Poll of the Day > I lived in Sierra Leone for nearly a year. AMA

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As the topic title says, I lived in Sierra Leone for nearly a year. Part of the program is facilitating understanding between the U.S. and Sierra Leone (though if you're from outside the U.S. feel free to participate). I figure close to none of you know anyone who has lived there, and your knowledge on the country is likely fairly limited, so I'm here to dispel rumors, promote cultural bridges, and answer any questions you might have. Here's a generalized post I wrote about some of my experiences to get us started:

Sierra Leone was first inhabited by indigenous Africans at least 2,500 years ago. It got the name "Sierra Leone" from a Porteguese explorer in 1462. Sierra Leone was significantly impacted by the Atlantic slave trade. The capitol, Freetown, is named such because it became a haven for freed slaves from across the world. The borders of Sierra Leone were created in 1895 by British colonizers. British colonizers continued to pillage and exploit the country until April 27th, 1961 when Sierra Leone finally became independent of colonial rule.

Sierra Leone is home to several tribes and religions. Some of the tribes in Sierra Leone include Temne, Mende, Fula, Kuranko, Mandingo, and Creole/Krio. The tribal background of most the people in the town I had the privilege to live in, Binkolo, were Limba. A common stereotype of Limba people is that they like to relax and strongly dislike conflict. While this holds true often, I feel it negates the amount of work and labor (almost always unpaid) I saw, and I do not want to undermine that. One man in my town, Raymond, was incredibly passionate and motivated about starting a resource and support network for disabled people and their children. I was fortunate enough to become this man's counterpart in an effort to support his vision, though the work I offered and completed pales in comparison to everything he has done and is doing. And this was what people in the U.S. would call his "side gig" as his main profession was being the principal of one of the two secondary schools in town. Limba people are also are known for tapping poyo, or palm wine, a fermented alcholic beverage tapped from palm trees. The closest comparison I can think of is it is somewhat similar to kombucha, if you're familiar with that, but poyo has its own unique flavor.

Before moving to Binkolo I lived in Port Loko for 10 weeks with a Temne family. They adopted and supported me and I would not have had tools to navigate Sierra Leone independently had it not been for their education and support. My host father, Chernor, or Cheri Coco, was a respected teacher at one of the local schools, and it was an honor to be given his name as my adopted Salonian name. My host mother, Isha, cooked delicious food for me every day that I will never be able to replicate. Some of my favorite Salonian dishes include ground nut soup and okra soup, both eaten with rice. My host brother, Hassan, would often laugh at my slow pace of bruking (hand washing clothes) and offer to do the task for me much quicker and more efficiently, but he also taught me how to get better at doing the task myself. My host sister, Fatmata, along with Isha and some neighbors, taught me how to cook traditional Salonian food using a coal pot. We also ground up ginger and made ginger beer on a couple of occasions.

Both Hassan and Fatmata attended one of the local secondary schools and were towards the top of their class. I remember both of them excitedly and proudly showing me their end of the year test results. Fatmata and Hassan were both relatives that Chernor and Isha had taken into their home. Often times, children are sent to live with other relatives in other towns or villages to give them better access to education, as school was not free and public until the year I taught there. Family structure is a lot more dynamic in Sierra Leone; people know and visit their extended family far more than is common in the U.S.

The vast majority of people I met in Sierra Leone, across all tribes, were friendly, kind, and supportive. It is common practice in Sierra Leone to just sit and talk with your neighbors. When you are walking down the street, it is common courtesy to greet the people you pass, regardless of if you previously knew the person or not. This creates a stronger sense of connection and community than anything I've experienced in the United States outside the DIY and punk community.

Most adults living in Sierra Leone today are survivors to both a brutal civil war and the Ebola pandemic. If you'd like to learn more about the war from a firsthand perspective, I strongly recommend the book A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Baeh.

Who are you voting for?

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Horse_ebooks posted...

Who are you voting for?

I'm a strong advocate for creating more political representation in our system and dismantling the two-party system, so I always vote for the third party candidate with the most traction. I'm not a Libertarian, but Jo's got my vote.

I live in a state that will always go to the Democrats, so I don't feel any responsibility to vote for Biden, who I do not like as a candidate or a person, to prevent Trump's reelection.