RESPECT International Blog

by Kelsey Parrish

Solomon Baimba, a 27-year-old information technology (IT) technician, is eager to take on the responsibility of representing RESPECT in his home country of Sierra Leone. In his current position at Xara Computer Training Institute in the capital city of Freetown, he teaches students about information technology.

As a RESPECT volunteer, he has plans “to expose the work of RESPECT to my country,” and to facilitate “active communication” between refugees in Sierra Leone and elsewhere. Though his passions are varied, Solomon has strong emotional ties to refugees and wants “to play a role in helping [them], whatever I do.”

This sympathy for refugees’ situations stems from Solomon’s turbulent young adulthood in Sierra Leone. Government corruption and illicit practices in the diamond trade erupted into a catastrophic and, as Solomon says, “senseless” civil war lasting for 11 years.

From 1991 to 2002, conflict between government-sanctioned authorities (primarily Nigerian troops in the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group, or ECOMOG) and rebel forces (the Revolutionary United Front, or RUF) ravaged the country, leaving tens of thousands dead and more than two million persons displaced. Having witnessed the brutality, Solomon has “terrible stories” to tell about what he experienced.

One of the most upsetting memories for him to recall was a tragedy that happened within his own family.

“One of my cousins was killed by a Nigerian soldier,” he recounts. “He was a security guard, but he was mistaken for a rebel and shot immediately. The whole family mourned for that young man.” Solomon considers himself lucky to be alive, as many other young men were killed simply for finding food for their loved ones.

Though not one of the many casualties of the civil war, Solomon does feel the pain of being a refugee in his own country. Like many others, he now resides in Freetown.

“There are refugees in the capital city as well as in the provinces,” he says. “There are a lot of youths, children and elderly people as well: all are suffering for food, shelter, and basic needs. The situation is terrible…but you have to manage. Everyone is trying the best they can to help the refugees who have survived.”

Solomon intends to help improve the situation of refugees in Sierra Leone through the work of RESPECT. It has only been two weeks since Solomon became involved with the organization, but he has already registered a school. He looks forward to seeing his vision of a rebuilt Sierra Leone made real, saying hopefully: “There is a lot to come.”

Sources:

* BBC News – Country Profile: Sierra Leone

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1061561.stm

* Wikipedia – Sierra Leone Civil War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Leone_Civil_War

* U.S. Department of State – Background Note: Sierra Leone

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5475.htm