviation and computer training.

“These children have very few choices in life, especially practical needs. We are engaged in helping youth live a better life, not just with football, but looking at the whole issue of youth poverty as a governance issue”, said Mr. Lamin.

“The traditional skills taught are not rewarding, like carpentry or tailoring. The youth want to learn about computers. We want to expose the kids and demystify the whole issue of computers to the children. Not being able to use a computer, I consider that illiteracy”, he said.

World Computer Exchange has been in operation for 15 years, working in 58 countries around the world. Each shipment of computers costs about US$12,000 and contains 200 computers. WCE is currently organizing its next shipment of computers to Sierra Leone, with shipping costs expected to be paid by charitable donation to ease the financial burden on recipient organizations.