Hi everyone,

Hope you all enjoyed our blogs from Sierra Leone. It’s already been nearly two months since we returned from that trip and so much has happened in that time. We have had good news and sad news and everything in between. The sad news is that Zainab has been diagnosed with malaria and typhoid and is quite seriously ill. We are awaiting news from the hospital in Freetown.

Just to focus on a bit of good news and testament to Zainab’s ongoing work with girls and women in Sierra Leone, you may remember an excerpt from one of my blogs whilst in Freetown…

“Just to rewind back to the morning, Jurgita and I received a couple of donations for the Project from Laura and my sister! We decided with Zainab’s advice to buy some lino for the Masiaka Learning Centre with Laura’s donation and a sewing machine with my sister’s donation for one of the girls at the Centre in Freetown. Habibatu is deaf and dumb and has against all the odds and expectations, become the highest achieving pupil. Children with disabilities in Sierra Leone are often “written off” according to Zainab, as they are considered to be a financial drain on the family. Unfortunately, this girl didn’t have a start up kit to earn her own living from her tailoring skills. Her father wanted to send her to Guinea to marry a man three times her age (she is unsure of her date of birth as are many of those not born in hospitals but we are guessing at 23). Zainab said she fought with the father many times to try and change his mind. We broke the news to Habibatu about her new sewing machine today with her mother present to sign language for us. Life changing. Just another day at the office…”

How lovely then to receive these photos taken by Zainab a couple of weeks ago! A real example of a donation well spent.

“In December 2010 I had been asked to mentor Fazal Hadi Safi. I had been given some information about the difficulties he was facing at school. I was motivated to help empower Fazal but I did feel that making any difference would certainly be challenging. In just over six months the difference in Fazal has been amazing, he has worked very hard to get to this point and it has also been recognized by his peers and the teachers at his school as this letter from his form tutor indicates.”

The following is an email from his tutor at school:

Hi Leeman

Thanks for getting in touch.

I was not aware that Fazal had been attending your scheme until your first email to the school a month or so ago. When I was informed he was involved with your organisation I was finally able to understand the recent changes I have noticed in him. Fazal joined our school in Year 10 and although it was obvious that he was a very charming young man, he was painfully shy and terribly self-conscious about speaking English. However, in the last few months I began to notice changes in his behaviour and manner in class and around the school which has been an absolute pleasure to witness.

Fazal has really come out of himself. He shares his great sense of humour and is so much more willing/able to talk in a relaxed way with staff and his peers. He also asks questions! So often with students who have English as a Second Language it can be difficult to know how much information they are taking in and really understanding. With Fazal however, I know how much he understands because he asks intelligent questions and clarifies things he is unsure of. It’s also reassuring to know that he feels confident enough to ask questions now.

As his form tutor I have seen him take control of his future, applying for college courses and actively seeking support from myself and other members of staff including the Connexions team to get a plan together for the next academic year.  In short, he is so much more at ease and his self-confidence and self-esteem has rocketed!

Thank you for your help in this. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

“This email was sent as a progression letter request, I had to check if the content was suitable because the information contained was so personally touching.

“Having worked closely with this young man for over six months now I know that every word his teacher has spoken about him is spot on.

“This young man made my job easy as he always showed the desire to unlock his boundless potential and since his English has improved the speed of this has increased.

“It was this attitude along with the positive support he has received from asphaleia, school and home that has brought him to this brighter outlook he has created for his future.

“I am a fan of mentoring, there are many qualities, one is it does help to identify the little things in an individual that can make a huge difference overall.

Well done Fazal and keep up the hard work!”

Blog written by Leeman Francis, asphaleia project worker.

Hello,

Our last day in Sierra Leone already. We checked out of our hotel at 9am and had to wait over 13 hours before our overnight flight back to London which would get us in for the early hours of Saturday morning. It was a long, long, day.

We reached the Learning Centre in the morning for a series of meetings and our final goodbyes. The girls had made us some belts and purses during their beadwork classes and we were really touched to open up our going away presents in front of all the staff. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the staff had, in just a few days, become like family to us. 

Before the goodbyes, we had our final few meetings with Zainab and several staff working on the admin functions. It wasn’t an easy meeting. Although the project had surpassed our expectations in terms of delivery and scope, the reporting and record keeping needed vast improvement. We had to have some very difficult conversations, knowing full well the limited resources the project has and the exceptional and harsh conditions the project operates under. We asked for this because funders will NOT fund this project without this information. It was as simple as that but we felt bad nonetheless. Whilst we were having this meeting in the office, a river of sewage water from the cesspit outside flowed in under our feet. Without fuss or complaint, the staff cleaned it up, and we continued the meeting outside. 

After this, we said our goodbyes and Jurgita and I were emotional wrecks!

Soon after, we caught the ferry over to the airport region and several hours later we boarded our flight. On the flight, I remembered the Kabor Project’s strap line/motto which is “beauty for ashes”, a quote taken from a bible verse in the book of Isaiah. I looked up this bible verse when I got home…

“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified”.

I didn’t understand this fully and couldn’t really relate to it until I searched Google for a translation:

“Beauty for ashes…taking something that is hurtful, painful or troublesome and making something beautiful and happy out of it.” 

Shriti 

Hello everyone,

It is our last day in Sierra Leone. I really don’t like saying goodbyes and I was dreading having to do it. We were going to see everyone for the last time at Kabor learning centre. I have got used to this place, its people and their way of life. I’ve only been here a week but I will miss greatly this part of the world.

After long goodbyes and endless tears we finally got into our car. It felt like I left something behind. I fell in love with this country and its people. Through all sorrows of the war, endless struggles to survive and provide for the family, everyone is still happy. Everyone is an inspiration to me! Zainab, the Kabor coordinator, so committed and dedicated to empower young women to break from life of poverty and exploitation, she puts everything into her work even her last penny; “I only need a roof, a bed and a meal”.

From Jurgita

David Amadu,  

Laughing Drums

History’s white hand wrote my country’s course

In a language that will come back and hunt her

In the twenty first century;

The man at the round-about calls it exploitation

Beyond redemption.

But I say it is far beyond our imagination.

Who would have ever thought

Shedding blood for diamonds will be our lot?

Not even the ruthless bullies

Who scrambled for our land to please their hungry bellies?

Nor did big city dwellers in their luxury

Have the faintest idea of our misery.

The man at the round-about says

We are in a conundrum

But I say let’s play our joyful laughing drums

Hi everyone,

So much happened today. We drove over to the Learning Centre in Freetown and met with the Kabor Advisory Council. Zainab worked with the Chairman of the Council years ago at the Ministry of Social Welfare. He now acts as a sounding board for the Project and meets Zainab on a regular basis. He spoke a lot about women’s empowerment, an area he has a great deal of experience in. Kabor is essentially about female empowerment. It’s not done through burning bras but very smart nonetheless. The women in Sierra Leone are coming together across cultural, social and tribal divisions and educating themselves so that they can earn their voice. This is very relevant to the young women at our project who are victims of gender based violence. The Chairman then went on to say a lot of bad things about men which I won’t go into!!

After that I had a meeting with the Learning Centre landlord to negotiate some works to paint the Centre, sort out a sinking cesspit in the garden and provide a pulley for the Well as currently the young women are struggling to draw water without one. It was nothing like my negotiations with landlords for the UK Learning Centres. The landlord was a formidable character. I was quite intimidated and then remembered all I had learned about empowerment and toughened up a bit, although I was still sweating.

Just to rewind back to the morning, Jurgita and I received a couple of donations for the Project from Laura and my sister! We decided with Zainab’s advice to buy some lino for the Masiaka Learning Centre with Laura’s donation and a sewing machine with my sister’s donation for one of the girls at the Centre in Freetown. Habiba is deaf and dumb and has against all the odds and expectations, become the highest achieving pupil. Children with disabilities in Sierra Leone are often “written off” according to Zainab as they are considered to be a financial drain on the family. Unfortunately, this girl didn’t have a start up kit to earn her own living from her tailoring skills. Her father wanted to send her to Guinea to marry a man three times her age (she is unsure of her date of birth as are many of those not born in hospitals but we are guessing at 23). Zainab said she fought with the father many times to try and change his mind. We broke the news to Habiba about her new sewing machine today with her mother present to sign language for us - life changing! Just another day at the office…

Crespo, the footballer turned up for a meeting and spoke to the girls to motivate them. Jurgita and I were asked to give them some final words of wisdom and encouragement. We managed to get out a few words although we were a bit choked up.

Jurgita was scaring all the small children at the Centre as they had “never seen a white woman before.” They were actually screaming and wailing when they saw her. Meanwhile, a couple of the other children threw themselves to the ground crying when I tried to take a photograph of them. I made a hasty exit…

When we weren’t busy frightening small children, we got down to some necessary admin again… and then the really hard job of saying goodbye to the girls…we didn’t dare approach the children again!

Shriti x

Hello everyone,

Another wonderful day in Sierra Leone! We are now getting closer to our departure - I secretly wished for the ash cloud to linger around England for few more days. Unfortunately, we are packing our luggage tonight to get to our flight tomorrow.

It was another busy day. We met the advisory council, landlord, our potential patron - young Cresbo and did more interviews with girls and staff.

The Kabor advisory council advises the project on various matters. The chief of the council, who is a consultant to the UN Women in Sierra Leone, told us about the importance of the project, vast demand and potential for its expansion. He emphasized the significance of educating women, as he says ‘You educate women, you educate the world!’ Women discrimination level is incredibly high in this country and it is now a top priority for the government to tackle. Women are discouraged to participate in society through mutilation, inaccessible credit and are even suppressed through witchcraft.

It was astonishing to hear there is no similar project for young women in and around Freetown, and almost non-existing in rural areas of Sierra Leone. Many organizations are deemed to collapse after a year because of mismanagement or corruption. Some have to take payments for the course; as a result many girls can’t access learning. We approached the girls as a group and asked what they would do if they weren’t at Kabor Project and all in unison replied they would be on the streets working as prostitutes. My heart breaks to hear it. They all want to learn and make a better life for their children and families but because they have no other choice are forced to live a life of mistreatment, abuse and exploitation.

That’s why it is incredibly exciting to hear Kabor has so much potential. In Sierra Leone it is truly a unique project. So it is not surprising that plans are well in place for expansion. It has already found premises in Masiaka for a restaurant which will be run by staff and the girls who are studying cooking. They have already started searching for premises for hairdressing salon and workshop to make and sell bricks. Add to this there is also a plan to give girls who complete the course micro loans. As a result it will enable them to invest in their future by purchasing a sewing machine, hairdressing kit or other equipment and start their own businesses.

There is so much work to do… so many girls to help…

Jurgita

Don’t forget you can you donate to our Kabor Project online - just click here.

Hello everyone, 

So last night we had our meeting with Crespo, the famous footballer from SL. He was really interested in the Kabor Project and we set up a meeting with Zainab to find out a bit more. Crespo is 18 years old and spoke about the Civil War which lasted 10 long years and how he would like to help his own people. Crespo would have been around 9 years old when the war ended…the age of many of the soldiers at the time who were forced to kill, mutilate, steal and use rape as a weapon, whilst trading blood diamonds over the borders. He had so much confidence and really wanted to improve his life by being the best he could at something, in this case football. His parting words were “one day, you will definitely see me at Arsenal”. I hope I do. 

Anyway, the morning started off with a drive to Masiaka, about two hours north of Freetown. Zainab has secured a rundown building there for the next three years. It was a shell but classes were being held in Tailoring and Tie Dye. We bought some beautiful dresses. We met about 20 of the local village women and their babies. The Centre needs a lot of work and eventually it will replace the Centre in Freetown as Masiaka is a trade junction where products made by the women can be sold quite easily. Zainab showed us a restaurant they are going to be renting and the girls learning Catering skills will cook for profit. 

After this, off to Mateneh Village. This was my second trip to Mateneh; the first was around four years ago! What happened next was overwhelming. The villagers and surrounding villagers had gathered and as we approached, all 300 of them came forward to greet us. School children sang and held on to us, tribal women danced and hugged us and we met the Chief. 

The welcome was amazing. Jurgita and I pretending we weren’t crying. We were so overcrowded at one point that Village Security had to get involved! 

We were then seated on throne like chairs next to the Chief and proceeded to have a village meeting. We had to make a speech so I asked Jurgita if she would do it. I was so moved by everything that had happened and the progress that has been made despite such overwhelming poverty, that I feared I might hand over all my life savings and all of asphaleia’s assets in one short speech! Jurgita was more level headed and got a huge round of applause. 

Last time I visited this village; there was no clean drinking water. Alan Madge, a former asphaleia Trustee who visited Sierra Leone with me a few years ago donated money towards the building of a water well. It was finally completed and I was so happy to see it in action. About a year after our well was completed, Plan International came in and built another Well for the children’s use. I suppose it’s like the old saying about buses and boyfriends…nothing for ages and then several arrive at once… 

We visited the community farm bought by the Kabor Project to help the villagers grow their own crops to feed their families and to sell. 30 acres of land farmed by five people in ferocious heat and humidity. Did I mention that most of this was done manually as they cannot afford the right tools? I nearly fainted just standing in that heat for a couple of minutes. I didn’t have the energy to snap a twig, never mind cut down huge trees for firewood. 

We left the village just stunned by what had taken place to take a long, hot and tiring journey back to Freetown through rush hour, eating mangos plucked from the trees. 

Shriti x 

Hello, 

Today has been a very good day. First of all, I did not get any bumps or food poisoning; only mosquito bites… well, this comes as part of the trip’s package. I am getting used to them now.

Secondly, I got the most beautiful dress ever! The Kabor Project’s new learning centre in Masiaka town teaches girls tye & dye and tailoring. Those girls are making them from absolute scratch, printing patterns on the materials, designing them and sowing it together. Dresses they make they sell in local markets and all monies that they make go back to Kabor. Shriti and I bought one for ourselves. I am planning to wear it on our last day of the trip.

After our visit to Masiaka learning centre we rushed to Mateneh village. I can’t describe in words how fantastic the welcome was. We were greeted by hundreds of kids singing welcome and waving, traditional dancers performing and singers who sang us a song ‘we can do all this because we are together’. This moved me so much that even now, when I write, I find it hard not to cry.

asphaleia has been funding Kabor Project staff salaries. It’s just incredible how far the money has gone! It impacted not only 40 girls who study at the centres but their families and people in the villages. In fact, all seven of them! It is so inspirational to see how dedicated the staff at Kabor are, with so little money they have managed to do so much!

A field extension officer who travels around villages told us how challenging it is. Lack of funds for transportation makes it really difficult to see all villages regularly. This puts animals and all crops at risk because most of the communities in the villages have never had animals to look after. They are still learning how to do it. Some villages do not agree with such new incentives and would prefer they old way of life. But as the officer says it is not sustainable. People have to stop taking one off donations and start creating long lasting solutions for themselves and their families.

We ended the day with gifts from the Mateneh elders - mangos, bananas and some other fruits I’ve never seen before. I also tried cassava leaves with rice. My mouth almost exploded from the spiciness and hotness of the meal. Can’t tell if it was nice, all I could taste was chilli! 

Speak soon,

Jurgita

Hi everyone, day three already. Time is passing quickly here with so much to do still!

Today, we were picked up by Zainab and Raymond (Kabor’s Social Worker) and taken to Freetown to observe the Kabor girls during their work experience stints. Each girl at some stage spends three months doing practical work experience within local businesses to hone the skills they have picked up at the Learning Centre. We started off at a local restaurant, where four girls were working, cooking, serving food and cleaning up. We sampled some of their dishes which were delicious and spoke to them privately hoping they would give us the real story. They were very shy at first but soon relaxed and told us how beneficial these placements are, although they do not receive payment for them and are struggling to pay their daily transport costs to work which are in the region of one pound something. One of the girls has actually been offered a paid permanent position at the restaurant which we were so happy to hear!

Next we drove to a hairdressers which is, we were told, in a very dangerous part of town. Zainab walked behind us and Raymond in front, sandwiching Jurgita and me in-between. I asked Zainab what the local police were like here and her response was a shake of the head. It spoke volumes. It seems the police have little influence here. We were driving through Freetown and a police officer asked us to pull over the car in quite an authoritative manner. I must admit I was nervous. Zainab simply shouted out of the open car window “we don’t have time, we are in a hurry” and we promptly sped off!

We ended the morning at a local Tailoring shop. We were reassured that these young women were being treated really well by their employers and they were thriving in their placements. Every one of them mentioned that after these placements, they are skilled enough to start their own street businesses but funds for a business start up kit are low to non-existent. A few times, the staff at Kabor have donated parts of their own salary for this purpose but we know there must be a better way. There is so much amazing work going on at Kabor but without an actual ‘ending’ as such where beneficiaries get to use their skills and earn a living, the future looks uncertain for them, despite the fact that they are happier people now.

The afternoon was spent back at the Learning Centre going through the beneficiary files and making sure enough info is there to satisfy future funders. Some of the stories we read within the files about where these girls started off were truly heartbreaking. In fact, that is an understatement on my part. What gets them through? Simply…God and the Kabor Project. Both quite mighty forces I would have to say.

This morning at our Guest House, I noticed two guys filming. I asked them what they were doing here and they mentioned they are visiting a guy known as Crespo Kamara who is a footballer for the top team in Sierra Leone. These guys are filming his journey here. They have also managed to secure him a trial at Hull City and are in talks with Arsenal. They are filming him going into local schools to talk to the children. We have arranged to meet Crespo this evening to talk to him about the potentials of becoming a Patron for asphaleia action or even just a contact for the Kabor Project. Life is never dull here and anything can happen…

Shriti x

Hello,

This is the song that was created by Zainab and the girls at the learning centre. They perform the song in the communities to encourage girls and persuade their parents or carers to let the girls come and learn a trade.

Kabor song

Kabor Kabor

Kabor to all the needy girls

Have you lost your parents, come to Kabor

Have you lost your home, come to Kabor

Kabor will care for you

You will find a home

And abundant love

So have no fair

Don’t hesitate

Your style will change for life

Welcome welcome

Welcome to a place of change

You will make friends here

You will find love too

And skills to change your life

So come, so come one and all

Whatever your problem is

Come with all your worries

Come to Kabor

Come with all your trials

Come to Kabor

At the moment Kabor project has 10 girls doing work placements in and around Freetown. Four of them working at a local restaurant, two doing tailoring and four working as hairdressers. Out of 23 girls who started last year September only 10 will be completing the course and graduating in June. There are number of reasons for dropping out and staff are battling these constantly. Some girls decide to leave Freetown to look for, and join, their families who are usually up in the country. This is because many of them were moved to the city by rebels and were separated from their parents and relatives. Others cannot afford to travel to the centre. One trip to the centre cost 1,500 Leones (25 pence). There are also girls’ boyfriends who see how Kabor has changed them. Girls are more confident, assertive, and knowledgeable and even look better. They get jealous and do not allow them to attend.

Another reason for preventing girls to come is the housework that they are required to do at homes for their care takers. Some of them simply think learning skills are just a waste of time. This is because they struggle to make the ends meet while doing non-paid work placements and do not believe they can get a job as a hairdresser, tailor or work in a restaurant after completion.

I am afraid to a certain extent they are right; there are no jobs for them here. So, if you can’t find it, you need to create one! That is why we need to help them with the start-up kits. None of the girls who we saw today at work placements are sure if they will be able to find something. Kabor Project as compulsory subjects teaches them soap making, cooking, bead-work. These are taught so they can earn some money from selling cakes, placemats, rugs etc. while looking for work.

Today I spoke to Adame Kamara, age 20, who has been doing work placement at the restaurant. After she finishes the course she hopes she can find work in one of the local restaurants but in the meantime she is selling banana bread and rich cakes on the streets. She learnt this at Kabor. She is now able to support not only herself but her two babies and fiancé. It was not easy to stick to the course she says: “Everyone said I can’t do it, you won’t finish, don’t even try.” But she did and what a difference she has made not only for herself but for the whole family. She is due to do her final exams on Monday. I am sure she will do great!

As for me, I have a really bad stomach-ache. What can I say…? I am truly having Sierra Leonean experience!

Speak soon

Jurgita with mosquito bites (lost the count), black eye bad stomach-ache

Don’t forget you can you donate to our Kabor Project online - just click here.

Dave scratches off the hidden face

The Comic Relief pick a pose competition came to a dramatic climax today as the winner was revealed as Gok Wan - Laura’s guess!

Staff gathered in anticipation in Liverpool Terrace reception as Dave (very slowly!) scraped off the covered face with a 5p coin. The pick a pose competition consisted of a poster in the reception of Liverpool Terrace with 30 famous people in a distinctive pose. Staff were asked to pay £2 and select a pose of their choice…half the money raised went to Comic Relief, with the other half going to the winner.

Laura has kindly donated her winning £17 to the Kabor project which will be news greatly received by Shriti and Jurgita!

Laura realises she is a winner!