Fashion is Def on the Rise in Salone!

Okay oh....I'm back! LoL. Have you ever been around a group of Sierra Leoneans preparing to go home for the holiday season? Well today I was in the company of a group of women who are planning to head home for Christmas after being away for a few years. While with these women, I heard a lot of talk about how they are going to be "doing it up", and how the things that they have purchased or will purchase are "top of the line", how "nobody nah Salone go get dis kind style", and how in Salone "dem pekin dem go colay pan mi"...lol. Well, well, well...some folks will be in for a rude awakening because Salone titi dem don really up-to-date when e cam pan fashion.

When I visited Sierra Leone this past summer, fashion was definitely a huge part of the social scene. The thing that impressed me most was the way they were able to incorporate western styles into traditional African attire; I believe the opening of a new shop called Aschobi Designs can be attributed to this new rise in African fashion. They have some of the most unique, beautifully designed clothes ever. Geez, can you imagine...I went to this poetry show one night in Sierra Leone, I walked into the place and I was bombarded with a myriad of this new, hip, style of African traditional wear. At the time, ah jus bin wan tro way mi sef bcuz I felt like I needed to also partake in this new revolution...damn, why didn't I know this was the deal in Sierra Leone?!?! Now, don't get it twisted I still looked banging that night but still...lol. So the next time I got an opportunity, off I went on my search for the perfect Aschobi Designs dress. I needed something to wear for an event I was heading to that evening, so I definitely wanted to be draped in something from the shop. When I finally got there, I searched, searched, and searched for the perfect "Kadija" dress...I am very picky and it is so hard for me to make a decision under pressure and believe me the pressure was on because time was definitely against me. So, I headed over to the wall where there was a whole host of pictures with different models showing off some of the designs. The dresses were so on point, but everything that I pointed to stating that I wanted was followed by "this is already specially designed for someone else", or "this is currently not available at the time". Arrrghhhh.....lol. Unfortunately, I must say that I had to leave the shop empty handed because "someone" was rushing the mess out of me calling every minute to see what was taking me so long and I still hadn't even gotten the chance to try something on. Nonetheless, I don't even think that what I wanted to buy would have even been ready for me at that particular moment because I think they had to do a dress fitting and I just didn't have time for all of that. But, what I do know is that no mess like that will happen again, trust that next time I am leaving with a dress or two or three in hand...lol.

So basically, what I am trying to say is, for all of you JCs wae feel say una go go kill all man wit una western style dem dis holiday season, nah fo take u tem and pick u clothes right oh! Nor feel say di Salone of yestaday nah di Salone of tiday oh! Especially when it comes to the fashion arena. If you feel say you nah bluff uman, then you better definitely come with your A game cuz dem titi dem nah Salone tough oh! LoL

...nothing but love and a whole lot of fun. Until next time...peace!

Back to reality...but reality isn't too bad!

So, I have been on hiatus for sometime now...seems like forever! A lot has happened over these past few months or so, it just is too much to explain. I returned back to the US from my trip in sweet mama Salone about 2 months ago and I am starting to get back into the swing of things again, but believe me, when I came back to America I was on big time depression mode! I just could not (or would not) get Sierra Leone off of my mind. Going to Salone this past summer confirmed three things in my life, 1) that Sierra Leone is where I want to be living in the near future, 2) Sierra Leone def has a very promising future and 3)well I will keep that to myself...heeheehee....I digress.

From the time I arrived at Dulles Airport with my family and friends, the only things on my mind were, how much fun my cousin and I would have in Sierra Leone with our other loved ones to celebrate completing our four years in college.. But, much to my surprise ( I mean trust me I still had a blast) things had suddenly switched up and the airline company would not allow my cousin to board the flight because of some immigration issues....aaahhh!!! When you talk about prayers and serious persuasion tactics going on, man we tried everything! Nothing would work, the airline people said no and it was final. So here I was, I had my summer planned out to have such an amazing experience with my homegirl by my side and that just wasn't going to happen. Finally, we said our tear-filled good-byes and I proceeded to embark upon my journey back home alone.

After what seemed like a short plane trip, I arrived in London, Heathrow Airport, I set off to check myself in to board onto my other flight (bad mistake!) which was set to leave in an hour and a half or so. The problem was that I didn't need to check in again because I had already been electronically checked in all the way through back from America. So, here I was in London, by myself, in this huge airport, with confusing signs, and with 15 minutes to go before the gates for my flight to Sierra Leone to close (darn it!!!). Aye yah! If you could have seen me running through London's Heathrow airport...oh gosh! By the time I got to my departure gate, everyone had already boarded and the gates were just about to close on my behind. I was so out of breath I could barely speak (note to self...begin working out again!) but thanks be to God, I was able to board my flight, and off I went to see mama! I was so stoked!

From the moment I landed in Lungi Airport (Sierra Leone), I had VIP treatment...lol. I'm telling you when they say that a person can only be King or Queen in their own country...they definitely didn't lie! I was greeted at the baggage pickup area by my sweetheart and I was informed that a protocol officer would be taking care of everything from that point on for me (oh yeah...cool!). I made my way into the VIP waiting room, where I met with the likes of top government officials and millionaires who traveled to Sierra Leone for business, and I immediately thought to myself..."hmmm...I am in good company! This trip may not be too bad after all!" and indeed it wasn't. I had the time of my life, I enjoyed myself so much that I even extended my trip!

My life in Sierra Leone, seemed so unreal compared to my normal, mundane, type of lifestyle in the states. There is just something about that little country on the west coast of Africa!

What I know is that it was a life changing experience for me, and I thank God for the opportunity to go to Sierra Leone. The trip really confirmed some things for me and there are nothing but smiles over here in my little corner!

Take care and God bless.

Salone's Sweetheart

LoL...Salone Fit mi yah!

So, I have been in Sweet Sierra Leone for like 3 weeks now and I am even more in love with the country.

About two weeks ago, Sierra Leone had their local council elections and the Thursday before the elections was APC day (APC, All People's Congress, is the government currently in power). To prepare for election, or I guess to get people hyped up, the government in power put together presidential convoy, which included all of the ministers, directors of offices in statehouse, APC people who were running for seats, and of course His Excellency, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and the Vice President, Mr. Sam Sam-Sumana. I had the honor of being a part of the presidential convoy (I was with one of the ministers, Hon. Mabinty Daramy), and was such an interesting experience! Oh my goodness, when you talk about party loyalty...Sierra Leoneans have it! People were singing, laying their lappas on the ground so that the president's jeep could drive over it as a sign of respect...wow, too much to explain. Anyway, when these people say that they will die for their party, I can actually say that that might not be too far from the truth! One lady, even came into the His Excellency's office at the APC Party office (yes oh, I was even in the President's office and we had a conversation...lol, but I was too shy to ask him to take a pic with me...lol! Don't worry though, I am sure I will meet him again!) and started screaming that she loved him, that she will do anything for him, and that she will die for him and the party!

Awww, Sweet Salone...you have got to love it!!!

Ahhh...I'm finally here!!!

Yes, oh...I'm in Sierra Leone and am loving it! The weather is great (the raining season hasn't exactly picked up yet), the people are great, life is just GREAT! I've been here for about 6 days now, lol, and things have really changed since I last visited in January of 2004. I think that there has been a lot of improvement but there is still so much more work to be done, so this government and the people of Sierra Leone have their work cut out for them.

This week went by fairly fast, but what can you I expect? They say when you are having fun time flies by! Hmmm....so far, I have gone to the clubs, specifically Old Skool and Paddy's and they were as fun as ever. Last night, I went to this spoken word event at Old Skool in their lounge area and it was pretty cool...that was my first time going to something like that. Afterwards, we headed to Plan B before returning back to Old Skool to party around 12:30am or something...oh but my night didn't end at Old Skool, after partying there we ended the night at Paddy, better known as Last Stop (LoL, no matter where you partied earlier in the evening, people always tend to end the night at Paddy's). I've also gone out to a few restaurants or eateries that I have heard about from other folks who frequent or recently visited SL. One place I hit up for breakfast was Crown Bakery (or Factory??? I can't remember), I ordered pancakes, a croissant, and a smoothie...Frankly, I am sorry to say but everything was disgusting to me...sorry! That place might be a bit overrated...Tomorrow evening I plan on going to Country Lodge for dinner, so that should be interesting.

Anyway, I have to run...but please do check for updates!!!

Homesick...

I have so much work to do, but of course my brain has perfect timing and just will not allow me to take my mind off of Salone. Man...I miss Sierra Leone so much, I can't wait to go home again because it seems like forever since I last visited. (January 2005!)

Anyway, until then...I will just listen to my SL music and prepare for Independence Day weekend.

Don't forget to keep Sierra Leone in your prayers!

SURVEY TO HELP DEVELOP SALONE!!!

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Sierra Leone,

You have the opportunity to participate in a survey which will collect information about Sierra Leoneans in the US for future use in coordinating the population for the creation of development projects. The survey can be found here: Survey for Diaspora-Driven Development. It is completely voluntary, and approximately 900 other Sierra Leoneans have been invited to participate. To achieve the utmost success, feel free to send this e-mail and/or survey link to anyone you know who may be interested.

Why am I so interested, you ask? I recently returned from conducting a five-month internship with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Freetown where I ran a project called Temporary Return of Qualified Nationals (TRQN) with Sierra Leoneans residing in the Netherlands. The project's success and the things I learned while in your amazing country proved that I need to continue improving upon the work that I did there, so I have decided that I want to create an avenue for Sierra Leoneans in the US to run projects like the men and women from the Netherlands were able to.

While there, I witnessed the successful run-off election process, the inauguration of the new President, the return of nearly continuous electricity, the return of many Sierra Leoneans living throughout the world to take governmental positions, and the creation of an entire advisory office under the President to handle Diaspora Affairs. If you are not already aware, Sierra Leone knows that it needs its brothers and sisters abroad for the country to achieve its remarkable potential. Please take the time to help: Survey for Diaspora-Driven Development.

This survey will help to identify who you are as individuals and as a collective population with a large voice. Hopefully, with your large voice identified, you will be able to work side by side with developmental organizations and funding agencies to create and participate in developmental projects in Sierra Leone! Once these offices recognize you as a motivated population, everything else will fall into place.
All participation in this survey is completely voluntary and will be kept confidential. By submitting the survey, you will have provided your consent to participate.

You will have until April 30th to complete it, and I suggest that you allow yourself at least 30 minutes to respond to its questions. If you have any questions or any concerns regarding the survey and my intentions, feel free to contact me at robyn.mello@gmail.com or (609)828-0289. If calling, please only call Monday through Friday between the hours of 5pm and 10pm.

I hope that you will take into consideration the wonderful things that may come about as a result of the information collected from you in this survey and you will help me in raising awareness about Sierra Leone's potential. Thank you in advance for the information you provide and the progress that you are going to help pave for in Sweet Salone!

Please take the survey and send it along to those you know: Survey for Diaspora-Driven Development.
Sincerely,
Robyn Mello
University of Delaware Research
Migration & Development
robyn.mello@gmail.com
(609)828-0289

Investing in Sierra Leone

Okay, so I know it has been awhile since I last posted...it's just that it's been somewhat of a challenge trying to juggle work, my course load (yes, finals are right around the corner!!!) and some other miscellaneous stuff. Nonetheless, I am somewhat free and ready to post something new...lol!

Also, I am facing somewhat of a bitter-sweet moment...over the weekend my car slammed into a curb (it was raining) and it had to be towed to the mechanic. It was in the shop for almost 3 days, I just got it back today. I was elated when I picked it up, that was my sweet moment...but I had to pay $900 to fix it, definitely a bitter moment. *Tear*

Sierra Leone's Vice-President, Honorable Samuel Sam-Sumana, recently visited the United States (I'm not too sure whether or not he is still here) to "meet" the Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora. To my knowledge, one of his key topics of discussion during these town hall meetings was for Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora to return home. He stressed that in 36 months he, the President of Sierra Leone, and their government were determined to "change the face of the country" by God e powa. He admitted though that this 180 degree turn would be a trying task and that the government needs the help of Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora.

In my opinion, this is a great idea. I mean to have Sierra Leoneans who have lived oversees for quite sometime go back and estabilish businesses, which in turn will help to boost the economy, which will then lead to the creation of more jobs, and so on so forth...Ah, the day! Not that I believe that the VP's plea to Sierra Leoneans to come home and rebuild the nation is something impossible or anything, never that! I am an optimist. For me, if I had the capital I would succomb to the VP's plea in a heartbeat. LoL, I have some things in mind when it comes to investing in the country...I just have to figure out some ways on how to go about it...I digress. Yes, but I love what the VP is saying, in fact the APC isn't the first government to bring up this notion of Sierra Leoneans coming home, if I can recall...the SLPP have also shared similar sentiments.

So now that this whole idea is nothing new to us...what is stopping us from investing in Mama Salone? Could it be that we lack the funding to start a business out there (I think I fall in this category), we don't know what to invest in (there are many things to invest in...mind you), or maybe we just aren't opening our eyes to the endless amount of potential that Salone has locked in it and is just waiting to be opened. Whatever the case may be (and I am sure there are many other scenarios that I failed to mention) I just really would like to see some major developments in our country. We can not just depend on the government to do everything for us anymore, it is time that able-bodied Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora do more to help our country. For example, in the America, it is our small businesses that keep our countries economy going (that may not have been the best example with the way things are looking in the US now...but you get the point,I hope...) So in Sierra Leone, I believe that we could work wonders if more of us would also invest in it by starting small businesses. There are so many markets in SL just waiting to be tapped into, will more Sierra Leoneans give into the VP's plea? Who knows...I guess we will all stay tuned and see who is ready to take a chance on Salone.

Until then, keep SL in your prayers...put all of your trust in God and a brighter day will surely come. ~SMOOCHES~

"It does not matter what the future holds, all that matters is that I trust WHO holds the future."
~NEJ

My Home...is Where My Heart is

It's so weird, these past couple of days the only thing that has been on my mind is Salone (ok...like that is different from any other day!). But no, these past days my thoughts have been quite different...I have this urge to actually go home and do something to contribute to what many are calling in Sierra Leone "the rebirth of a nation". I've always planned on going to Sierra Leone in the future but now those feelings and thoughts are weighing down hard on me. Weird...But, with those thoughts then come the other looming thoughts of what can I offer Salone with just a bachelors degree? Perhaps, I could do a year or so of service with my organization's branch chapters out there (there are three branches Makeni, Bo, and Freetown) but then I would have to worry about locating the funding for these events (which is not very easy) and on top of that there are still some things that I have to take care of in Maryland...so I guess, I will just have to wait and see where God leads me because whenever the time is right for Him, everything will work out smoothly on my end.

Oh and by the way, I am a member (former Maryland chapter president for two years) of Youth for Sierra Leone (YSLI). YSLI, is a not-for-profit and non-governmental organization that is devoted to empowering the youths of Sierra Leone through education. YSLI strongly believes that the future of Sierra Leone lies in the hands of its youth. The future of the country will be unpromising, if basic education is not provided for the youth. With the aim of ensuring a prosperous future for Sierra Leone, YSLI has initiated the following three projects: (1) Access to Primary Education for Children (2) Continuing Education for Adolescent Girls and Women (3) Health Services and Education.

YSLI has hosted many events with notable people taking part in them and we have participated in many fundraising activities...one of our more recent feats is the collection of 350 computers that we will be shipping to Sierra Leone next month, so that they can be used in various public schools across the country. Youth for Sierra Leone Improvement is just a promising organization and I thank God for blessing me enough to allow me to serve my nation in such a way. I have so much more to do for mama Salone but being in YSLI has definitely been a good foot in the door (I'm not sure if I said that right...lol).

Anyway, so yeah...those are some of the things that have been going through my mind recently...

One other thing that I have heard some people complaining about that really annoys me is how "the new" APC has not improved anything in the country since they have been in power...My first thought is "Hello!!!! News flash...they have only been in power for approximately 6 months, let us at least give them a chance before we start to criticize!"

*Sidenote*

Just in case you may not have known, runoff elections were held on September 8, 2007 in Sierra Leone between the former government Sierra Leone's People's Party, SLPP, (party leader: Solomon Berewa)and the All People's Congress (APC), in which APC came out victorious winning majority of the votes in the country. So, the new leader of the Republic of Sierra Leone is H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma.

Okay, now back to my rant...yes, they inherited a broken nation that was not only caused by SLPP, but also from the civil war and even the immense damage that the old APC did back when they were in power years ago. So, my whole issue is that it is going to take time to revive such a nation...we just have to be patient and pray that the ones who are in power now will remember all of the suffering that has been imposed on our people for so long.

By no means am I a party loyalist...I happen to be a Sierra Leonean people loyalist though and I love my country, my people, and all of the potential that is within the country just waiting to burst out. My heart aches for those innocent children who have known nothing but hardship all of their lives,who think that these are the cards that they have been dealt in life and that they should just wallow in their own misery. My heart aches for the child that feels like there is nothing in life worth living for and that they can never amount to anything. I want to help in restoring hope in the future generations of Sierra Leone and let them know there is a better tomorrow and that they don't have to become victims of their circumstances...ah life...God help me.

Until next time...I'm signing off and please, please, please...remember mama Salone in your prayers.

A Moment of Reflection...

Soooo....today was somewhat of an uneventful day. I woke up, attempted to study and then it all went downhill from there, lol. It's not that anything bad happened today, it's just that nothing happened at all...I did the usual... checked my facebook, watched some television, talked briefly on the phone, did some reading for one of my classes, checked out the different Sierra Leonean based newspapers for some updates....and that was it. Boring, huh?

Apart from my day, I have been doing a lot of thinking these past few days about my experiences with previous friendships. During that whole thought process, I realized that I really haven't been able to keep any long term friendships. Now, I don't know if it is partly my fault because I tend to withdraw from people when I notice that no longer are after the same things in life, or if it has much to do with the natural process of life, in which people just tend to grow apart as time goes on. In my mind, I seem to find solace in the latter...I have really made myself believe that the reason why most of my old "buddies" and I are no longer as close as we used to be, has much to do with the fact that we no longer share common interests anymore.

Example one: Let's revisit my Belford Towers days, there were four other girls that I spent almost all of my time with...there wasn't anything that we didn't do together, including causing havoc. It's so weird because that was definitely a "love-hate" relationship. I enjoyed being wild and in a sense rebelling side of me, but deep inside I hated the person I was becoming, which eventually led to serious self-image problems. I guess in a way, the things we did were just our cries for attention or a way out...who knows? Nonetheless, I found my way out...unfortunately for 3 out of the other four girls, they never were able to locate that key to unlock the door leading to their way out of what seemed like a small, four-walled room with the walls closing in on us. Sad to say, but now for me as a spectator looking in, things really seem bleak for them because they have allowed their surroundings to define who they are.

Example two: In highschool, especially early on...there was this one girl who I looked up to as my big sister...I mean we did everything together. Whenever you would see her, you would see me...we always bought the same stuff, she was my role model, everything I aspired to be. LoL. I also had other friends at that time, who were the same age as me and I must admit, we really did have fun...But as time went on my big sis graduated, and my other friends ended up leaving my school for one reason or another, causing us all to just kind of lose contact. It's so wierd, all three of my friends just recently had babies, yet I haven't called anyone of them to say congratulations...It's not that I feel like, I am to good to call or anything of that nature...it's just...I feel kind of nervous about the whole thing. I mean what do I say after I say "congratulations on having your baby"? Then what??? What's next? Do I ask them about life as a mother, about their babies...I just really don't know. I guess I am in a way battling with the fact that we were all once so close and always had something to share with one another. So now thinking that there could be a chance of us being on the phone in total silence, makes me just totally shy away from the whole ordeal.

Example three: I can honestly say that my freshman year in college along with part of my sophomore year, were packed full with some of the best experiences in my life. I had a great roommate, and two of my other homegirls were always there to make everything that much better. We did almost everything with eachother and even when there was nothing to do, we still had fun just being bored with one another...campus life was like that, LoL! But, in the midst of it all I met some people that I can honestly say, I wish I had never met before because it really took a toll on my friendship with another one of my closest highschool buddies. As a result of that, it also had an effect on the friendship between my roommate and I, and sad to say, but that close comradity that once existed...has definitely been buried in one of these cemetaries out here. I'm sure we are all familiar with that phrase about turning back the hands of time...yeah well I definitely wish I could do that, but I guess that's life right? You live, you learn, you grow, and then you move on...

Anyway, with everything going on leading into my sophomore year, things were really looking up one of my close buddies and I had just recently gotten our new apartment on campus...believe me, we were definitely doing things that we shouldn't have been doing. So, I am not sure if it was a combination of it all, but one thing led to another and God removed me from that situation. I don't know if he had foreseen things for me that I didn't pick up on or what...nonetheless, he is God...so He definitely knows best! Along with my move from the apart, came the loss of some valuable friendships...the things that once peaked my interest like partying, going out, and blah blah blah, no longer did anything for me anymore...it just became somewhat redundant. It could have very well been because of the circumstances underwhich I left the apartments that really forced me to re-evaluate my life and the people in it, or something else..I really just don't know.

All in all, I still have so much love for all of my old girlies...there are definitely no hard feelings, I just figure that maybe, just maybe things were supposed to happen like this. I am totally in peace with myself, and the friendships that I have developed more recently are irreplaceable...I really do believe in my heart that we are all headed towards similar paths in life, which has helped to stregthen our bond. Either way, I have always been the same Kadija...it's just that along the way, I tweaked some things here and there..and those changes resulted in the loss of some friendships..but hey life definitely goes on!

Ready... Set... ummm...Go???

Okay...so as you all can tell I am new to this whole "blog" thing...but I wanted to try something new and possibly (okay...totally!) jump on the whole blogger bandwagon. So, I'll just wait and see where this goes...bare with me please!

I have created this blog to help me gather my thoughts on issues going on in my life. So basically...this blog will consist of topics concerning my number one passion Sierra Leone, school, and my daily interactions with people...but most likely than not my thoughts on Sierra Leone. LoL, just giving other bloggers and inquirers a heads up!

One of the main things (if you haven't picked up on this yet...) that really led me to embark on this whole bloggers experience was as stated before, my beloved Salone. I always find it so funny how someone who was not born in Sierra Leone, has only visited once in her whole life (for only two weeks might I add!), be so ridiculously in love with the country! Sometimes I wonder what it is about my Salone that I adore so much...is it the people...the beautiful beaches...the spectacular night life...the music....the culture...the backwardness of the country...the lack of a healthcare system that can assist the masses...the corruption...the fact that most of the people live on less than a dollar a day...is it the fact that you can see someone driving down the street with one of the most expensive cars in the world...yet a child will be on that same road selling water (when he or she should be in school) drowning in their own misery??? Or is it a combination of it all...the good and the bad? I just wonder sometimes how a country blessed with so many natural resources and in the perfect location...be plagued by such a heart-wrenching and unfortunate situation? How is it that a country that was once regarded as the "Athens of West Africa", now have an illiteracy rate at about 60-70 percent? Whatever the case may be, I acknowledge Sierra Leone's stregnths and weaknesses and I hope by the grace of God to become one of the key players who will pioneer Sierra Leone to a level of greatness that has yet to be seen in Africa.

Okay...I just want to vent very quickly...I hate the fact that when I google Sierra Leone the things that always pop up are: Sierra Leone: war torn country, second poorest country in the world, blood diamonds, and a whole host of NGOs who are doing work (admirable work, might I add) in Sierra Leone. I mean, I know all of these things are facts, but Sierra Leone has so much more to offer...I guess basically what I am trying to say is that I would like to see more information on how this post war country is making strides, trying to recover from a decade long war...how we just held peaceful elections...that the country is no longer a battle ground...but who knows? One day, right...?

Nonetheless, it's 11:00pm and I have two quizzes tomorrow...yet I am on here blogging, lol. To be honest, I am just feeling really lazy right now and school work is the last thing on my mind. Hmm..but on the bright side, spring break will be coming up in one week!!! Yay!

This semester has been going by pretty fast...lol, even better. For those of you who know me, I am sure you will be able to put two and two together!

Anyway, I think I am really enjoying this whole bloggers world stuff...so like I said before, we will see where it takes me!

Peace!!!