What We No Longer Sell: Stories from Sierra Leone
From a conversation with David Reeves, Director of Programs with Flint Global on 9/15/20
In Sierra Leone, we partner with Muwasa Farmers Association (MFA) to help people increase their income through agriculture and entrepreneurship. Our goal is for our partners to at least double their income. But in Sierra Leone, where earnings are already incredibly low, we strive to do more.
For our partners, the line between having enough and going without is paper thin. Most of our partners didn’t earn enough to make ends meet let alone save from month-to-month. Our Director of Programs, David Reeves, was astonished to discover the effects that food and financial insecurity can have on people. The consequences for women were particularly devastating.
Over the last six years, David has worked closely with our partners Joe, Jenneh, and James In Sierra Leone. The three are leaders of MFA’s efforts to alleviate poverty, and some of David’s favorite people in the world.
David says:
“I love working with them because they love people…I’ve been to visit them close to a dozen times, and every time I go, they have new kids who they have taken into their home. I love working with them because THEY show ME how to live and love my neighbors.”
During a program evaluation, David asked Jenneh about the program’s impact in the lives of the women in her community. Her answer hit harder than he could have ever expected.
Instead of talking about how the program contributed to their children going to school, being able to feed their families, or feelings of pride and dignity; Jenneh answered with brutal honesty that the women “ no longer have to sell themselves to men”.
The women of Jenneh’s community, in an effort to provide food and education for their children, would turn to prostitution. In times of greatest need, they offered their bodies to the men in their community in exchange for money.
David was moved to tears. Looking back at that moment, David had this to say:
“I literally lost my breath. I probably looked like I swallowed a whale or something! It was astounding... I remember apologizing to Jenny. Saying ‘I am so sorry’ because I was not aware. Because, I felt embarrassed that I was not aware...I don’t know how I lived in Africa for 10+ years and did not realize that women, in their state of desperation, were doing that. It really opened my eyes to the importance of the how and what we do.
I think that's indicative of a lot of people in general. Just a lack of awareness of the impact of systemic poverty and oppression. That women are at a point where they feel that is their last resort. Jenneh really opened my eyes to the importance of the how and what we do.”
But Jenneh wasn’t finished with her answer. She continued with a message of hope:
”The impact the program is having on their lives: the newfound hope they have, the smiles on their faces because they don’t have to lower themselves to that level, has been tremendous.”
She went on to explain that the money the women make doesn’t just help them provide for their children or allow them to avoid compromising themselves. The women are excited to have more economic stability in their lives. The margin between having enough and going without is no longer paper thin. It had grown to the point that the women could even buy things for themselves. Things they liked and that brought them joy were no longer admired from afar. They were now things the women could own and celebrate themselves with.
FINAL THOUGHTS FROM DAVID:
“First of all I love the Sierra Leone people just because they are passionate about life. Even in the midst of poverty they are kind, gentle, and hospitable. Knowing what I know now about the impacts of our work makes me incredibly excited! I know our program only worked with 25 women, but I think of the hundreds, and hundreds, and thousands more in that area alone that are still having to do that today. That is the reality and there is so much opportunity to do more.
To get the opportunity to work with the Flint team, to define what we are going to do clearly and succinctly, is amazing and really, really, exciting to me. Flint has a mission, a vision, and a process in place that allows us to make quick, decisive, and accurate decisions about what we are going to do and the impact it is going to have. We are pretty simple and straightforward about what we are going to do. And we are going to do it well, and we are going to do it right.”