Confronting the Past…

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I haven’t been to a place in Africa with a sense of progress in the air since I was in Rwanda. Even though it is nowhere near Rwanda’s level, it’s at least a start. It was the week of Sierra Leone’s 50th Anniversary of independence from colonial UK and that added to this uplifting feel. I was excited to reach a country that is now peaceful and before it becomes the eventual packaged tour haven for Europeans.

Unlike other nations in West Africa I’ve been to, you really can sense there is a want, a desire for progress and change from the way life has been running. Billboards are everywhere encouraging for a bright future. Corruption wants to be tackled. Tourism is seen as Sierra Leone’s get out clause, informing it’s the “…way to prosperity.”

A few years back 85% of the governments budget was from foreign aid. The total budget was $351 million. That’s 1/10th of Ghana and 0.00000037% of the UK. So you shouldn’t really expect much when coming here but there is a thrill that if you ever come back here, in time, it could all be different. There is however concern that it won’t change between some NGO’s I spoke to but on the surface I was impressed.

I hadn’t even arrived in the capital Freetown yet and the bombardment of signs had me convinced that this is a country on the move. Promoting the introduction of the GST and the big franchises moving in. They are not in big numbers yet but there are many telecommunication networks, plenty of rival banks and airlines promoting flights on permanent schedule. BMI have been there for a while now and they wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the foresight that this has potential. Elections are next year I was told (2012) and investors are probably waiting out to see how it turns out before moving in with confidence.

With that positiveness out of the way it still is Sierra Leone and it still has a lot of negatives, which it seems willing to acknowledge. When I arrived it reminded me briefly of Rio. It covers Africa’s largest natural harbour and hills, which seem to have slum houses, and like Rio have the best views. On the other side of one hill is a beach that starts a chain of beaches stretching 50km down the peninsula.

It is one of the few areas in West Africa where mountains rise near the ocean and if it weren’t for the problems of the 11 year civil war starting back in 1991 who knows where this city would be in the cities of the world. Currently it is how Sean Penn’s character in the great movie ‘Fair Game’ said to the Freetown taxi driver. “…We both know that Freetown is a shithole.” You don’t realise how funny that line is until you’ve been here.

To compliment what I will soon describe, Freetown is positioned in one of West Africa’s wettest and hottest places. I was here at the beginning of May just before rainy season starts and the humidity is too much at times. Heat is so desperate to escape your body it will take any pour that is on offer. That includes around the eyes, which make your eyes sting. But sticky weather shouldn’t hold anyone back.

Pollution hits so deep your oesophagus is left with fumes in your throat. My first choice accommodation was booked out so I headed to Place Guesthouse a possible downstairs ‘by the hour’ hotel. I am sweating from the extreme humidity and walked past some of the major sights and landmarks of central Freetown - The 500 year old Cotton Tree, Law courts and the Krio houses.

And that is what Freetown has to offer, something a bit different for Africa. But most importantly it’s a unique history unlike anywhere else in the world. British and American slaves and Jamaican Maroons moved here since 1787 and built their houses as free people once slavery was abolished by Britain.

In 1807 British fleets started intercepting ships transporting slaves and brought the slaves to Freetown and destroyed the ships. There are Old Wharf steps that every free man walked up once they arrived. These are things that will attract tourism on the back of its other attractions.

Despite the government encouraging tourism they don’t make it easy… Especially when you arrive on Good Friday, which this year fell on the same period as Lantern Festival and Independence Day. This meant a 6 day public holiday had just started. If you read my Conakry story you will understand why I held out on exchanging my cash. It was for this instance.

With public holidays (Jesus Christ why does Easter always pop up from nowhere?) come closed banks, which means the only two VISA compliant machines are spitting out the equivalent of only $25 or $50 max. Add to that the bank fees and its just not worth it. So after walking from ATM to ATM and night falling I exchange $300 into Sierra Leone Leones (Very creative name for the currency). It again got ridiculous because the largest note is $2.15. I had to bundle up my notes and place them like I was about to make a black-market deal in my backpack.

Whilst walking around and seeing the sights and searching for money I spoke to locals which was a rare treat in West Africa for me since most countries don’t speak English. They were saying, its their 50th but are unable to do too much because they don’t have any money. Some complained that it’s a shame because the government should be able to do more (Not a complaint of the government just of the situation the countries in.) I stood up for it by saying that I think it’s doing a pretty good job. They instructed painters to go around the nation and paint the national flag colours (blue, white and green) on posts and other discarded rubble. It is a nice touch. Independence day posters were everywhere too. I gathered the concept.

There seems to be a lot of western influence here and it does seem that Sierra Leone is heading to a democracy EU/States method of living. America is heavily in with its charities and every country seems to be contributing in some form. When I walked up Tower Hill the construction around the Krio houses was by the Chinese. But the biggest NGO presence I have seen since being in East and Southern Africa was in Makeni, a major town in the northern provinces.

Because of the Civil War people left the provinces and headed to neighbouring countries, asylum farther afield or to the capital. What this has meant is that Freetown is overflowing, providing the slum dirty look. Whilst the provinces in the north have lost a lot of its population. People are too scared to head back even now and the reputation that it provides no future means these areas are still struggling. It says something of the situation when you see people preferring to live in a shack on a polluted creek which is surrounded by rubbish but that’s the way it is at the moment.

I headed to Mekeni because I met a British guy in Guinea dropping off one of those big 4wd types to an NGO in Mekeni. He said it was for a place, a charity that helps homeless children and child soldiers from the civil war. I had some spare clothes that would not be classed as acceptable in our society after the ware and tear of Africa so I went to donate them. My reward… A 3rd degree burn to my right calf.

Over the years I have always promoted motorbike taxis but there is a negative to what is a great city taxi. I have never had a problem until now. Apart from increasing your chances of dying and price negotiations, a less dramatic but permanent scarring occurs when you get off on the right side.

I had just arrived at the charity place and as I hopped off, my backpack got caught up on the back of the bike meaning in my desperate attempt to grab footing my right leg rests itself on the red hot exhaust of the bike. Creating what I was later told a possible 3rd degree burn. The people watching said “Ooohh no I’m so sorry.”

They were so nice offering me food and drink. I had a contact there a western lady who is the manager of the whole operation and as usual that person left that morning and won’t be back for a few days. This happens to me all the time.

I was befriended early on by a guy who assumes he’s 20. He doesn’t know when he was born. It seemed like he just wanted someone to talk to so whilst he hand washed his clothes and climbed up a tree to pick some mangos for me he went through a bit of his life.

Apart from the thought of ‘Man Sierra Leone people have muscular flat feet I also thought, ‘Shit am I cut out to hear this?’ He had a child but is unmarried but the mother is good and it seemed okay. He seemed to hold some guilt over things he was made to do when a child soldier. Sierra Leone people speak really quickly and fail to put commas or full stops when they talk so I didn’t get everything he was talking about. I just remember him saying “I’ve done some bad things. Really bad things.” What am I suppose to say to that? I was there only briefly and with the main people of operation not there I didn’t want to say the wrong thing so I just let him talk, which I suppose is a good way to handle it.

I met another guy Papay and this guy was switched on. I have been critical of charities at times but this guy was proof that there are success stories. He had been there since the project began 10 years ago and is now studying to eventually be part of the staff programme

He talked about when they go night trekking where they drive out at night to find homeless kids. These are kids that either don’t have parents, been let go or similar lines. They provide education fees on the basis they will go to school and live within the compound.

I don’t know what I was trying to get out of the visit. It was more than just lightening the load of my backpack. I felt a bit of an arse just turning up and then leaving. I did have some original plans, which had to be altered because of the cash dilemma. What it has given me is an alternative point of view to my Swaziland tourist minister story I had earlier on in JP5.

Travelling these areas are eye opening and differences are easy to find. Like our western generation having drunken and travel scars, my body is full of them but in Sierra Leone war scars still hover in the back of peoples minds as well as the body.

Freetown also has some great day trips and one is the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. To get there on public transport you have to catch a mini bus from Government Wharf and head to a town called Regent. Whilst waiting, there was a large bang noise that I assumed was fireworks going off like a practise go for the 50th celebrations. I didn’t take much notice of it whilst everyone else freaked out in a massive panic and scurried to all directions. I’m thinking “What? Are they serious?” and before I could start panicking the Police yell out to everyone, “No, no, no! Don’t worry, it’s okay!” Within 2 seconds everyone was back to normal.

It’s just an indication that even though things seem to be getting back on track. The memories of what life once was is still there. And shows how quickly their brains switch to survival mode. I quickly summed up my situation and I was a sitting duck really at Governors Wharf I would have had to head for the water for my escape.

To get to Regent you have to make your way up the hill. You pass the town, Hill Station, which came about when in 1899 it was discovered that Freetown mosquito’s carried malaria. Freetown had the reputation as the ‘white mans grave’ and in 1904 the whole western community moved there. To this day it’s seen as the sanctuary of the NGO and diplomats crowd.

Once in Regent it’s a 3km walk from there to the sanctuary. Signs around the country inform that Chimps are not pets and in Sierra Leone it is a real problem that is slowly getting corrected. When you visit, there are numerous stages they go through to gradually get the chimps ready for the wild again. But there needs to be a designated area to guarantee there safety, which is in discussion at the moment.

When you visit and walk around the sanctuary the Chimps throw rocks at you as a form of protest. This is because human poachers have captured them before and put them in what would seem like a gaol. Chimps share up to 98.5% DNA of humans. Sierra Leone’s chimps are the black face variety and are like all chimps when adult, 5 times stronger than the average human male.

From the 1st stage in a cage to a playground and to the forest it’s the playground crowd that are the most volatile with the weapon. One rock would have hit me as the under arm throwing chimp softballed it to the wired fence. He frizzed himself up, its hair spiked up, flexes its muscles whilst in a ball shape and growls. Had I not been behind a fence I probably would have shitted myself and got hit.

Back in Freetown people always encourage you to come back and invest in the country. Some have an ulterior motive and want to become part of your NGO project. But most are desperate for funds like the blind man sitting next to me from the Makeni bus and his two blind mates in the back.

They turned out to be 3 of the most intelligent Africans I had spoken to all my trip. I was able to use big words and feel comfortable that they could understand and they’d retorted back. It was the first time I really felt for someone’s cause. Mainly because the difficulties normally but to be blind in these surroundings is just amazing that they had a sense of humour and the intelligence to pursue the cause from the province to the big smoke.

Since the national’s economy is so poor if anyone wants to get funds they have to look internationally. He informed me that Australian contacts are very rare. I replied back that, “Most people when they donate need to know what they are donating to. West Africa in general is probably the most remote region in the world for Australians. We don’t get any news on the place unless it’s a Civil War. It is the longest flights to get here so tourism doesn’t come here.”

I asked about walking canes and whether he has one and he confirmed but a lot of other people don’t. But he explained that it’s basically useless to have one in cities anyway because it is too chaotic so they rely a lot on guides to guide them around. I made a joke that got a great reception from all. “It’s sometimes better to not see anything with these roads. Sometimes you look and don’t bother listening for the traffic. And that’s what you need to do when on these roads. Listen!”

They were in the city for a conference to try and get more funding for the blind society of Sierra Leone. They also acknowledged that tourism is an important aspect to the countries future.

Back in Swaziland when the Tourism Minister told a gathering to remember to be nice to tourists so the EU money can still come flooding in. I stopped my World Vision child sponsorship on the back of that. She was from Swaziland and probably 17 years old and in Africa you are not a child anymore by that age.

I have come to the opinion that a lot of the NGO’s are not set up with the people that it should be. They generally have westerners come over to work on projects, which take the jobs away from locals. But Sierra Leone made me believe that maybe I can donate money again. It’s not perfect but it can have use.

As a whole, West Africa has been silent about its charities unlike the East and Southern Africa. Sierra Leone is not the case and that’s okay. Here is where it’s needed. There is a lot of spare land around with signs saying its government property. (I will discuss that in next blog.) The land is covered in green with palm tree the major tree line. Back when independence came Sierra Leone was 3rd largest diamond producer but when independence came their imports outweighed their exports. And things haven’t improved.

In fact things haven’t changed. I bought an Independence Day DVD and on it the minister for External Affairs and Defence Dr John Karefa Smart in 1961 said in an address that he hoped to have an “ open door policy” because the country is “Underdeveloped, we recognise that it is only with the free flow of capital and technical ability that can help us so we want our door to be opened to anyone who wants to come and help us with capital…”

From my observation in Africa once the money comes in from Europe or the States some countries take it for granted and stay stagnant in its development. It’s important that the same mistakes don’t happen here with their second chance and make use of the money so they can become self sufficient and not just wait for the western hand out.

The big issue once all the foundations are set is to get the people from the provinces to move back from Freetown. There is an over crowded atmosphere here. For true prosperity this will need to happen but as investors come here so to will eventually tourists. Its important that the next election is run fair and free and once the result has a winner it is accepted by all. The hope is investors will gain confidence and move in.

It’s a difficult road ahead but that’s the message I was getting and felt whilst here. BMI flies 4 times a week to London. Air France, Brussels Airlines all these are flying on fixed schedules and they are getting in at the ground level. There will be packaged tourists here one day. Until then it’s a crazy uplifting place with moments of despair.

Freetown is such a hectic place it will be a hard sell and it will be a rough start for mass tourism. It would also take some brave people to come out and spend a fortune but it would be worth it, an eye opener. But at the same time it will get what you want from a trip. Sun, sand, beach, a bit of history, some wildlife and some stories to put things into perspective your minor complaints with life. This is one of Africa’s great travel destinations and I feel so privileged to see it before it becomes one of those hip off the beaten track destinations.

Side Note -
The email of the main blind man I was talking to if anyone can help out.
[e-mail] - Sierra Leone Association of the blind.

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Thanks for the insights
Loved your reference to Fair Game. It can be a pain getting the ATM to provide enough to live on. The chimp sanctuary sounds interesting....sounds like you've got to pay attention all the time and be ready to duck for cover.

[thedribbleman]

Fair Game
I watched that movie one week after I left Freetown I couldn't hold the laughter back. I think I have about 10 separate atm failure stories from this Africa trip. Thanks for the comment.