Makeni: Salaams, safely back

Salaams,

I am back in NL. The ride home was a very bumpy and tiring one because we had to pass through Abidjan.

I am back with a bag full of fieldnotes and documents and a heavy jetleg! I have been resting since yesterday.

SL was in one sentence a lifetime experience. Its shocking what war and devastation can do to a country and to people; the absence of power supply, the whole infrastructure has tumbled own and there is much hidden poverty. Despite this and many other challenges the spirit of SL people is one of great admiration and i have been blessed to have experienced it from up close. SL people are the most friendly and most helpful people i have ever met.

I remain forever indepted to all those who ensured a safe and productive stay for me.

In one month i have been to 3 towns; Freetown, Bo and Makeni. I have also gathered data from Kenema. I have been trying to understand, among others, how people perceive "culture" and how that culture relates to violence. As a Cultural Anthropologist, i was aware of the ambiquity of this concept but i feel confident i have significant data and material that will make us better comprehend that link.

I have looked at customs, harmful cultural practices (that women from birth till death must face), language (proverbs and sayings that contribute to gender inequality e.g "a hen doesnt crow"), gendered stereotypes (women can not make wise decisions because they are like children), traditions, customary law (i have interviewed some chiefs- men and women & how domestic conflicts are resolved), the family institution (how conflict is resolved), marriage (bride-price; polygamous households and the violence they cause between co-wives and children from different mothers), the role of religion (Islam, Christianity and Traditional religions), gendered superstitions and beliefs, food and gender, sugar-daddy-mistress phenomenon, and many other dimensions of how hindering and oppresive culture has been defined to be and what is actually comprises of in the case of SL.

I used focus group discussions and interviews as tools to gather data. The differences in the 4 towns are huge in some aspects but there are also some similarities. Many women came and shared their personal and professional expereinces in all of the workshops to share how their human rights have been violated because the culture says so. Eg a woman in the Makeni workshop shared how she publicly had to "call name", was beaten and later divorced because her husband and mother-in-law suspected her of having a boyfriend beacuse her 7-month old baby was having diarhoea and was vomiting. Calling name comprises of standing in public and admitting you have cheated with so and so, even if you are innocent. That so and so person will be punished accordingly, even he/she is innocent. Another woman was accused of being a witch because she had delayed labour and was beaten till she miscarried. And so the list goes on.

I will post some pictures later this week.
Sahro