So is this freelance or are you going for KCRA?

Neither.

Sam and I are traveling to Sierra Leone as a combo vacation/mission trip… but the journalist in me knows there are important stories to tell there (that wouldn’t be otherwise told). So, I convinced my news director to air those stories upon our return.

Considering the economy, local stations just can’t afford to cover stuff like this any more... especially in an election year when domestic news is more relevant. In-depth stories on things of international importance are more likely to air on PBS or National Geographic… to a limited audience.

The nature of local news can often be summed up in one sentence… “If it’s not relevant to me, I don’t care. “ But I believe that if we present international stories in creative ways, we can make them relevant to local viewers … and reach a wider audience in the process.

So, I figured if I found some local angles and funded the project myself, (Huge thanks to my amazing husband who agreed to let me do this!) I might be able to get these socially significant stories aired on mainstream media. Needless to say I was relieved when my news director agreed to give me a camera and air the stories I come back with. (Big thanks to Anzio too!)

As I mentioned, the initial plan is to put together a 5-part series for KCRA (outlined in previous blogs)… and a 30-minute piece for the KCRA show, Common Ground. And yes, I am shooting/editing the piece… and will have the amazing Mike Caroll (KCRA Photog/Editor) clean it up when I get back.

But of all places, why Sierra Leone?

It all began about 5 years ago with a young man from Sierra Leone, Aruna, who came to speak at Flood (Flood is the church in Sacramento where my husband and I would later meet). Aruna was speaking on behalf of Children of the Nations… a non-profit we hope to visit in Sierra Leone (http://www.COTNI.org).

After church that night, Sam offered Aruna a ride to dinner with a big group from church… little did he know that ride would change all of our lives forever.

Aruna told Sam about growing up in the midst of a brutal war… where rebels would kidnap children and force them to kill… where babies' hands were cut off simply to promote fear… and where diamonds fueled war.

This was years before the movie Blood Diamond was filmed and Sam was floored by the idea of conflict diamonds. He had worked in the jewelry industry for most of his life and had never even heard of the concept. He immediately felt socially responsible.

Fast forward a couple of years… I moved to Sacramento. Sam told me about Aruna not long after we met. He was so passionate about doing something to benefit the diamond producing countries of Africa (specifically Sierra Leone). Needless to say, Sam's passion for Africa quickly became my passion for Africa… and I decided to find a direction for that passion.

I started by turning our wedding into a sort-of African charity event. Our favors were World Vision gifts of fish ponds, wells, and orchards for villages in Africa (http://www.worldvision.org). We also collected money during our "Money Dance" to donate to Children of the Nations (http://www.COTNI.org). .

Fast-forward to early this year… I did a story on a good friend of ours who had covered the violent civil war in Kenya for the New York Times (Micah Albert, Photojournalist). You can see the story at (http://www.kcra.com/kenya).

Hearing Micah's stories made me realize that Sam and I were being called to do more than just donate to charities. Inspired, I contacted World Vision in the hopes that they could get me into Kenya. Unfortunately it was too dangerous, but they put me in touch with their media liaison in Oakland, Angela. It was Angela who encouraged me to go somewhere the media wasn't. She pointed out that everyone goes to Kenya and Sudan and the Congo… but there are so many other stories out there that aren't being told. She looked at a map and randomly threw out, "How about Sierra Leone?"

Obviously I immediately thought of Sam & Aruna and jumped at the idea. We had been talking about doing a combo vacation/mission trip, so I figured why not shoot a series of stories and make it a trifecta!

At that time I didn’t understand the significance Sierra Leone, I just knew we had to go. The more I learn about the people and their amazing resilience, the more I realize the importance of this journey. These are stories that need to be told… that could potentially impact the future of an entire continent… and should absolutely be significant to every woman with a diamond and every man who considers buying one.

Sierra Leone Story Outline: Part 5

Part 5: Tracking a Diamond... From Sierra Leone back to Sacramento

Background on “Blood Diamonds”
You have likely heard of “Blood Diamonds”… more appropriately named “Conflict Diamonds.” By definition, these are diamonds sold through illegal channels to fund rebel armies… in essence they fund “conflicts” by providing rebel armies the means to buy weapons and perpetuate war. But it’s important to note: Diamonds fuel and fund these wars… they don’t cause war.

This is the premise for the movie “Blood Diamond” which brought Sierra Leone into the public eye for the first time a few years back… but by the time the movie was released the war was over. While blood diamonds still exist (especially in places like Congo & Angola where bloody conflicts continue) by definition, they are no longer a significant concern in Sierra Leone since the “conflict” has ended.

Furthermore, thanks to the Kimberly Process (an agreement among all of the diamond producing and trading countries in the world) as much as 90% of world diamonds are now regulated conflict-free. The KP is a global certification system that tracks a diamond from the mine to market to insure it travels through legal channels. And even though it has changed the face of the diamond industry since its inception in 2003, most would say it is flawed.

Sierra Leone Today
The Kimberly Process has been positive for SL. In 2000 (during the war) SL exported about $1 million worth of diamonds legally… last year, thanks to the KP, they exported $140 million (Diamonds make up about 90% of currency in SL). Obviously there has been a significant decrease in illicit diamond exports… and now that taxes are being paid on all these diamonds it’s a significant source of revenue for govt.

But in spite of the benefits of the KP, it does nothing to regulate the mines themselves. There are 1.3 million diamond “diggers” in Africa. These are not traditional mines, but rather big muddy pits filled with disease where hundreds of men spend all day waste deep in mud sifting and digging by hand for tiny diamonds… all for $1 a day. They produce 15% of the world’s diamonds… for a dollar a day.

In some mines, diggers are rewarded for a big find by earning a percentage of a diamond's worth... but it is up to the mine "manager" to decide how much the diamond is worth. Let's just say the likelyhood of a digger getting a fair price for their find is slim to none.

In countries like Sierra Leone, you’ll find young boys working in these conditions in the hopes that they can make a little money to help feed their family. And while we may consider this “child labor,” it’s important to note that since most men don’t make it to 40 years old… middle age is 20… and 10 is a reasonable working age.

The Story
We will attempt to track a diamond from a mine in Sierra Leone to a jewelry store in Sacramento. Since the diggers make $1 a day we’ll examine where the money goes.
(One common diamond path: Digger – Supporters – Land owner – Chief – Intermediate Dealer – Freetown Exporter – Cutting center (Israel/Antwerp) – Broker – Store)

We will also examine the common occurrence of child mining and the impact it has on life expectancy, education, family income, etc.

FYI: Diamond “Pits”:

• Diamonds are formed by volcanic action, rock heat etc. forces everything to surface through kimberlitie pipes.
• Usually miners simply dig down the pipe (a small containable area) and take out all the diamonds.
• In Sierra Leone (and other conflict regions like Congo & Angola) the tops of the pipes have washed down river and over 50 milion years have scattered all over (alluvial diamond from rivers).
• This is why rebel armies are so often able to take control of diamonds in those countries. Historically it has been very difficult for governments to control mining or regulate diamonds in these areas.

Sierra Leone Story Outline: Part 3 & 4

Part 3 & 4: Life in Sierra Leone… Why care?

As I prepare for the journey to Sierra Leone, I continually come across elements and stories I’d like to examine further. I obviously won’t be able to cover them all in detail, so I’m going with an open mind and will see which of these develop.

• Disarmament:
  Sierra Leone has undergone one of the most successful disarmaments in African history. A country that suffered through a decade long brutal war now lives in relative peace. In fact, their crime rate is lower than that of many American cities.
• How was this accomplished and how can this be utilized in other conflict ridden countries like Congo & Sudan?

• Politics:
  During the most recent elections, the ruling party was democratically voted out and the opposition party took office with no significant protest.
• A peaceful election… especially when a ruling party is voted out… is extremely rare in Africa. (You may have heard of the violence that followed recent elections in Kenya & Zimbabwe)
• The new government is seen as a very positive change for the country. The corruption of past administrations is no longer a concern.
• Thanks to this new government, many feel the country is ripe for change… the question is, how? ... UN intervention? Foreign Assistance? US business operations in Sierra Leone?
  

• Poverty:
  Sierra Leone is THE poorest country in the world (According to the UN Human Development Index)
• 28% of children die before the age of 5… and the life expectancy of adults is right around 40.
• Many point out that current conditions are worse than those that led to the war to begin with.
  
• Pre- war, Sierra Leone was major world-wide rice exporter, had sufficient infrastructure and boasted some of the best higher education on the continent.
  
• Post-war, infrastructure & schools have been destroyed and rice exports have ended
• Renewing rice farming could provide 5 million “person days” of work a year… but due to subsidies for US farmers, it is cheaper to ship rice to SL than to grow it there. (Many who do have jobs in SL get paid in 1 bag of rice per week!)
  
• Could this poverty lead to another war? How do you create jobs with fair wages in a third world country? Are we undercutting the ability of Sierra Leoneans to self sustain by dumping subsidized rice on them? How do you utilize the fertile land in SL to create jobs when US subsides work against it.

• Corruption:
  What many in this country would consider corruption, Sierra Leoneans consider a way of life (due mainly to poverty)
  
• It is not uncommon for a police officer to request/demand a small fee from drivers stopped at check points. The average police officer makes $30 a month… in order to feed his children he needs to subsidize his income… it’s a “perk” of the job.
  
• Teachers make an average of $19 a month… it is also common practice for students to “offer payments” to teachers to help subsidize their paycheck. In first world terms, this would translate to teachers accepting bribes as a prerequisite to passing their students. (While monetary bribes are widely accepted and a way of life, recent stories have surfaced of teachers accepting sexual favors from students in lieu of money… this is NOT socially accepted.)
• How is corruption defined? How can first-world’ers comprehend what is “a way of life” in the third world? Are these practices acceptable considering they are social norms? Should the first world intervene or alter these social norms in a effort to aid Sierra Leone? Is this “corruption” a direct result of poverty?
  

• Religion
  It is common practice in SL to begin a meeting by asking people to “Pray in your own way”
  
• In this predominantly Muslim country, (60% Muslim, 30% African Religions, 10% Christian) religion acceptance is the norm… it’s common to find a Mosque next door to a Christian church next door to a African church. (This level of religious acceptance is rare among third-world or Muslim-dominant countries.)
• The new president (Koroma) is Christian
• How can this level of peace and rare acceptance be used to advance the country?
  

• Opportunity for US Commerce in SL
  With beautiful white sandy beaches and lush fertile land, Sierra Leone is ripe for tourism and private business.
  
• From tourism to agriculture to mining operations there are any number of opportunities for US business to come in and utilize the natural resources of SL… while at the same time providing much needed jobs and infrastructure. (This is something that China is already taking advantage of in numerous African countries including Sierra Leone )
  
• Many argue that charity and foreign assistance are not enough to change Sierra Leone… that jobs are a necessity. “Charity Provides a patch … Jobs are necessary for sustainability”
  In other words, Sierra Leone can not succeed by foreign assistance and aid alone… private business is needed to provide jobs.
  
• In terms of foreign assistance, the UN spent over 1 billion a year in the early 2000’s… that money helped to successfully end the war… but once an election was held they pulled out and left the country in a worse state than before the war.
• The concern is now that without foreign assistance AND new jobs from private business ventures, the country will continue to regress. Isn’t this a waste of the billions of dollars we spent to end the war?
  
  

• Sierra Leone as a Blueprint for the Continent
  Many feel that the willingness and the forward thinking of the Sierra Leonean people in addition to their new government and natural resources makes them the country a perfect candidate for foreign assistance. It’s a country that can actually be saved. If/when it is saved; it can then be used as a blueprint for other African countries.
  

• Sierra Leonean opinion on American Presidential Race
  Self Explanitory

Sierra Leone Story Outline: Part 2

Part 2: Amputees: Remnants of War
We will no doubt come across many amputees while meeting with our sponsored children.

• 20% of the entire world's population of amputees lives in Sierra Leone… a country the size of North Carolina.
• 25,000 people suffered brutal amputations during the 10-year war… and of those, approx. 10,000 managed to survive

• After the war…
• The rebels were paid a couple hundred bucks to turn in their guns and given some training for a basic trade. (Unfortunately there are no jobs for them to utilize their new skills.)
• The Amputees, however, were given no significant assistance. Many have gathered in camps near Freetown but continue to live with little to no aid.

• We will spend time with Greatest Goal Ministries… a Seattle based organization that focuses on working with those amputees (and has even created an amputee football (soccer) league).

• We will also visit a church in Kono (the diamond district in south-east SL where the war began). Here we will meet with amputees who are living and praying alongside former RUF (rebels).

Sierra Leone Story Outline: Part 1

Part 1: From Sacramento to Sierra Leone

• Over 1000 families in California sponsor children in Sierra Leone through non-profit “World Vision” (1,063 in CA, 3772 in US). A good number of those sponsors live in the Sacramento viewing area… and we’re going to introduce a lucky few to their sponsored children through the power of video.
  



• We’ll first shoot a video message from the sponsor to their child… We’ll also talk to the sponsors about how they chose their child… why they chose Sierra Leone… and what they expect to see when we shoot a day-in-the-life of their child.
  



• Then we head to the Bagbo ADP in Sierra Leone to spend some time with the sponsored children. We’ll follow them around to get an idea of their day-to-day life… And we’ll talk to them about daily challenges, their dreams & how their life has been impacted by their sponsor.
  



• We’ll also examine how NGO’s & charities are impacting Sierra Leone.
• Many argue that charity provides a patch and that jobs and infrastructure are necessary for any real impact. By interviewing folks at World Vision, Children of the Nations & Global Witness, we’ll examine how sponsorship programs like this one actually impact the larger communities.

Why are you going to Sierra Leone?

It's a common question these days... so I thought I'd provide a little explanation. Lets start with what we'll be doing there... in later blogs I'll explain, "How we chose Sierra Leone"... and "Why Sierra Leone is significant."

So... Sam (my husband) and I will be traveling first to London to meet with DeBeers (one of the largest diamond companies in the world and the assumed "villain" in the movie "Blood Diamond"). It's important to note that DeBeers does not nor has ever mined in Sierra Leone, but they do have extensive mining operations all over Africa. I'll be interviewing the head of their international relations who is one of the most connected people I've found when it comes to disarmament, diamond exporting, and the general re-building of Sierra Leone. DeBeers now does a lot of work with various governments and NGO's to better the state of the diamond industry in third-world mining countries like (and including) Sierra Leone.

While in London we also plan to meet with Global Witness (an NGO very active in eliminating the existence of conflict diamonds or "blood diamonds")

Then… it’s off to Africa where we'll be flying first from London to Nairobi (the east cost of Africa) in order to connect to our flight back to Sierra Leone on the west coast. After a "really long journey” we’ll hop on the helicopter (which is broken down more than not) and head for Freetown. (P.S. if the helicopter is down, we get an 8-hour ferry ride instead!)

After that... well... it gets a bit sketchy. It is very difficult to plan much ahead of time in Sierra Leone because of the lack of functioning roads. October is the end of the rainy season... so many of the roads will be washed out.

In Freetown we are hoping to meet with various aid organizations, visit the Children of the Nations orphanage/School, meet with one of the few licensed diamond exporters, and get an audience with a high ranking government official (Vice President or First lady).

But the real work will take place outside of Freetown... provided there are roads of some sort. We'll hire a car (likely an old Land Cruiser) and a "fixer" (i.e. a translator/guide) and head to the bush.

We hope to visit the countries largest amputee camp just outside of Freetown. We are also planning to visit World Vision’s Bagbo "area development project" where we will meet with children sponsored by Sacramento folks. We'll introduce the children to their sponsors via video messages that we'll shoot before we leave.

Then it's off to Kono (at least a day’s journey cross country... but maybe more depending on roads). If you saw the movie "Blood Diamond", Kono is the mining district depicted in the movie with vast muddy pits filled with thousands of "diggers" searching for diamonds. While in Kono we obviously plan to spend time with some of the diggers and learn what life is like for them. We are also attempting to track a diamond from the mine through the process of export and back to a store in Sacramento.

The interview I am maybe most looking forward to will take place at a church in Kono. At this church we will meet amputees AND the former rebels responsible for hacking off limbs. They now live and pray together in peace! Can you imagine the amount of forgiveness these people have in their hearts?

So this is the general plan... which I'm sure will be altered dramatically by the time we return home.

In my next blog, I'll give you an outline of the proposed 5-part series I plan to shoot in Sierra Leone.

And in the "How We Chose Sierra Leone" blog, I’ll take a look back at how we got here. The story begins over five years ago... long before I even met my husband. It will explain why Sam is coming with me and how he has been instrumental in this journey.