Visit to Masanga - January 2020
Three of us left this year in January 2020: my partner Daniel, our friend René and me. It was fun to have two men taking care of all the upkeep work that never ends. In fact, the word “maintenance” is not well-known in the local African vocabulary.
They rolled up their sleeves and went to work to the maintenance of the two school buildings and the site. At first, they did the inspection of the new school building just finished but it had to be still cleaned. It was necessary to lay a layer of brown paint and then thoroughly clean all colour residues. The firm that built the new school came to transport away and free the site from the trunks of the cut palms.
We have organized an opening ceremony in memory of our dear Tolo who left us too soon. It was a great moment of emotion. Fatmata, Tolo’s wife, and Ramatu Fornah cut the ribbon in the presence of an official representative of the Ministry of Education. The official confirmed to us that after visiting more than 1,500 schools, our school is the best one. All our students who continue their studies in other external schools are among the best students. All this is encouraging after a very tireless work. Patience and perseverance are our watchword.
The students of class 4 were finally able to enter their class on Monday, the 20th of January 2020. Now they have much more space in the classroom and were enchanted by it. We will also make them a new uniform to distinguish them from the younger girls who attend the other classes. For this I asked them what they thought about and to give me some suggestions.
Dany and René have devised a maintenance work plan for James (one of our guardians) who will perform, under the supervision of Abdulai, Abu and Alie (members of the MEA Masanga Committee and therefore responsible for the program). This will be the last chance for James to do a good job as required and keep the site in perfect condition. We certainly do not have the same vision and value about things!
René and our guardians began to dig the foundations for the construction of the new refectory. Picks, shovels, rakes, sweat on the forehead, because here the 30° are daily. The construction company A. Bangs oversees providing all the building materials and some workers. Unfortunately, we did not have time to finish the work during our stay, so the company will take care of completing the work. We are looking for funds to carry out also this last construction.
The team of ex-Sowe Yellow Bondo who no longer practice excision organized a new “Initiation ceremony” with 61 girls. A young Japanese journalist, Shiori, wanted to join them but had to give up after having had an attack of malaria and typhoid. It was probably already infected on its way to Masanga, because malaria has a few days of incubation before it occurs. He also underwent treatment with Malarone! This is the proof that there are no treatments that can avoid or prevent the risk of being affected by malaria!
I didn’t like the behaviour of the entire team of journalists who followed. There had to be two of them and they arrived in eight, without any common courtesy and with no respect. I will not repeat the experience. I’ve worked with Bondo women, Sowes, for 15 years, I respect these people like they respect me, and I don’t want to allow outsider people to ruin everything.
I spent the first two weeks in the dust of the office, sorting out papers and stuff. I really hope, on my next return, to find everything in the same state in which I left. Here too we have very different views. I have the impression that my collaborators and teachers feel better in their confusion. I have put on the walls various cards and instructions, and we will see….
We have assigned responsibilities and tasks to all the members of the committee. Abu has to oversee James' work regarding the maintenance of the site and the buildings; John has to oversee all education programs; Aminata and Alie oversee finance and Fatmata of everything related to the sphere of women Bondo.
Ya Ramtu Fornah ex-sowe and godother of the program, Pa Roke Kamara, Section chief and Abdulai Gbla MEA Masanga president
I suggested to everyone to find ways to support the program, some money, organizing for example paid musical evenings or movie sessions. “Creativity” is the key to getting started.
René also taught a computer course to Abu while Dany, our chef, prepared original dishes for us with ingredients he found on the spot. We still found and bought, at Makeni’s supermarket, frozen chicken. A real delicacy!
Our students are all well despite of the hard-living conditions that is difficult to imagine if you do not experience for yourself. One day a student of class 4^ walked from her village that is far almost an hour’s walk away, with a nasty infection on a toe. I took her straight to the hospital. For a week she will have to go to the hospital every day to get treatments associated with a large dose of an antibiotic. Abu will be looking for a family to keep her in Masanga for this time. Her parents were absolutely not concerned, in fact they were in the fields at work.
Another child fell backwards on the ashes left over from the preparation of the meal. Her bottom was burned, and even in this case, after having practiced her for a few minutes magnetotherapy, I took her to the hospital.
Returning to more positive news, thanks to a healthy food that every day our students eat at school, they are well, in a better shape and no longer have the big belly, a sign of lack of protein.
There is joy and life on our MEA site and it is nice to see all this on the smiling and bright faces of our students.
I am very satisfied with the results of my programme. More and more girls escape excision and other groups now in Sierra Leone, following our example, organize Bondo ceremonies without excision. Therefore, this is a full success! I hope that in ten years the mutilation will become only a bad memory. Perseverance is absolutely imperative.
Thank you all for your precious support.
Michèle