Peacemothers provide educational support in Kono District

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Solomon Yarjoh

This post was written by Tamba Kamanda, Field Staff Member and Contributing Blogger from Tombodu, Kono District.

Education, they say is a key to success and Peacemothers in Kunduma village, Fiama chiefdom, Kono district are very enthusiastic to ensure that their children are exposed to quality education in that part of the country.

Community children celebrate Peacemothers educational contributions

After their harvest last year, Peacemothers met to decide what to do with the crops. They had 15 bags of groundnut and 25 bags of husk rice remaining, and unanimously agreed to sell part of the harvest to pay examination fees for their children who had reached Class 6 and are preparing for the National Primary School Examination in Summer 2013.

A total of ten pupils were selected without discrimination or ethnic boundary. In addition to providing each student with school fees, the women also thought it wise to buy books and other items to boost the children’s achievement. The children, in turn, were very grateful and promised to work hard to pass their examinations.

According to Sia Mani, the new Chairlady of the Peacemothers in Kunduma, women are trying very hard to help their various communities, adding that their roles were earlier restricted to the kitchens but they have proved men wrong that they can also be partners towards nation-building. She disclosed that last year, they were also able to help needy children whose parents could not afford to pay fees to go back to school. ”We are doing this because Fambul Tok has assisted us a lot and it is now time to re-plow what we have to help our community,” Mani emphasized.

The only male coordinator of the Peacemothers, Sahr Yarjah, says he is happy to work with women yearning for peace and development. He recounted past years when the group started, adding that community members originally thought the formation of the Peacemothers group was a big joke. He continued to call on his colleagues to work with the group for the development of their community in particular, and the chiefdom as a whole.

One of the student recipients, Sia Komba, expressed happiness for being given support to further her education. She promised that she, along with her classmates, would not let the women down, and they would do everything possible to pass their examinations and continue to junior secondary school.

Meanwhile, Peacemothers will also continue activities they have planned for this year, including swamp rice and groundnut cultivation and their already successful fish trade.

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Youth Chairman testimony shocks villagers

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Solomon Yarjoh

The youth chairman of Mawei section, Peje Bongre chiefdom, Kailahun district has taken the people of Foindu village by surprise, making a recent revelation during a bonfire on April 15, 2013.

Testifying in front of hundreds of people, Aruna explained that during the early days of the war, he was captured by marauding rebels and was ordered by one of the then commando to kill a young girl.

Fambul Tok Youth Chairman (left) apologizes for his actions during the war

According to him, he took a knife and cut the throat of the girl in front of other captives. Since he returned to Foindu, he had never had the opportunity to  tell anyone, including the father of the deceased girl, who he describes as his family friend.

After his testimony, the father, Bockarie Musa, was shocked. He was not quite sure and therefore asked the perpetrator to repeat his testimony again but Aruna apologized in tears and said it was not his fault. Other villagers were also shocked, as they did not expect that Aruna would have spoken about his deeds during the war.

What surprised most people was Bockarie’s acceptance of Aruna’s apology. Bockarie told the gathering that he did not know who killed his only daughter until that bonfire, and said Aruna is his family friend and they do things in common, despite never having revealed the truth before. The two friends, amidst sorrow, embraced each other in the spirit of reconciliation.

Importantly, Aruna also tasted the bitterness of the war in the late 90s when he was severely beaten by local militias for planting cannabi sativa (diamba). During the bonfire, he confessed and forgave those who punished him during the war. They all embraced themselves and promised to be agents of change in their communities, working together.

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It’s All About the Values

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Libby Hoffman

Like most organizations, Fambul Tok has a list of values to which it subscribes, and that it works to consistently fulfill.  Unlike many organizations in practice, however, it defines the living out of those values as one of the, if not the defining characteristic of its work. 
Living its values (and helping Fambul Tok communities live them), in other words, IS the work of Fambul Tok.  Seeing this exemplified in vivid ways was one of the highlights of my February trip to Sierra Leone.

What does living and inculcating values look like in practice?  Every community meeting begins with an articulation of those values, and they become the criteria for participation in the meeting itself.  Fambul Tok’s first listed value is being non partisan and non political.  So leadership positions (organizationally and in the volunteer structures that are put in place for the community work itself) are reserved for those without explicit party affiliations.  In a highly polarized society like Sierra Leone, this is critical to creating local structures in which all citizens feel they can fully participate.  Clear and vigorous commitment to this value has protected the work from being hijacked for political purposes on many an occasion.  In the first “Stakeholders Meetings” in Pujehun district, which I was able to attend in

Staff member Sheku Koroma introduces Fambul Tok at a Stakeholders Meeting in Pujehun District

February (a Stakeholders Meeting is first step in Fambul Tok’s work in a new section, gathering the leaders of all the villages in that section to first share about Fambul Tok), you could watch the faces of the community members relax into the safety of that value, as the Fambul Tok staff explained the centrality of keeping the work fully separate from politics.

Given the core commitment to the work being owned and led by the communities themselves, and not dictated by Fambul Tok organizationally or other external parties, values which support that process are critical, and these process values are the one thing that does get “dictated” and reinforced by Fambul Tok.  As an example, all voices are considered worthy, and the process is meant to be all-inclusive – everyone is entitled and encouraged to participate. (“Total community participation and ownership,” is how it’s officially listed.)  This gets

The agenda for a stakeholders meeting

reinforced at many levels, for example in the selection of the sectional Reconciliation and Outreach Committees. Leaders from each village in a section choose members of their communities to represent them in these key Fambul Tok organizing committees.  But if, for example, they appoint someone who has a visible political agenda, or a leader only appoints members of his or her family, they are not approved by the FT staff, and the community will be sent back to the drawing board to appoint more truly representative people.

“Total participation” means full inclusion of women in all decision making structures as well, a requirement that has needed frequent reinforcement, given how much it challenges current culture.  Eventually, however, communities become self-reinforcing with this standard, with women either freely speaking or with the community members themselves inviting women who have remained silent in a meeting to speak, without having to wait for a FT staff member to do so.  Reinforcing the requirement for gender equity in the community structures challenges and reshapes tradition, and the impact is extending now beyond the Fambul Tok structures, as communities more broadly recognize the value and important leadership role of women.  For example, staff from Moyamba District shared that in 7 chiefdoms women had not been allowed to attend meetings where men were in attendance.  Because of Fambul Tok, that has now changed, and women are now going to all meetings.  The cultural norm that Fambul Tok establishes has spread outside of the FT context.

This same value of total participation is bearing fruit in other powerfully healing ways for individuals and communities.  In one notable example,

Rev. Emmanuel Mansaray at the national staff meeting

Koinadugu district staff member Reverend Emmanuel Mansaray shared a story from a recent bonfire in Kambamamuduya Section.  A man from that section had been captured and tortured by the rebels during the war, and was forced to kill his mother-in-law.  At the end of the war, he returned to his village and his wife, telling her simply that the rebels had killed her mother, but not admitting his own role.  Upon his return, he gradually slipped into insanity. He was rejected by all in his community and labeled as the town crazy, wandering the village and refusing even basic personal grooming.  At the village’s bonfire ceremony, when he stepped forward wanting to testify, several community members tried to prevent him, citing his insanity.  FT staff, however, insisting on the value of inclusiveness, made sure he had the opportunity to come forward.

He stood up and in his testimony admitted to being the one who had killed his wife’s father.  He had never told anyone before that he had in fact done so, and the guilt from that event had obviously so plagued him.  After testifying, he was forgiven by his wife and community, and he literally became a changed man – his sanity returned, and he resumed a productive role in his community – after they had collectively gathered and taken him to the river to bathe!

With so many of visibly insane people walking the streets of Freetown, or other, smaller communities in the country, many staff speculate that such unacknowledged guilt and trauma from the war may play a significant role in that.  At the February staff meeting, they began considering if there were a way to reach that population more systematically.

Posted in From the Ground: Program Updates from Sierra Leone, Koinadugu District, Moyamba District, Organization, Reflections, Updates by District | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Kailahun District takes full ownership of Fambul Tok

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Libby Hoffman

On February 13, 2013, over 50 people gathered in chairs under a grove of trees on the outskirts of Kailahun town, the capital city of Kailahun District, to talk about Fambul Tok

Representatives from all Fambul Tok sections in Kailahun District gather to plan running the program themselves.

in their district, in a virtual repeat of the scene from 5 years earlier, when stakeholders from across the district gathered for one of the first Fambul Tok consultations (this conversation is featured in the Fambul Tok film).  At that time, John Caulker and his staff asked those gathered if they wanted to reconcile (the response was an enthusiastic Yes), and if so – how they wanted to do it?  The groundwork was laid for launching Fambul Tok in Kailahun, which became the pilot district for the implementation of Fambul Tok on the ground in 2008.

Now, five years later, over 50 people again gathered in chairs under a grove of trees, for another consultation.  This time, however, each person represented a section (a group of anywhere from 4-10 villages) where Fambul Tok had been actively working, having hosted a bonfire ceremony and continuing with ongoing Fambul Tok follow up activities in their villages.  In each of the represented sections, community members were vibrantly engaging in development projects together for the betterment of the communities, and virtually all reporting using the FT structures to peacefully resolve new conflicts as they emerge.

55 people, 55 villages – 5 years of deep reconciliation, of individual and community healing.  The depth of experience represented was staggering to me, and I felt a wave of recognition of this visible symbol of how much had been accomplished.  Having just arrived for a 2 week visit to Sierra Leone (more stories to come…stay tuned!), I felt the substance and tone of the meetings was an auspicious way to begin my visit!  The hearkening back to the parallel scene of 5 years earlier made it so vividly obvious how much knowledge was represented in the group; how much transformation and healing of wounds; how much reknitting of communities; how much lived goodness.

Planning for sustainability in Kailahun District

These 55 were gathered to initiate another first for Fambul Tok – the process of a district taking over the full running of the Fambul Tok program at the district level.  Eager to take the program forward fully on their own, the representatives gathered talked through the process of how to do that.  They decided to work toward establishing Fambul Tok as a district NGO, newly christened “Kailahun District Fambul Tok,” or KD-FT.   Delegates decided to divide the district into 4 zones, and they proceeded to elect zonal executive bodies (with equal numbers of men and women) to manage the ongoing work of Fambul Tok on the ground for Kailahun.  From those zonal bodies, one overarching District Executive was elected, to be the governing body for the whole district.

PC Gondor and Chief Ndolleh arrive at the meeting

Paramount Chief Cyril Foray Gondor, who was elected to Chair the new District Executive at the meeting, described the district as ready to take on the responsibility for continuing the expansion of FT across the district, and for ensuring the deepening of the work in the communities where it was already working.  “We must hold Fambul Tok with two hands,” Chief Gondor said.  “We must see it as like a child, our child,” he said.  He emphasized the importance of the district itself fully owning the program, and really making the fambul tok work sustainable in the district.  Most important in that process, he noted, would be capacity building for those in the district, to help support them being able to manage the work effectively, transparently, and fully according to the fambul tok values.

The national organization (FT-SL) will still retain close ties with the new district organization, supporting and overseeing KD-FT as it gets established – “walking with” (to use Fambul Tok’s language) the new Executive through the year as it builds the administrative structure, practices and knowledge to carry forward the work on its own.

Representatives plan for the work of running Fambul Tok at the district level

“The last five years were Fambul Tok Volume I,” said Chief Maada Alpha Ndolleh, the town chief of Kailahun Town and founding District Chairman of Fambul Tok there, who will continue an active leadership role in the district work.  “Now, we have Fambul Tok, Volume II,” he concluded.

A spirit of energy and commitment was evident everywhere. “Let’s embrace it now, as our own pikin, [Krio for child]” exhorted one delegate.  Several speakers talked about the importance of working  hard, and of people volunteering their time.  And many delegates noted how women were flourishing in the fambul tok process, recognizing how the future of their country depended on this continuing. Many noted how in a lot of the Fambul Tok follow up activities, especially the farms, women were outperforming the men.  “The women should lead us,” one man said, while another young man said, “The youth are ready to support the women.”  A requirement for gender balance on the executives will support this going forward.

District zonal groups discuss the way forward.

Delegates recognized the work ahead, but expressed a universal eagerness to embrace it.  “Let’s take the values that Fambul Tok taught us,” said local journalist and active Fambul Tok supporter James Fallah, “and go forward as one.”

Posted in From the Ground: Program Updates from Sierra Leone, Kailahun District, Updates by District | Leave a comment

Peace Mothers Journey: Village Two, Koinadugu District

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Sara Waldheim

Sagarleh Viilage, Mawundia Section, Demblia Sinkunia Chiefdom.

Our destination for this leg of our trip is located a long way out into the bush, over very narrow and bumpy roads, and a short way up a mountain. Again they are not aware we are visiting, even though we are planning on spending the night. Such is the hospitality of the people of Salone.

The Village

To the district staff’s surprise, we learn they are having a reconciliation bonfire tonight. One of the villagers who left for Guinea during the war has returned to find two of his cows and ten of his goats taken by another villager. These animals are the total of the man’s wealth.

This type of offense is sometimes punished by the killing of the thief by the wronged party, which (it looked to me) was about to happen. Fortunately, the local Peace Mothers intervened and called in the community Reconciliation Committee, who has been working with both of the men getting them to agree to reconcile at the bonfire tonight.

Before the reconciliation, though, there will be a football match between the young girls of the villages from the section and several from Freetown. It is symbolic of the reconciliation and will take place on the field at the school. The game ends in a tie and even though it is not supposed to be a competition, tying the score is the best ending.

Reconciliation Football Match

At one point, a long-horned cow (they are free to roam everywhere) wanders onto the field. The girls are not deterred and run right at it in pursuit of the ball. The cow beats a hasty retreat.

After the game, we are led to sit under the Peace Tree that can be found in every village. This tree is where anyone can go to work out even the smallest conflict. All are equal under this tree. First, a bowl is brought to us by the village elders. It contains kola nuts in some water and is a tradition here to welcome visitors. I am given the bowl first and told to take a nut, break it in half and take a bite out of one half. Then I am to present the other half to the Town Chief.

Kola Nuts

One of the men tells a story of the village right after the war. When the villagers began to return to the village, some of the men went to the river where before the war there was plenty of fish. When they got to the river there was only a small amount of fish. As time went on and the villagers struggled to get along with one another, the fish disappeared completely.

After Fambul Tok arrived and conducted the village’s initial reconciliation bonfire, the village then held a ceremony honoring their ancestors. After those two ceremonies, the villagers settled into a routine of peace and unity, beginning to work together once again. One day, some of the men returned to the river and found the fish back in more numbers than before! In their minds, a miracle had occurred due to the reconciliation and forgiveness process.

Several of the women speak about the success of the rice and ground nut harvests from the Peace Mothers cooperative farms. They all give credit to Fambul Tok and the power of forgiveness. They say that they love the fact that they have empowered themselves and are now able to send their children to school. Disputes are now settled under the Peace Tree – eliminating the need for the involvement of the Chief, the police and the courts and the cost of filing a complaint with those entities.

After their presentation, we are invited to go back to the village and rest until it’s time for the bonfire. As we sit resting on the porch of a large house, villagers come and go to visit with us. One of the elders brings us a whole tray of bananas as a gift, which we graciously accept.

Later that night, we make our way through the dark to the bonfire. The sky is bright with stars. It has been a wish of mine to witness a Fambul Tok reconciliation bonfire so I am in a state of excited anticipation. The significance of this bonfire for Fambul Tok is that it proves the reconciliation and dialogue process is still being practiced by the villagers, despite Fambul Tok not having a continuous presence in the village.

Before the war, these ceremonial fires were a regular occurrence used for dancing, singing, and storytelling. After the war, though, the pain of victim and perpetrator living in the same village was too great. Now, thanks to Fambul Tok, these same fires are once again used for social gatherings and ongoing reconciliation as issues arise.

A hush comes over the large crowd gathered around the raging fire. The victim is the first to speak, and he tells his story of the war and how he tried to stay in the bush outside the village, but the rebels were too active and, fearing for his life, he ran away to nearby Guinea. He left his entire wealth behind: 4 cows and 10 goats.

Why he stayed away so long is unknown to me, but he has recently returned to find two of his cows and all of his goats stolen by a man of his village who was captured by the rebels and forced to fight. He claims it is his right to kill the man and was about to do that when the local reconciliation committee intervened using the Fambul Tok process they were taught. After counseling and mediation, he finally agrees to forgive the perpetrator. Next, the perpetrator tells his story: He was captured by the rebels before he could run away and made to take the cows and goats for the rebels to eat. If he didn’t do this, the rebels threatened to kill him. He knew the man who owned the cows and goats had the right to kill him for this act, but he also knew the rebels would kill him if he didn’t obey.

After telling his story he expresses his regret in stealing the animals and asks for forgiveness. He stretches out flat face down on the ground in supplication before the man he wronged, asking for his blessing and forgiveness. The victim reaches down, lifts the man up, hugs him and grants him forgiveness. Then they dance together to a cheering crowd who join in the celebration. The faces on both the men are shining with happiness and relief. Tonight I saw and felt first-hand the peace and joy true forgiveness brings.

Posted in From the Ground: Program Updates from Sierra Leone, Koinadugu District, Organization | Leave a comment