Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Fambul Tok Concludes Training for Peace Coordinators in Kenema

Fambul Tok Empowers 60 Secondary School Teachers

Fambul Tok International–Sierra Leone in collaboration with Catalyst for Peace, a US-based foundation, has ended a two- day training workshop for 60 teachers drawn from 30 schools in Fambul Tok operational districts–Kailahun, Kono, Koinadugu, Moyamba, Pujehun and Bombali. The training sessions were held from December 1st and 2nd 2013 at the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Kenema, eastern Sierra Leone.

Teachers assembled for the training in Kenema

Teachers assembled for the training in Kenema

Welcoming participants and stressing the objective of the workshop, Fambul Tok Programme Officer-Training, Rev. Emmanuel Mansaray underscored the importance of such a vital training for teachers. He urged participants to take it seriously and to share their ideas/skills with children and community members once back at their respective schools.

Executive Director, Fambul Tok International–Sierra Leone, John Caulker said the training was designed to review and evaluate the Fambul Tok Peace Clubs educational school kits, being developed for students in the United States, for Sierra Leonean context.

Executive Director, Fambul Tok International–Sierra Leone, John Caulker speaks at training

Executive Director, Fambul Tok International–Sierra Leone, John Caulker speaks at training

He added that that the educational Wan Fambul (one family) Branch Toolkit started in the US and will be introduced to Sierra Leonean schools this year. He said the idea behind it is a way of capturing the minds of young pupils who were very young or were not even born before the country’s conflict to learn to make peace, forgive and reconcile with their colleagues, community members and even families.

He read the nine core values of Fambul Tok and stressed that the organization does not compromise when it comes to practicing these principles. The Director did not mince words when he stated that if anyone knew that he/she could not meet the expected standards then he/she is free to leave. He said if anyone compromises the values, Fambul Tok needs to completely dissociate itself from that individual. However participants unanimously agreed to expel anyone from being a peace coordinator for the school program if he/she compromises Fambul Tok values. Mr. Caulker also urged teachers to breach the gap that sometimes exists between teachers and pupils, adding they should always work as one family irrespective of students’ region, ethnicity, or gender. He stressed the importance of field trips and exchange program for pupils as these help expose children to other areas. He stated that communities have within them the answers to their numerous problems and that people most impacted by the civil war in Sierra Leone have the potential to lead the reconciliation process grounded in their own culture and tradition. He emphasized that this is a big lesson the people of Sierra Leone are teaching the world.

Mr. Caulker discussed the need for the educational guides, as they will be helpful in many ways to students, teachers and even researchers. He added that, in the near future, Fambul Tok will engage the Ministry of Education for such materials to be included into the school curriculum.

President, Catalyst for Peace, Libby Hoffman said the Fambul Tok Educational Guides were originally developed as an educational companion for Fambul Tok (the film) for schools in the USA about a year ago.  Being aware of the fact that the US audience is different from that of Sierra Leone, Catalyst for Peace and Fambul Tok International–Sierra Leone convened a teachers’ workshop in February 2013 at Njala University campus in Moyamba district in Sierra Leone that brought together twenty teachers from ten schools across the country. The workshop’s purpose was to introduce the Fambul Tok Educational Guide to teachers to see if they thought it would also be useful in a Sierra Leonean context, and if so, to get their input and on how to adapt it to a Sierra Leonean audience. The teachers and Fambul Tok staff went through the Guide page by page, making necessary amendments.  The Guide was then revised and a Sierra Leonean version was published last spring. (see http://www.fambultok.com/for-educators for more information, and to download a copy of the US or Sierra Leonean versions of the Guide.)

President, Catalyst for Peace, Libby Hoffman speaks to teachers

President, Catalyst for Peace, Libby Hoffman speaks to teachers

The current training of teachers in Kenema also included reviewing another educational resource also originally developed for a US audience, the Wan Fambul School Clubs Toolkit, to see if that would also be useful in a Sierra Leonean context if adapted, and if so how it should be adapted.  The Toolkit outlines the process for starting and running a student-run Fambul Tok club in schools (called Wan Fambul clubs), and gives students all the resources they would need to be able to successfully manage a club.  Where the Educational Guide provides background information on Fambul Tok, Sierra Leone, and the civil war, as well as curricular materials for using the material in the classroom, the Toolkit provides process and management support for engaging students in taking the ideas forward in their schools and communities.

By supporting student clubs in its communities in Sierra Leone, Fambul Tok staff hope this guide helps get the Fambul Tok movement’s message out and engages students and school clubs—to encourage students to be positive agents of change in their various communities.

The teachers reviewed the Toolkit page by page, deciding what worked and what was needed in their unique context, and suggesting revisions. They also did many development and training exercises through group work and presentations, and moved forward in charting new activities for their Clubs in the coming year.

A gathering of some of the training participants

A gathering of some of the training participants

President, Catalyst for Peace, Libby Hoffman added, “Sierra Leonean and American children can build strong relationships with each other through the school clubs by exchanging letters or gifts.” The Catalyst for Peace team came with letters and cards from 4 different schools in the US, all of which have Wan Fambul clubs, responding to students from Fambul Tok schools in Sierra Leone.  As a way of encouraging the conversations to continue, Fambul Tok and Catalyst for Peace provided stamps and construction cards to all 30 Sierra Leonean schools to kick-start this idea. Also, the son of Libby Hoffman, Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, generously offered footballs (soccer ball donations received through the Futbols for Fambul Tok program) to the 30 schools.

Meanwhile school clubs, specifically the two pilot schools from each district, had received  earlier in the fall TV sets, DVD players, extension cables and Educational Guides. The schools participating in the new program also received the Educational Guides for peace coordinators and Wan Fambul peace club members.

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Councilor Willingly Steps Down as Peace Coordinator

Fambul Tok continues to stand by its core values–one of which is being non-political and non-partisan–and it does not compromise any of its principles.

This was demonstrated recently during the training of peace coordinators (teachers) from 30 schools who gathered at the Pastoral Centre in Kenema for a two-day training organized by Fambul Tok in collaboration with Catalyst for Peace from December 1 to December 2, 2013.

During self-introductions, Mohamed P. Kamara, a teacher of the King Fahad Junior Secondary School in Kamalo, Sanda Loko chiefdom, Bombali district in the northern part of Sierra Leone introduced himself as an elected councilor in one of the wards in that part of the country.

John Caulker, the Executive Director of Fambul Tok International-Sierra Leone, reviewed the Fambul Tok core values and did not mince words when he stated that if anyone knew that he/she could not meet the expected standards, then he/she would be allowed to leave, adding that the core values are the guiding principles of the work of Fambul Tok.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Councilor Mohamed P. Kamara

Councilor Kamara willingly stood up and told his colleague teachers that he is ready to be replaced by another teacher from his school when he returns home. He did not hide his emotions when he said that even though he is a teacher, he is an active politician in his community.

Councilor Kamara was cheered by teachers for his boldness and for respecting the core values of Fambul Tok. He stated that even though he would no longer serve as peace coordinator for his school, he would do everything possible to work with his colleagues to ensure that the school club grows.

Posted by Abdul Rashid

Teachers in Action

DSC01897

Listening to the goals of the workshop

On December 1st and 2nd I had the honor to attend and assist in facilitating the Fambul Tok Teachers’ Workshop held at the Pastoral Center in Kenema, in Sierra Leone. The workshop gathered together teachers from thirty schools that house Fambul Tok Peace Clubs from across Sierra Leone (in all 6 of Fambul Tok’s operating districts) to give updates on their clubs’ progress so far and plan how to develop the school clubs program further.

The workshop began by outlining the goals and values of the Fambul Tok Peace Clubs, or Wan Fambul Club program. The main goal identified was to actively involve students in Fambul Tok’s peacebuilding work in communities, introducing peacebuilding at the school level and helping students to learn and lead in their own communities. To teach peace in schools, through my western eyes, is quite a revolutionary idea. But why do not we teach our students peace? Listening to the teachers’ open discussion about the potential of their students, it was clear there was a shared understanding that young people had the ability to bring peace to their own homes and communities. The teachers present believed in the power, and the capability, of students. This establishment of ownership of the students for bettering their community is clearly an excellent place to start the development of a meaningful program and create sustainable community change.

Discussing Wan Fambul values

Group discussion

After outlining the teachers’ expectations of the workshop, which included learning how to show children their power and how to bring back the Fambul Tok values to students and communities, we began updates about the peace clubs at each school. As schools shared about what their clubs had been doing since the program was established in February, it was clear that the amount of motivation and dedication demonstrated by student and teacher alike was monumental. The peace clubs benefited students, schools and communities. Teachers told stories of the clubs helping to decrease violence in schools and communities, and increasing the overall academic performance of the students involved.

Teacher presenting main points

Teacher presenting main points

Additionally, there were stories of students who used the lessons of Fambul Tok to moderate conflict in their lives, between their peers and at home. Students learned lessons of admitting mistakes, apology and forgiveness, and then integrated this knowledge into their daily lives. One student, Memunatu Conteh from Saint Stephen’s Technical Vocational Secondary School, wrote a letter to his peers in the US, about how after explaining the values of Fambul Tok to his family, he helped facilitate a better relationship between his brother and father.

Following the updates, we moved on to looking through the US Wan Fambul Starter Kit to see how it could be adapted for a Sierra Leonean audience. The Wan Fambul Club structure in the US is based on the following action categories: learn, engage, connect, share, and grow. After some discussion, it was established that the peace clubs in Sierra Leone also ran actions in each in these categories. The teachers held a brainstorm and came up with many great ideas for each action category. For example, a ‘learn’ action could be storytelling to teach about culture and tradition; an ‘engage’ action could be putting on a drama or play about Fambul Tok; a ‘connect’ action could be peace letters between schools in different chiefdoms; and a ‘share’ action could be discussing personal experience during the war on the radio. The ‘grow’ category was split between internal and external growth, focusing on large concepts like honesty, peace, empathy, and sharing of knowledge.

IMG_1719

Solomon facilitating a discussion on action ideas

After reviewing the complete Starter Package, it was clear that there are many overlaps between the US and the Sierra Leonean clubs programs. While in very differing conflicts, and facing different challenges, both programs focus on the power that lies within students to make their community a better place.

I believe there is much that can be learned from the passion and dedication Sierra Leonean students and teachers have to community betterment, peacebuilding, and student advocacy. Therefore I hope the connection between the Wan Fambul program in the US and in Sierra Leone is fostered; connections between students of all backgrounds, who believe in peace, will result in a deeper understanding and richer learning of the Fambul Tok lessons.

DSC02055

Attendees of the Teacher Workshop

Posted by Abdul Rashid

Futbols for Fambul Tok

Gabe Hoffman-Johnson is a Senior at Dartmouth College. He is a Government Major, with a strong interest in the worlds of finance and non-profit work. Gabe plays in the midfield or defense for the Dartmouth Men’s Soccer team. Below, Gabe introduces his new program: Futbols for Fambul Tok.

Gabe playing for Dartmouth Men's Soccer

Gabe playing for Dartmouth Men’s Soccer

It all started with an idea I had spring of my junior year.  We were discussing the concept of ‘added value’ in my Business Management and Strategy course.  By definition, the term describes the difference between the price of a finished product or service, and the cost of the inputs involved in making it.  In other words, how much value is each input worth?  The concept really struck me as being applicable, not just as a business concept, but also to myself in the ‘real world’, outside of my school and immediate relationships.  I began to think about my own personal added value on a much greater scale, and what major contributions I brought to the table outside of my day-to-day activities.  I couldn’t come up with anything!  This realization is what motivated me to come up with a way to actually make a difference in peoples lives — Futbols for Fambul Tok was born!

At the most basic level, the goal of Futbols for Fambul Tok is to provide soccer balls for young children in Sierra Leone.  However, I believe it is also a great way to educate Dartmouth College and the surrounding New Hampshire community, uniting them for a good cause.  Maybe even motivate others to increase their added value!  My freshman year I was able to get Dartmouth College to host a showing of Fambul Tok the film, which was a huge success!  It opened many people’s eyes to the phenomenal work Fambul Tok is doing in its reconciliation efforts in Sierra Leone, as well as sparked conversation within the Dartmouth community.  With this upcoming event, I am hoping to achieve similar results.  Fambul Tok uses organized soccer matches as an important part of its reconciliation work in the villages of Sierra Leone, supporting community healing after their civil war.  I thought that gathering and donating balls would be a great way to educate the Dartmouth community about how Fambul Tok is working to build peace, and how even here in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire, we can play a role in that, through something that we love–soccer!

– Gabe Hoffman-Johnson

Futbols for Fambul Tok 2

Flyer for upcoming Futbols for Fambul Tok event

Posted by Abdul Rashid

Peace Mothers Journey—journal excerpts 2011-2013

Originally written in 2011-12 by Fambul Tok volunteer Sara Waldheim

Peace Mothers Journey: Village One, Koinadugu District

It’s been almost three months since I arrived in Sierra Leone to serve as a volunteer with Fambul Tok. My road to Sierra Leone was influenced by several factors — a combination of travel, conversation and inner dialogue and searching. I first visited Freetown in March 2011 as part of an educational study tour of West Africa, during which U.S. Ambassador Michael Owen spoke to us about the struggle to help mend post-war Sierra Leone and his plans to help the country move forward. That fall, I attended a screening of the documentary film Fambul Tok in my hometown of Bend, Oregon and had the chance to speak with the film’s Director, Sara Terry, about our common love for Africa. Finally, despite having become involved with projects and communities in Tanzania, Egypt and Ethiopia, I felt a need to visit Africa to serve in another manner, and was unable to shake the urge to make Sierra Leone my ultimate destination.

I contacted Sara, she put me in touch with Fambul Tok staff, and after a few weeks, I was accepted as a volunteer and the dates were set for my arrival.

As the time of my volunteer period draws to an end, I am sad to leave.  It has been the most uplifting and joyous experience of all of my journeys throughout the world. I will be back!

Before the recent elections in November, I was staying in Kono when Ambassador Owen and his wife, Annerieke, attended a presentation by some of the Fambul Tok Peace Mothers. Later that evening, we had a chance to chat and I was asked to tell my story of how I became a volunteer with Fambul Tok. During this conversation with Mrs. Owen, she expressed a keen desire to visit the villages more in depth, and I offered the opportunity for us to take her. The idea of visiting some of the villages where the Peace Mothers have the most impressive success stories after going through the Fambul Tok reconciliation and power of forgiveness bonfires was born.

Micheala Ashwood, Head of Peace Mothers at Fambul Tok, and I put our heads together and decided this would be the perfect opportunity to document the success stories of the empowerment of the women calling themselves Peace Mothers following the war. I came up with the idea to create a book of pictures and stories to be used as a fundraiser, as well as a Peace Mothers documentation piece, and Mrs. Owen agreed to be the photographer for the book. A local TV personality, Isa Blyden of Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, heard about our journey through the Embassy and asked to send an additional photographer with us to film for a short documentary to be used on her TV show.

Because of the magnitude of their success, we chose to highlight Koinadugu and Bombali Districts. Micheala, Mrs. Owen, George Lewis (the photographer from SLBC) and I set out on this journey, made possible by the U.S. Embassy and other funders.

Our journey lasted from December 16 through December 21, 2012, and we were scheduled to visit a total of ten villages, five in each district beginning in Koinadugu. This series of blogs is about the visits to seven of those villages.

Manna Village, Manna II Section, Dembelia Sinkunia Chiefdom, Koinadugu District

The villagers did not know we are visiting; this is the way Fambul Tok operates. Once the villages have held their initial reconciliation bonfire, the district staff is on the road everyday doing spot checks to make sure all is going well, occasionally intervening where necessary. To get a true sense of the village’s progress, they always arrive unannounced unless there is a need for a specific meeting, like the sensitization conducted before the elections.

As we drove up the road toward the village, we saw many women walking towards us with tools over their shoulders and some with pots on top of their heads. We are in luck! It is farming day at the Peace Mothers cooperative farm. Most of the villages have up to three farms: Peace Mothers Farm, Community Peace Farm and Family farm, each with a detailed schedule.

Walking To The Rice Farm

We continued into the village to meet the Town Chief, let him know we are there, and to ask permission to film. We parked by the side of the road in front of the narrow grass covered path leading to the farm and made our way through the field, careful not to step in the path of the working women.

After much careful navigation of the path, we finally reached the spot where women and some men were busily clearing a section of ground located just up from the swamp rice field. The men do the heavy clearing with machetes and axes while the women use narrow hoe-like instruments to do the fine clearing. Once the ground is free of all plant life they will cover it with cow dung and let it dry forming a flat thrashing floor for the harvesting that will take place in two weeks.

The women who arrived first were already hard at work. Nursing mothers hoeing with their babies tied to their backs, singing as they worked. It is hard, labor intensive, back breaking work, but the joy, peace and unity of the activity was evident.

Peace Mothers Rice Farm

The rice field stretches as far as the eye can see in either direction and is colored with different hues of green and gold. The planting is always done in stages, so the harvest is manageable. The different colors of rice show the different stages of ripening, I was told. Light, bright green rice are the youngest sprouts that turn a darker green and then gold when ready to harvest. Some of the rice is allowed to get dark brown and that will be used for seed at the next planting. The usual yield is two crops a year.

Located across the field is a thatched roof hut used during harvest and general tending of the field for resting, cooking and eating. On the days they work the farm, they are there all day. Labor is divided with some of the women preparing the meal while the others work. The meal preparation duty is rotational.

Having us there proved to be too tempting and soon the women were dancing and gathering around us with welcoming songs. One of the men and one of the women performed a very colorful and dramatic traditional ‘mating’ or courting ritual dance.

Courting Ritual Dance

When they returned to clearing, some of the women began preparing food. Once the cooking was done, the meal consumed and the dishes washed, everyone returned to the fields, once again.

This farm was started after Fambul Tok guided the community through the forgiveness and reconciliation process. The women all said that they would not be empowered as they are, nor be here together with this successful farm, if it hadn’t been for Fambul Tok. Most of the women use their proceeds to send their children to school.

When asked how the farm could be further improved, they expressed an interest in acquiring tarp to cover the thrashing floor in order to eliminate the small stones that always find their way into the rice. Additionally, they want to do cross-district fish trading as their next step for growth beyond the farm.

Peace Mothers Journey: Village Two, Koinadugu District

Sagarleh Village, 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 (Sierra Leone).

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.

The killing of the thief by the wronged party sometimes punishes this type of offense, 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, the village elders bring a bowl to us. 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 groundnut 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 villagers, despite Fambul Tok not having a continuous presence in the village, are still practicing the reconciliation and dialogue process.

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: the rebels captured him 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.

Peace Mothers Journey: Village Three

Kapanpor Village, Kapanpor Section, Wara Wara Bofodia Chiefdom

As we approach the first village of today, the motorbikes leading the way come to a screeching halt. Drumming can be heard in the distance and after consulting with one of the villagers, we are waved on into the village.

As we leave the car we see a crowd of women with long thick heavy rods pounding rice in wooden vessels shaped like tall jars. They are Peace Mothers from different villages all over the section. Every Tuesday they get together to pound and prepare 5 very large bags of rice they take to the market on Wednesdays to sell. The proceeds from this sale are used for education of all the children in the section.

Peace Mothers Pounding Rice

Here is yet another example of the empowerment of the women and the creativity caused by Fambul Tok’s healing process. The drums are beaten to make the work go faster and the to establish the rhythm for the pounding.

This district is known for its Secret Societies some of which still practice Voodoo or Black Magic. The reason our lead motorbike team stopped so suddenly was because when they heard the drums and saw the crowd of people, they thought a secret society ceremony was taking place. It is forbidden to witness these ceremonies unless you belong; thus the reluctance to immediately enter the village.  I try my hand at pounding the rice. Soon I am in sync with the other woman at my jar and we are pounding the rice together in harmony. My stick is going up while hers is going down and vise verse. It is hard work but mesmerizing at the same time. There are two women at each jar and some jars have three. A few of the women are putting some lubricant on their hands to keep them from blistering.

Here, as at the rice farm, the nursing mothers are working with the babies tied to their backs. Some of the infants are fast asleep in spite of the rather violent shaking the activity causes. Others are tossing the pounded rice in the chafing baskets and still others are picking through the chafed rice to remove the small stones. Then the rice is put into the bags to take to market.

Chafing The Rice

We saw the Community Peace Farm just before entering the village. There is a sign stating it is a Community Peace Farm by Fambul Tok International. Fambul Tok doesn’t work the farm, the men and women from all the villages of the section do that, but they want to give Fambul Tok the credit for healing the communities and giving them the idea to establish this farm.

Even before the war the communities in a section never worked together. They never even visited each other’s villages and knew nothing about each other. Fambul Tok has healed the communities and taken them several steps farther by encouraging collective farming and empowerment of the women.

Suddenly two young girls appear their necks and chests covered with what looks like thick white flour. They have sashes around their waists with metal pieces dangling from them. They have anklets of jangling metal also. Unsmiling they perform a ritualistic dance. They are daughters of a secret society of women, and always perform on rice pounding day to the rhythm of the drums. As they are dancing one of the village men hands them coins. It is customary to give money for dancing.

Dancers

We are invited to gather around the Peace Tree and while the women continue to pound rice. The Chiefs and elders of the various communities who are gathered here today welcome us. The Kola Nut ceremony is performed and bananas and oranges brought for us to eat.

It is interesting how oranges are presented, sold and eaten here. First they are peeled leaving most of the zest in place. Then a thin slice is taken from one end. You place the open end of the orange in your mouth and while squeezing the orange you suck the juice out. You keep squeezing it like a tube of toothpaste until all the juice is gone and the orange looks like a deflated balloon.

Peeling The Orange

One of the Town Chiefs speaks to us explaining the peace, unity and ideas brought to them by Fambul Tok. The message is the same as the other villages. They LOVE Fambul Tok and the results reconciliation and the power of forgiveness bring. They want more ideas so they can get even more out of working together in peace and unity.

Some of the Peace Mothers take a break to speak to us about their successes. They also express a wish for more ideas to make them even more successful. They show us their storerooms telling us they could be so much more productive if they had proper storage.

As in the previous village, the rice and ground nuts must be sold soon after harvest or mice, rats and bugs ruin the harvested crop. Here the houses are very small and the storage space even more limited than the last village. Groundnuts and rice in very large bags are stored in the rafters above their beds.

As we begin to go to the car we are told they have lunch for us. Since it is an insult to refuse food, we sit down to eat. We learn that we are eating the lunch meant for the visiting chiefs! It is being served to us at the Section Chief’s insistence. We thank him profusely for his generosity.

Peace Mothers Journey: Villages Four and Five

Gbenekoro Village, Heremakono Section, Sengbeh Chiefdom

The fourth village we visit is located on the very top of the mountain so we slowly wend our way up the narrowing, very uneven dirt road full of holes and ruts. It is so remote it is amazing how the villagers found this site in the first place. Especially since they had to walk to reach it. The motorbike is a new addition to the transportation network arriving after the war only ten years ago.

This village is called the Rice Basket of Koinadugu because it can produce three harvests a year instead of the usual two.  The Peace Mothers of this village realized that they were selling the rice to the traders at the lowest price when rice was plentiful thus making very little profit.

Monthly Meeting Of Peace Mothers Rice Buying

They created the idea to buy the all rice at the low trader price from the men’s harvest (men and women each farm their own fields), sell only what they need to from their harvest, store it and all the purchased rice from the men until the trader’s supply of rice is running low. Traders will buy their rice at a higher price during this time thus greatly increasing the income of the women.

They have built a small storage bin, but are fast outgrowing it. They need a larger bin to handle the increasing amount of the harvests. Storage bins are key to more produce and more profits. Such a seemingly simple item would greatly increase the quality of life for all.

The Town Chief speaks to us about his support of the women and what they do to improve the quality of life in the village. He believes behind every successful man is a strong woman. He is happy to have the women produce the money and take over the finances because when it is up to the men, they will only buy another wife! Now the money is used for education for the girl children as well as the boys.

As the villagers speak to us about the wonders of Fambul Tok and what the peace process has produced they also keep saying they didn’t expect us and haven’t had time to prepare a meal. In the end they give us gifts of a live rooster and hen and a large bowl of raw rice. We all place our hands on the fowl and acknowledge the rice. Micheala tells the Peace Mother Chair how grateful we are to receive these gifts and to save the chickens and rice to cook for the next visit from Fambul Tok.

Heremakono Village, Heremakono Section, Wara Wara Yagala Chiefdom

This is the last village to visit in Koinadugu. The women of all the villages in the section are in the middle of their monthly planning meeting. This month they are making the schedule for harvesting the Peace Mothers Rice Farm and cross-district fish trading. This section is the first to do cross-district trading. Fambul Tok gives them the seed money to get going. Once they have made back the amount of the loan, they will pass that money on to another section to begin their own cross district activities. Fambul Tok creates sustainability by giving the tools, ideas and encouragement to get the job started with no pay back to the Fambul Tok organization for this help.

If trading can be done on this level it will bring vegetables, ground nuts and local rice to those who have mostly fish and fish to those who have mostly rice, ground nuts, and vegetables.

As we watch the meeting the woman is chosen who will go to the fishing district to buy the fish. The actual trading is not in place yet but is the next step once transportation can be paid for out of their profits. At this time the Peace Mothers in the fishing section buy the fish from the fishermen, smoke the fish and sell it to their fellow Peace Mothers. The fish is then brought back and distributed to the villages in this section for them to sell.

They do not consume any of the fish, but if they wish they can buy it from themselves. This is a wonderful example of another way to encourage unity across Sierra Leone and provide more options for making money.

Soon the meeting is over and all gather under the Peace tree to greet us and give an activity update and testimony to Fambul Tok. First the Kola Nut ceremony and a tray of bananas appears as their gift.

The testimony here is the same as the other villages. They love Fambul Tok and bless the day they came to their section to intervene and bring them together in peace and reconciliation. They no longer spend money to go to the Chiefs or courts to settle their disputes and this allows them to put that money towards education.

Working together has opened the door to many money-making opportunities and they look forward to even more success in the future. The biggest need at the moment is storage! They are farmers of rice and groundnuts and need storage for the same reasons it is needed everywhere else in this district.

Clowns Dancing

At one point I asked Micheala if a large storage unit could be built in a central point in the sections so all the villages could use it and reduce the cost to each. The answer is no because of transportation difficulties.

If storage units are built in each village, the village could then produce more, sell more, and be able to build clinics, schools, stores, and to provide transportation and more.

Storage units would be built in a self help program where the zinc, cement and nails are provided while the village provides the wood, mud bricks and labor. The key for growth is storage. The cost for the basic supplies in a self-help program ranges from $3,000 to $5,000 depending on the size of the unit needed.

After the testimony, dancing begins in earnest and out come the clowns.

There is a man dressed in a Peace Mothers T-Shirt and a grass skirt. Two women are dressed as men. One has on a straw Panama-type hat with a shirt, vest and baggy pants. The other woman has on a Jalaba with a hat she has fashioned out of many objects.

Peace Mothers Journey: Villages Six and Seven

Masabong Village, Masabong Section, Paki Masabong Chiefdom, Bombali District

One Peace Mother in this section has created the best idea of all. It is working so well that Micheala has given this idea to other districts and sections. The Heremakono Section in the Sengbeh Chiefdom and the Heremakono Section in the Wara Wara Yagala Chiefdom in Koinadugu have recently started their own funds. One fund is already at 1,230,000 SLL.

It works like this: The first time the Peace Mothers from all the villages in this section got together the Peace Mother Chair presented the idea that each village contribute 50,000 SLL creating a fund totaling 700,000 SLL. This will become the seed money for a revolving loan system. They chose a couple of the villages to start and loaned them money to begin a business. At the next monthly meeting they brought back the original loan plus interest from their profits.

Peace Mothers Chairlady Explaining Loan Scheme

In addition various fines were established. There is a fine of 5,000 SLL for being late to the monthly meeting and for missing the meeting.

In addition, if it evident someone will miss the meeting they send a motorbike to get her and then she is liable for the 5,000 SLL fine AND the 20,000 SLL cost of the bike! Between the loan interest and the fines the original amount of 700,000 SLL has grown, in a little over a year, to 5,230,000 SLL!

Now each village has a cooperative business going. Some sell palm oil, some rice, some ground nuts, and one village has a variety of businesses. They sell at local markets or as human mini-markets along the road.

Telling Her Story

This large fund is available to anyone in the section who has a medical emergency and can’t pay or is short of money for school fees, etc. When it is determined they can pay it back, the money is given to them for their emergency along with a repayment schedule.

The treasurer of this fund is an older woman who is quite a lively character. She tells her story: During the war her husband is killed and she is raped. Even though the village does not shun her because of the rape, she is too ashamed to come out of her house or join in any of the village activities.

The Peace Mothers of her village decide to make her their project. They council her, encourage her and little by little she becomes part of the community once more. Now she dances and clowns around making us laugh and is a very valuable contributor to her village. This section decided to have a competition between the nursing mothers, the middle aged women and the elder women. They were each given a parcel of land to work growing either rice or groundnuts. The elders won!

But the harvest was so successful on all three parcels the town chief gave them two huge parcels of land to farm. He told us he will give them more land if they want it. Guess what they need to be able to accept the land and grow more products? Yes, Storage!

The testimony to Fambul Tok from the Town Chief is a familiar theme: thanks to Fambul Tok they are productive, peaceful and unified. They are working together, are proud of the women and love partnering with them. They are also saving money by no more having to pay fees to the courts for disputes.

Before the war, women everywhere were very marginalized. Beatings of women and children were a common occurrence. Since Fambul Tok the beatings have stopped and the women are empowered. The men and women are working together as partners in the home and on the farms.

We are fed a delicious lunch, given bananas and a joyful send off to singing and dancing.

Wareh Village, Masangbo Section, Makari Gbanti Chiefdom

The main road that leads to Freetown geographically divides this village. We cross the road and begin the long walk through the fields to the Peace Mothers Cassava Farm. They are waiting for us with the usual joyous dancing and singing.  There is a very lively clown amongst the dancers.

Peace Mothers Chairlady

The Peace Mother Section Chair explains how they chose the land for the farm and then rented a tractor for ploughing. They faced and overcame the obstacle of the machine breaking down in the middle of the job and the owner of the machine pressing them to return it. As a result the field is not quite as large as planned, but they still have plenty of trees.

The cassava is the root of the tree. When it is time for harvest the entire tree is broken off and the root dug out. This, too, is back breaking, labor-intensive work. The clown helps to keep the people laughing and singing while they work. The whole tree is used. The leaves are consumed as a green in a sauce with rice or Fou Fou (fermented cassava). Cassava is also made into Goree, a tapioca like pudding with sugar added. Cassava can be peeled, boiled and formed into balls. The balls are then eaten with spicy beans. I have had Fou Fou and the balls, but not Goree yet. Cassava is a major staple and inexpensive.

The trunks (very thin with sections like a succulent) of the tree are called sticks. After harvesting the cassava root, the leaves are removed and the sticks are broken into shorter pieces, bundled up, placed in a cool spot like by a river and covered with straw. They stay this way until time for planting when the sticks are shoved into the ground, watered and tended until they make new trees.

Peace Mothers At Casava Farm

This village also smokes fish, but the cassava farm is a new venture and the result of the Fambul Tok process. This is their first harvest and they are very excited about how well the trees are doing. Not to belabor the point, but Fambul Tok is loved and revered here as well.

The need in this village is to have a cassava grater so they can preserve the root and not have to sell it all right away.

We are fed yet again and then make our way back to Freetown. I am feeling so blessed to have had all the variety of experiences these past few days. I can’t think of any way the journey could have been better or more complete. The culture is varied yet the same in the different districts and I have come to know and love it all.

Fambul Tok is an amazing miraculous program that is truly healing the country one community at a time through the power of forgiveness.

To quote Alan Paton: “There is a hard law. When an injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive”

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

‘Peace Mother’ appointed 1st female chief in Koinadugu district

Madam Balia Koroma, an active member of the Fambul Tok Peace Mothers’ group in Heremakono section, Wara Wara Yagala chiefdom in Koinadugu district, northern Sierra Leone, has become the first woman to be appointed Acting Section Chief in that part of the country.

Throughout history, women have struggled to attain public leadership positions in Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, in centuries past, it was almost unheard of for women to achieve the title of Paramount chiefs, section chiefs and even town chiefs.

Now, however, Balia Koroma has changed that trend in the history of Koinadugu district. Her appointment was a direct result of her contributions, especially towards women’s empowerment, development of the Heremakono section in particular, and the chiefdom as a whole.

Balia…makes history in the northern province.

Madam Balia has been an outspoken woman for much of her life. She was very influential after the war and urged both local and non-governmental organisations to assist her community.  She is always prepared to challenge decisions that authorities may make that are not in favor of her community or the female population in the district. Her stance against corrupt practices earned her enviable appointments to various committees.

Madam Balia Koroma is a member of the Ward Development committee, focal person for all Wara Wara chiefdom development, member of the Chiefdom committee and member of the school management committee. Balia was earlier appointed by Paramount Chief Gbawuru Mansaray of Wara Wara Yagala chiefdom as Acting Town Chief of Heremakono town.

Because of her dedication to civic duty and her contributions to various committees, she was appointed as Acting Section Chief by PC Mansaray with the approval of Chiefdom Committee members. She is also a Tribal Authority that has voting rights in chieftaincy elections in her chiefdom. We congratulate Madam Balia Koroma!

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Gbane community starts construction of health post

This post was written by team members of the Kono district.

Immediately after their reconciliation ceremony in 2010, Gbane yemor section, Gbane chiefdom in Kono district went into action. Having learned from Fambul Tok how to be independent and work for the development of their community, all the villages in that section settled down to start sectional farming. They contributed labor, seeds and food to kick start the farming activities. During the first year, not much was realised from the harvest, but they did not relent. During the second farming season in 2011, the community again contributed labor, seeds, tools and other needed resources without external support.

Health post under construction in Foindu.

“We encouraged every village to provide labor and other forms of support to the farming activities, and indeed everyone’s efforts were realized,” explains Tamba, one of the reconciliation members in Gbane yemor section. He continued, “we realised that our efforts did not go in vain as we had a bumper harvest and later met and decided to sell some proceeds to start a micro-credit project.” After two years of the endeavor, the community got the sum of 12 million leones (about three thousand dollars).

As Fambul Tok had taught them to consult with everybody whenever they want to embark on a venture, the whole community converged to decide on what to do with the money. During a meeting, it was unanimously agreed upon to construct a health post which, when completed, will serve the entire community and beyond.

According to members of that community, women and children have lost their lives because there is no health facility and the nearest health post is several miles away. After consultations, part of the money was used to buy building items to kick start the project in Foindu, which is the sectional headquarter town.

“We have already started the project and what we need now is external support from organizations to finish” says Kumba Fillie, one of the peace mothers in Foindu.
She continued, “women and children are suffering because there is no health facility in this community and we would like government to support us and provide medical personnel.”

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Peace club in Dea, Kailahun district, develops a new conflict resolution strategy called ‘demi chero’.

The Principal of the Government Junior Secondary School in Dea, Kissi Kama chiefdom, Kailahun district, recently affirmed that there is measurable improvement in attitude and behaviour of his pupils since Fambul Tok introduced peace clubs in that community.

Members of the school clubs now spreading peace in their communities

According to Principal Tamba Jabba, persistent troublemaking among students continues to reduce drastically as the peace club members engage their folks on issues dealing with peace and reconciliation.

Peace club members of Government Junior School in Dea, Kailahun district

He said the club has developed a new strategy called ‘demi chero’, a Kissi word, meaning “let’s discuss issues at family level”, adding that it has helped especially teachers who were faced with a lot of complaints and other issues in the school environment. He went on to state that violence among pupils has minimized, boasting that the community is now peaceful.

The Principal emphasised that the overarching aims of  ‘demi chero’ is for young children to learn from Fambul Tok and from the recent past of the country and actively participate in building sustainable peace in their communities.

According to the President of the of the school club, Sahr Yonkendeh, truancy which has been the major concern of teachers is something of the past now as they have sensitized their folks on the importance of staying in school. He said they meet every Tuesday to discuss pertinent issues on conflict resolution.

The vice President, Finda Lamin also called on pupils to transform and help others to be useful citizens to contribute to the development of Sierra Leone.

Meanwhile as part of commemorating the Day of the African Child, June 16, 2013, the Fambul Tok peace club of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School in Pendembu, Upper Bambara chiefdom, Kailahun district, organised a quiz and debate competition in the school. The debate was based on the effect of the rebel war on Sierra Leone. The question and answer session also touched on the war.

As well, the club has successfully settled a dispute between two members, Massa Konneh and Mamie Bockarie. These two girls often incited their colleagues to cause problems in school. In the end, both of them embraced each other and also advised their peers to remain peaceful.

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Paki Masabong Peace Mothers raise money through microcredit programs.

This post was written by Joseph Kargbo, Field Staff Member and Contributing Blogger from Bombali District.

Peace Mothers in Paki Masabong section, Paki Masabong chiefdom, Bombali district can now walk tall with their heads up the skies. After just two years of their traditional ceremonies, women in this part of the country organized themselves to launch a microcredit plan. Today, they can now boast of raising the sum of ten million leones.

Peace Mothers in Masabong section meet to discuss business

According to the Chairlady of the Peace Mothers in Masabong, Adama Lakkoh, before the intervention of Fambul Tok, no such cooperation existed. She lamented over the activities of organizations that were unable to yield significant results in the past.

The Chairlady enthusiastically stressed the strides Peace Mothers continue to make, adding that since Fambul Tok entered their community, women have learned to develop themselves through various activities.

Madam Adama Lakkoh explains the successes of local women

Lakkoh gave a brief history of the success of the women. She explained that after their reconciliation ceremonies two years ago, Fambul Tok initiated the idea of Peace Mothers working together in the spirit of peace and development. She disclosed that it was difficult at the initial stage to call women to meetings, as their numbers were ‘nothing to write home about’. Due to perseverance, however, Lakkoh explained that other women from all 14 villages in the section were strongly convinced that if they worked together in peace and unity, much difference would be realized.

Peace Mothers celebrating harvest

During one of the meetings, the idea of revolving loans was raised and they unanimously agreed to contribute five thousand leones each at the end of the month to be given to one village. Last year, each of the 14 villages had its own share of the loan. There are over 120 women in the group.

Meanwhile, Peace Mothers in Masabong are planning to write more proposals to support a number of activities they hope to embark on in the future.

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Fambul Tok Launches Sierra Leonean Educational Guide

After watching the Fambul Tok film, American teenagers from Inner city in Philadelphia were very much touched by what they saw and were inspired to apply Fambul Tok principles to problems in their own school; a few weeks later they even started a Fambul Tok club. In order to support their efforts, Catalyst for Peace, a U.S.-based foundation working in partnership with Fambul Tok International—Sierra Leone developed an educational guide for schools in the US to help other educators support this initiative.

Also aware of the fact that the guide was purely developed for schools in the US, Catalyst for Peace and Fambul Tok International—Sierra Leone convened a teacher’s workshop in February 2013 at Njala University campus in Moyamba district in Sierra Leone that brought together 20 teachers from ten schools across the country. The reason for the workshop was to introduce the educational guide to teachers so that they could also make inputs and adapt it to Sierra Leonean audience. The teachers and Fambul Tok staff went through the guide page by page, making necessary amendments.

Fambul Tok also decided to introduce the educational program in schools and presently it is working with 12 schools, two from each district (Moyamba, Kailahun, Pujehun, Kono, Bombali and Koinadugu). The students embraced the idea and teachers planned to use it to mobilize a new generation in grassroots peacemaking and reconciliation.

The two guides (the facilitator and student workbook) are a rich, complex and powerful resource for academic learning, character development and community building. The guides will be updated as new activities and lessons are developed and shared.

Officially launching the educational guides on July 23,2013 at the Fambul Tok head office in Freetown, Executive Director John Caulker said the Fambul Tok reconciliation program is gaining momentum in the country and beyond, adding that it creates space for Sierra Leoneans to tell their stories and embrace each other in a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.

He stated that communities have within them the answers to their numerous problems and the people most impacted by the then war in Sierra Leone have the potential to lead the reconciliation process grounded in their own culture and tradition, this he stressed is a big lesson the people of Sierra Leone are teaching the world.

‘’Our work in Fambul Tok is to coordinate bringing communities together to lead their own process of reconciliation. We don’t dictate but just set out the platform to engage and this is what we will continue doing “Caulker told his audience.

These guides, he went on will support the first Fambul Tok student peace clubs and adapted to support programs in all Fambul Tok communities and even those that are yet to be targeted.

Fambul Tok Director of Operations and Management, Amos Lansana said Fambul Tok is now in six districts (Kono, Kailahun, Koinadugu, Moyamba, Bombali and Pujehun).

“In Kailahun district alone we are working in 61 communities and each of these communities has its own project,” Lansana emphasized

He continued, “In our work we have realized that community reconciliation brings about peaceful co-existence and this is bringing people together. We also work towards community livelihood projects and community farms have been established”

Lansana also spoke about the existence of peace mothers in Fambul Tok operation areas and their livelihood projects such as farms, micro credit schemes, fish farming, etc., adding that most of them have been trained to do business and other activities

He stated that Fambul Tok does not take truckloads of money to communities but support is given where necessary.