Here we are again. Another Independence Day for Sierra Leone. The jabs at those who say “independent” instead of “independence” started earlier than usual and it stopped being funny by Independence Day. I expected more social media statuses about how we are not independent, but I guess all our woke Sierra Leoneans are just generally fed up this year. Maybe it is my anti-socialness and old age, but I felt a weird quietness this Independence Day. I am in Sierra Leone and the normal flurry of excitement I saw a few years ago is just not in the air (or should I say was because the day is basically done). Sierra Leoneans are just “meh.” Some may say I am exaggerating and generalizing and that there are this and this celebrations and I need to get out of my bubble. You may be right, but generally I feel a dullness; from the diaspora to right here in the motherland. Look, I grew in the DMV, I know my Sierra Leoneans. There was literally a battle of events in just one weekend. My friend said we are getting old, people are tired. Is this true? What of here in Sierra Leone? Den say salone man lek enjoyment. I feel that the energy perhaps reflects the state of the country? Perhaps it doesn’t help that the President crushed some people’s plans for Monday. Generally, when the Independence Day falls in the weekend, the Monday is a holiday. Well the President said, sorry o! Go to work! Times are hard. You know who is excited though? The new government.
From their first day we were told things were going to be different. We are going in a New Direction. It seems in the last year, every time I blink there was some kind of announcement or proclamation. Of course, it started with the whole free and quality education. Some of us in the education sector had our ears and eyes open to see what is going to change. I heard some of those around the New Direction frequently reminding us to be patient, nothing happens in a few months. I get that, but then something new is announced again. Yet, I don’t see the follow through on the quality education. I hear stories of disorganization around the promises, but patient Kaday! Den day cam!
I see our leaders appearing in this country and that country. They are talking about the new and exciting direction that Sierra Leone is about to go or is going? It seems like every week, one international organization or another is declaring its infatuation with our revolutionary transformation and throwing money (and we love money) at us and our potential transformation and meanwhile I am here. I am looking around, listening to what my every day Sierra Leoneans are saying; not much. Even our “intellectuals” are tired of debating. The only time I see a bit of discussion is around anti-corruption and it is a mixture of “yes! Lock dem tiff man dem” and “way den yone tem cam we go see.”
On to the new announcement. Hands Off Girls. National Emergency on Rape. Screech! Wait what? The First Lady has said we must deliver to her concrete evidence of how FGM affects women and is damaging. She hasn’t experienced it so it must not be true. In fact I heard she doubled down on this on the radio again. Umm Ok. I don’t even have time to process that because we are at Harvard or maybe we went to Canada next? I don’t know o. Does this blog post confuse you? Well good because that is how I feel. I’ve not been able to concretely hold on to anything in this year to say “ok, this here. This here shows us we are going somewhere.”
Again, you know who is confident? All my friends and none friends who are around the government. They are sure there is something happening, but isn’t that business as usual? The ones who are close to the benefits saying things are changing and are going to be great? They are the ones who are telling us, we don’t understand, and we need to really give it time and try to understand and see what is happening. Fine, but word of advice, if I can’t feel or see it, guess who won’t? Because even though I finally just got my first place in Sierra Leone after coming back and forth for years, paying taxes and everything to the Sierra Leone government, and have a registered non-profit, I am an anomaly. I am not representative of the ordinary Sierra Leonean, so next Independence Day, what will they be saying?
Happy Independence Day! Leh we day go nomoh.
Salone Creatives 
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