Livewire - Amnesty International blogging for human rights

Today was the final day of the caravan. We drove from Bo to Waterloo, a town on the outskirts of Freetown. After a quick radio interview for the musicians, we assembled in the field and prepared for the event.

The hot sun was beaming down on the caravan stage and the crowd was scattered on the outskirts of the field, watching the introductions from a distance. Just when we thought we would collapse from heat exhaustion, the sky started rumbling and the rain poured down.

When it rains in Sierra Leone it really does pour, but it was such sweet relief from the sun that we all stayed outside and relished it. Just as quickly, the rain disappeared, the clouds parted and the show continued. At the end of the event, Brima (Sierra Leone Director) acknowledged all the participants on the caravan and we all went on stage to sing the maternal mortality song.

Continue reading ‘The end of the Sierra Leone caravan’

We split up today and did a number of different things in Bo. This morning, I went to a local radio station with Solomon, the section campaigner and the musicians.

The musicians were interviewed about their involvement in Amnesty International’s campaign on maternal mortality and why they think maternal mortality is an important issue to focus on in Sierra Leone. Solomon was asked questions about Amnesty International, the caravan and the reasons behind the high maternal mortality rates in the country.

Everyone was pleased with the interview and the musicians feel that they have really benefited from being part of the caravan and would like to continue the work in the longer-term.

Continue reading ‘Reaching out to the central mosque in Bo’

This morning, we went to the Kenema government hospital and showed the Amnesty International film in the maternity ward. During the discussion after the film, people shared a number of their experiences.

One of the women, Jenny N.C. Valli, spoke of the poor road networks and challenge to gain access to the hospital. Some of the surrounding villages are not accessible by car and it can take women two to three days before they are able to reach the hospital. She called for the government to take action on this immediately.

Another woman, Nancy Bambura said that she is a victim of four still births. During her last pregnancy, she started experiencing bleeding and was brought to the hospital from a neighbouring town called Bamakoya by ambulance.

Continue reading ‘People share experiences after watching film in Sierra Leone’

We arrived in Kenema on Tuesday evening after an eight-hour drive from Kambia. Kenema is one of the main diamond trading posts in Sierra Leone and was one of the areas most affected during the war. Many people in the surrounding areas still live in former camps for Liberian refugees who fled during the war.

I met a woman called Louise Harvest Hilton, who works for Brighter Future in Kenema. She told me about a woman called Bindu who died during child birth in Unama refugee camp.

She was a student at Eastern polytechnic in Kenema, but drove to the camp because the health facilities there are cheaper. She died at the hospital and, according to Louise, the doctor said that the delay in seeking treatment killed her.

Continue reading ‘Delays that kill in Sierra Leone’

Kabala is a mountainous town in Koinadugu district – the largest district in Sierra Leone with the roughest terrain and according to the available statistics the highest maternal mortality rates. Most people use motorcycle taxis to manoeuvre around the mountains, but in an emergency it isn’t easy.

When we were discussing the fact that one in eight women die in Sierra Leone from pregnancy and childbirth related complications, a volunteer stated that it used to be much worse before.

It poured down with rain before the launch event and finished just in time for the start. However, half way through the play the sky started rumbling again and the rain came pouring down.

Continue reading ‘Rain doesn’t deter people in mountainous Kabala’