So, I failed at blogging my Sierra Leone experience. I have been trying to sit here and continue to write about our trip (post the first few days you read about below)… but we are so far removed now that I just don’t feel I can do the stories justice. The emotions aren’t as raw and the memories aren’t as fresh.
However, this is the beauty of being a TV journalist... I have the video. So I have decided from here on out, I will blog about my editing process… about the emotions and memories that come back as I see the video… and about the challenges of trying to put together a story with less than perfect video (I realize now that my faith in my shooting and camera was stronger than the reality of my skills and equipment :).
Truthfully, shooting anything in Sierra Leone is difficult considering the lighting and white balance issues. Imagine the contrast between jet-black skin and white clothing… or trying to shoot in a home with no electricity (there is NO electricity anywhere so you choose between the bright equator sun or relative darkness)… it was no easy task. Add to that, the fact that my viewfinder didn’t work so I had to rely on the flip out LCD that was impossible to see in the sun… AND that I was shooting while interviewing.
As a reporter you are trained to find the story and ask the right questions… to interact with your interview subjects… to get them to trust you and open up. That is not as easy with a camera in your hand. As a photographer you are trained to get the best shots and lots of them…your looking for different angles, cut-aways, and plenty of b-roll. As I found, being the reporter AND photographer is not as simple as it seems... both elements suffer a bit.
So… where am I now?
I have written the first two pieces and edited one and a half. In these stories I focus on two of the sponsored children and try to present the reality of Sierra Leone through their eyes.
As I mentioned above, in editing these pieces I have been disappointed in my video and had to turn to Michael for some of his… but as luck (or God) would have it… He lost the video from the first two days of our trip (i.e. the sponsored villages). Gotta love God’s Humor :)
So here I sit… procrastinating… I know I need to break out the computer and get to work on the second piece (keep in mind I still have 7 hours of video to log before I can even write parts 3-5 on the Diamond industry)… Ah… procrastination…
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
SL 7: Bagbo 2
NOTE: From this point on, my blogs will be written Post-Sierra Leone… Since there is limited electricity in SL, I had to choose between charging our camera equipment or my computer… guess which one I picked :)
So about a half hour drive down the road (and I use the term road loosely) we stopped outside of a school and a clinic. Apparently it was just supposed to be a quick stop so the WV staff could show off the clinic they built… but as we got out of the car we were mobbed by a group of screaming children. “Padee… Padee mua!”… They yelled over and over again. (We were later told that means friend and Michael & Sam would holler it out any time he saw a child… which didn’t get old at all ;)
In any event, we were captivated by the children who were elated to simply touch us. All they wanted to do was hold our hands and pose for photos… and of course every time the flash went off they CHEEEEERED!
We finally got back on the road and by the time we got to our next village there was a large group waiting for us.
We met our sponsored child Abduli and his family… he loved the toys we gave him (a fake toy snake was a hit!)... but it was our interview with the other sponsored child, Lahi, and his family that had the greatest impact on us.
We eventually learned that Lahi’s father was a chief… and his story was heartbreaking. Lahi’s mother was probably in her early 20’s while his father (the chief) was at least in his 60’s. The chief eventually told us the heartbreaking story of how he ended up with such a young wife.
He was married before the war with 6 children… when the rebels attacked Bagbo, the family escaped to another village about 40 miles away. It was there the rebels killed his 6 children and burned his wife alive.
He narrowly escaped to another village… And then THAT village was attacked. He was able to escape again, this time saving Lahi’s mother & her brothers. Her family was so grateful that they offered their eldest daughter as his wife.
The two now live in Bagbo and have 5 children of their own… but the Chief is old and is concerned that none of his children are old enough to take care of the family if he dies.
He gave me a tour of their home and showed off their crop of peanuts. He also proudly pointed out the mosquito net over the kids bed… provided by World Vision.
Finally they invited us back to their porch where they had a feast for us. Rice with some kind of Chicken Stew… amazing! And to drink… they hacked off the top of a coconut and we had fresh coconut milk. It was messy but wonderful!
Then it was off the next ADP, Lugbu…
So about a half hour drive down the road (and I use the term road loosely) we stopped outside of a school and a clinic. Apparently it was just supposed to be a quick stop so the WV staff could show off the clinic they built… but as we got out of the car we were mobbed by a group of screaming children. “Padee… Padee mua!”… They yelled over and over again. (We were later told that means friend and Michael & Sam would holler it out any time he saw a child… which didn’t get old at all ;)
In any event, we were captivated by the children who were elated to simply touch us. All they wanted to do was hold our hands and pose for photos… and of course every time the flash went off they CHEEEEERED!
We finally got back on the road and by the time we got to our next village there was a large group waiting for us.
We met our sponsored child Abduli and his family… he loved the toys we gave him (a fake toy snake was a hit!)... but it was our interview with the other sponsored child, Lahi, and his family that had the greatest impact on us.
We eventually learned that Lahi’s father was a chief… and his story was heartbreaking. Lahi’s mother was probably in her early 20’s while his father (the chief) was at least in his 60’s. The chief eventually told us the heartbreaking story of how he ended up with such a young wife.
He was married before the war with 6 children… when the rebels attacked Bagbo, the family escaped to another village about 40 miles away. It was there the rebels killed his 6 children and burned his wife alive.
He narrowly escaped to another village… And then THAT village was attacked. He was able to escape again, this time saving Lahi’s mother & her brothers. Her family was so grateful that they offered their eldest daughter as his wife.
The two now live in Bagbo and have 5 children of their own… but the Chief is old and is concerned that none of his children are old enough to take care of the family if he dies.
He gave me a tour of their home and showed off their crop of peanuts. He also proudly pointed out the mosquito net over the kids bed… provided by World Vision.
Finally they invited us back to their porch where they had a feast for us. Rice with some kind of Chicken Stew… amazing! And to drink… they hacked off the top of a coconut and we had fresh coconut milk. It was messy but wonderful!
Then it was off the next ADP, Lugbu…
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