First rule about Fight Club is that you don't talk about Fight Club......
Just like in Sierra Leone, the first rule about Sierra Leone is that you don't don't talk about the war in Sierra Leone......
The Salone way of dealing with things is in roundabout way of never truly facing things directly. We've had sessions regarding the war: before, during, and after. I don't even know why we have these sessions, the Sierra Leoneans don't want to talk about it. I'm fine with not talking about the war, I don't want to force them to talk about it. It ends up being a 1hr session of them talking about how awful it was and how they just want to move forward with their lives b/c they have forgiven their Sierra Leonean brothers. But when they say that, their voice gets louder and angrier. I see the pain in their eyes and know that their form of dealing with the war is by shoving it in a deep dark place hoping they forget about it. It's really sad, there are no resources for support groups and such to help mend the heart.
So I leave the issue as is and maybe on a one on one situation a Sierra Leonean may be open to talking about it.
Instead of hitting up the bar with my friends on a Saturday night, I decided to spend time with my family since I was in Lunsar this past week. Thankfully, the generator wasn't running and my family wasn't glued to the TV with those horrible Nigerian films. I had a nice conversation with my mom and I brought up the fact that my 13yr old sister, Emelia, must've been born during the war. I just wanted to spark a question and see what she would tell me. She was very open about the whole war. My mom told me that when the rebels invaded Bo, she was 9 months pregnant and ran off into the bush and trekked 26 miles while my papa stayed behind to protect his property. A few days later, after the rebels had left, she made the 26 mile trek back through the bush and gave birth right after. Amazing.....fucking amazing......
Through the media, we've all heard about the war in Sierra Leone in some form or another, but it just makes it different when you hear the personal stories of survival from someone you're close to.
I know that Sierra Leone is going through its healing process and I hope one day they can address the pain they hold within themselves. The Sierra Leoneans are friendly people, they are so warm and inviting. I get offered to come eat with over a dozen (slight exaggeration) homes to on my way home from school everyday. Ok fine maybe like 4-5 offers, but still! It's alot!
If you're interested, watch "War Don Don". It's a documentary regarding the end of the war in Sierra Leone.
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