Tuesday, March 7, 2006 [ Entry by: Jurist Tan ]

Freetown that morning was chaotic.

One of the colorful HIV/AIDS prevention education billboards in Freetown.

The streets, only partially paved, are choked with honking traffic and people off to work or school. From the small window of our land-cruiser, I watched groups of girls with matching maroon uniforms chatted on their way to their single-sex schools. HIV/AIDS prevention education signs seemed to be everywhere, red and white on the billboards and on the walls.

When we arrived at the main office, Nick, CARE Sierra Leone’s country director then, gave us tips on how to avoid getting sick, shared an outline of the two weeks to come, and shared his excitement for how much we would learn from this trip (which we did indeed!). We took a tour of the office complex, starting in the library which holds collections of literature about civil war, child rights, disarmament, Sierra Leone in general, human rights, and development. This small library has become a central resource for students, researchers, and CARE's partner organizations throughout Freetown.

CARE grants internet access in its human rights center to NGO workers and researchers throughout Freetown.

Over lunch, I talked about the Millennium Development Goals with Doris, a CARE officer in Freetown. She told me about the obstacles Sierra Leoneans faced in achieving these goals, including women's low social status and poor roads and infrastructure. She proudly shared that Sierra Leoneans are tolerant about religions, however, noting that people often combine Christianity and Islam, saying, "If you go to my church, I will go to your mosque."

Our continued conversation suggested that the country’s recent civil war was not caused by a clash of principles, skin color, religion, or ethnicity. Doris told me that while no one is entirely sure, some people blame the illegal diamond trade while others point to corrupt governance. Doris joined many others in emphasizing that Sierra Leoneans are grateful for peace and that to return to a state of war would be unthinkable.

Doris has never been married, but she lives with her two sons near CARE's country office. She adopted them after the war because they lost their parents to the violence. As our journey continued, I would hear many stories like hers.

Abraham, our driver to Kabala, for example, told the passengers in his car how he was almost killed by soldiers who mistook him for a rebel. If his neighbors and employer had not rushed out to testify for him--risking their lives in the process--he wouldn't have survived to tell us his story.

We ended the night with a great dinner with CARE's Kabala staff. That day I discovered two important things: first, I love the food in Sierra Leone. With rice, curry, and spicy food, I felt like I was back in Indonesia. Second, it doesn't matter how much briefing you get and how many documents you read, you will gain the most knowledge when you sit down and talk to the Sierra Leoneans.

The view from the CARE guest house in Kabala, George's place, was so, so beautiful. I slept well that night.