Sierra Leone

A term I do not like to use is “third-world” it feels degrading and does not seem to be a descriptive enough term for a country. I struggle however, to find a way to recognize Sierra Leone as anything from a world I understand. This research has made me feel like parts of this earth truly are “third world” and unknown to the western mind. Though Hollywood and the media attempt to encapsulate the struggles of the country, it is clear that much of what goes on is never recorded and the violence is too much for anyone to fully grasp.

 Media is unable to capture how bad it is in West Africa, but it is overly clear that the violence has made the country fall well behind it’s economic potential. Statistically, based on oil and mineral wealth, Sierra Leone could be one of the top economies in the world. Civil war and violence has kept this from coming anywhere near the truth. Though the civil war ended in 2002, it has been nearly impossible for the leaders in the new government to keep corruption our of the mineral trade.

The first time I saw any example of violence in Africa was in the Hollywood blockbuster “Blood Diamond.” In the film child soldiers, limb amputation, and warlord control of diamonds are clearly displayed. The protagonist female, played by Jennifer Connelly gets to fly to safety at the end of the movie and the boy soldier hugs his father and all is happy. Hollywood found a way to make even the most desperate situations survivable and happy. From what I have read thus far about the situation of child soldiers and those who venture into the fighting of Sierra Leone, very few come out happily as families.

It is so engrained in my values that childhood should be preserved and cherished, that reading about child soldiers is brutally difficult. Even at 22 years old, I sometimes want to fall back on my childish shell and not write my blog on violence and brutality in this world. I want to find a place on this rainy day, wrap myself in a blanket, and read a book that makes me happy. But it’s not right of me to refuse to understand the world’s struggles just because I feel uncomfortable. It’s my job as a college educated student to step outside of myself and try to empathize with a world that is not just in books, but a world that has more slavery, sex trade, and child soldier recruitment than ever before. It’s time to understand how privileged I am and learn what I can to be the best student, teacher, and man I can be. And with this in mind, I sit down to read Ishmael Beah…