Back in April 2018, I wrote and published a poem entitled We Are Waiting on Independence Day April 27.
Sierra Leone gained Independence from the British on April 27 1961 and was declared the Republic of Sierra Leone on April 19 1971.
When I wrote this poem in 2018, Sierra Leone at the time commemorated its 57th year of Independence from colonial rule. It was with sadness penning these words down because at 57 we were not where we should be in most sectors: social, cultural, education, health etc and our economy was still recovering from the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic that claimed over 3500 lives in Sierra Leone and approximately 12,000 total including Guinea and Liberia who are our neighbors and fellow members of the Mano River Union.
I would look at other countries who were liberated from European rule and see how far they have come and sometimes it deeply upsets and perplexes me as to why we cannot do the same. Why can't we emulate the good from other African countries and implement it in our context? Why? Why? WHY?
A few years ago, I stopped asking why. And I started to do, and be a part of the change in Sierra Leone through my non-profit work at Girl Up Vine Club Sierra Leone and my social business Ori from Sierra Leone and with this I have found a little peace in creating impactful outcomes in my community and training the next generation of leaders in Sierra Leone.
Today, before starting my day, planning out my week and wondering why Mondays exist if not to torment working professionals and students - it occurred to me that today marks one week till our Independence Day. The somber feeling of reflection to commemorate rather than to celebrate this day came to me. Because a few years ago as well, I also stopped partaking in Independence Day celebrations and spent it reading more about the pre and post colonial history of Sierra Leone and writing when I can. For me it's a day of reflection and more so now as we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic now - the new Coronavirus also known as #COVID19.
After I had published the poem on my social media platforms, I was contacted by a United Kingdom (UK) based Sierra Leonean film maker by the name of Abu B. Yillah, also known as popularly as @black_supahero. Abu is a co-curator to the UK Sierra Leonean based organization The Young Sierra Leonean or simply Young Salone whose motto is: Singular, because we are one, aims to increase the visibility of Sierra Leone and Sierra Leoneans both at home and in the Diaspora, and change the narrative through the arts. At the time, Abu was coming to Sierra Leone in a few weeks to do some filming and visit family and he asked if I would read my poem. The rich imagery from the visual poem showcases Sierra Leone in a beautiful form, and I hope it resonates with you the way it did with me.
Below is the visual poem in entitled We Are Waiting accompanied by the written poem. This video was filmed by Abu Yillah and produced by The Young Sierra Leonean.
We Are Waiting (2018)
Mama
Oh sweet mother
We call our country Mama Salone
And those who govern us Papa Government
It is sad, Mama
That your husband doesn’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated
It is even sadder, Mama
That your children are not in the position to defend you
We are broken, Mama
We are voiceless, Mama
We are waiting, Mama
Papa has killed in your name for “development”
Papa has stolen in your name for “progress”
And Papa has violated you in the name of “tradition”
We are waiting for a signal, Mama
We are waiting
We are waiting for the day that we can live up to “Sweet Salone 2020”
We are waiting for college graduates to be employed upon graduation
We are waiting for nepotism to retire and merit to be reinstated
We the youths are waiting
But we are tired, Mama
We have waited for 11 painful years
We have cried for 3000 bodies in 2015
We buried 1000 bodies in 2017
We have no parliament in 2018
We the youths have been waiting
And for what?
They say we are the future leaders of tomorrow
But when tomorrow is uncertain
And today is a gift
We have to act
We are only expected to live for 51 years
So there is no tomorrow
We are the leaders of today
We are
We are
Mama
Today as you turn 57
The time has come to see another day
To tell another story
To dance to a different tune
In 2018
We are no longer waiting
Mama
We are ready
🇸🇱
1961 - 2018
ergo sum cogito
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