Peagie Woobay-Foday talking to beneficiary girls in Moyamba
By Peagie Woobay-Foday
It was in early September. I left my “heart” in Stockholm. Headed for the Lion Mountains republic. The land of my birth. The land that I love. Sierra Leone.
I arrived in Freetown with my heart to meet the girl child to serve her and be her long awaited Role Model. Every girl child in Sierra Leone needs one.
With the education system on the down side, I have founded “The PeagieWoobay Scholarship Fund” with the aim to help educate the girl child through tuition-free secondary school so her parents do not advance reason of “no school fees” to marry her off, or so she is inspired to stay in school and reap the benefit of education. It also aims to tackle the problems of teenage pregnancy in the country with a focus on giving back a second chance to teenage mothers who have dropped out of school due to early and unwanted pregnancy.
Freetown, as usual, received me with her heart. The hills, ever so faithful, stood majestically while the clouds did not fail me with their roar of thunder; amid the heavy downpour of rain.
The newly renovated Freetown International airport at Lungi was a bit of a disappointment as there were still unwanted people in the arrival lounge that gave me the heat and pain. Then, well, surprisingly there was no ferry on that day, or the ferry had difficulty docking so we were advised to use the boat – the “Pelican” water taxi at a whopping $ 40 on a 15-minute sail into Freetown. That notwithstanding I proudly walked through the exit doors smiling as a Sierra Leonean with all my heart.
It was a very good feeling and I understood again why I had always had this dream – to help educate the girl child in my homeland. Despite the heavy rains there was a humid weather condition. So there were bad roads, hardly any electricity, and a very slow and erratic internet connection. But nothing was to stop me. My zeal never tired and I raised up my heart and my voice to honour the Girl child of the lovely hills and valleys of Sierra Leone. I wrote no speeches, strategies nor policies as most Sierra Leoneans are very good at writing speeches but not good at implementing them. I spoke to the girls from my heart and their hearts were filled.
Each town had its own version of Peagie. Heartily touring the beauties of Sierra Leone, and God knows the land is blessed with so much natural beauty, I headed north to Makeni to talk to the girls about the importance of education and the risks of teenage pregnancy. From my heart we spoke, wrote poems and cracked jokes. The girls were warm and receptive and showed willingness to stay in school, determined to follow my footsteps when I explained to them what I had been through. Then they vowed to work hard in school and succeed. It felt great to see my former college mate, Sunkarie Kabbah-Kamara as Mayor of Makeni. I duly used her as an example to the girls and emphasised to them why education was important.
Whiling the time in Makeni Town with some refreshing local drink and a smile, I took into the beauty of “Mena Hill” overlooking Makeni to the west of the town. What a beauty! My heart is so taken by this land that my devotion to her is not political, but rather nationalistic. it is explained by the fact that a born southern Sherbro woman like me, believing in the spirit that we were all born Sierra Leonean, started my philanthropic journey in the North.
We eagled from Makeni on our way to Kabala for as much as the roads could permit us taking in the magnificent hills, each with a different lovely shape, in a mass of greens. What a beauty! And I could not help but continue having Salone at heart and giving the best of myself to the Girl Child.
We sighted Kabala after several “S” curves. The Kabala hills, the town, its people greeted me with their heart filled smiles. All apprehension evaded when I met my volunteer project coordinator and a native of Kabala. Since I started the project, Saio Mansaray and I have been communicating on the phone only, without knowing each other. And she put all in place so well and with an overwhelmed heart, my hopes in Sierra Leone rose again knowing that there were still hard working honest people who genuinely want progress in the Land.
Again a fresh version of Peagie emerged and with the girls I climbed hills, read out poems and met ten teenage mothers who had dropped out of school. From my heart we spoke and I gave them a second chance of going back to school through The Peagie Woobay Scholarship Fund. Having walked the walks of these girls, I understood their plight as society has shunned them a bit. I encouraged them to be strong as though teenagers should not be mothers due to the risks involving teenage pregnancy, but also that that was not the end of their lives. I saw hope as their faces lit up and my heart was filled. We enrolled them in schools, put them on preventives and provided free day care centres for their kids so they would be able to concentrate on their studies while in school. Yes it is a second chance, but I assured them that there wouldn’t be a third chance and they would be monitored to make sure they made good use of the opportunity that was being given. We bonded well and they promised to stay in school and carry books instead of babies.
A well needed rest was acquired walking in Kabala town, admiring its imposing hills including Binutumani which is the third tallest in West Africa, watching plants grown on those lovely, rare shaped fertile hills. I wondered if the “Green” on our national tricolour flag does not all come from Kabala as the place is so very green. We might make millions exporting vegetable from Kabala. I was shocked at the prizes and sizes of carrots, cabbages and pepper. Give-aways!
Under a heavy downpour we snaked out of Kabala heading for Bo, Sweet Bo. The rains pattered on the glass and I fell in love with the rainy season which I had feared and always avoided going home during the rains, since my emigration to Europe some 17 years ago. We arrived in Sweet Bo in the evening. It was good to see family and rest a bit after three days of a hard struggle for the girl child.
R.C Model, P.O Box 98, the primary school that gave me a solid foundation, was my first port of call on a Saturday. I met the first set of beneficiaries of The PeagieWoobay Scholarship Fund. Five girls now in first year in Junior Secondary School had received their uni-books package. And we spoke about their dreams and the importance of education. They were thankful and grateful and promised to strive to be successful ladies by staying in school.
As we set off from Bo to Kenema, I fell in love with the new Stadium that sits proudly in a lush of green. What a beautiful country, my Sierra Leone. For me, Kenema is like my pilgrimage town. I was born in Kenema, but that’s not the reason. My Saviour Dr Theresa Ganda lives and works here every day to save the lives of ordinary people. This is the place I sought refuge in as a pregnant 15-year-old, where Dr Ganda took care of me till I gave birth to David my son. Meeting her each time is like renewing my confidence and my strength as a woman. She is a wonderful woman and Sierra Leone is blessed to have such good souls.
Always happy to see me and glad of my success in life, she again reaffirmed her confidence in me and her belief in my philanthropic work to the girl child. We shared the good memories but also the risks I faced as a pregnant teenage girl.
I also met Bishop Koroma who had helped me coordinate the essay writing at HRSS in Kenema. The essay-writing is a precursor for my grant to school girls. Being that it was a Saturday, I did not meet the girls but made sure that their schools fees were paid into the school’s account and their uni-books package duly provided.
Returning to Bo, we admired at the Chinese at work on the new ultramodern stadium on the outskirts of Bo. I heartily said goodbye to Sweet Bo and headed to Moyamba.
Well this part of my journey, though to my hometown –the Kingdom of The Woobays – became quite tedious because of the poor roads from Moyamba junction all the way to Timdale. The King Received his Princess in his Plantation and the greens of these regions also kept me going. The roads are really bad in this part of my country. Why??? Well I guess the government is doing its best. The fibre optic too has not really found its way here either so my internet connection too was almost nonexistent. So I just admired village life and gave the best of myself to the girls.
In Moyamba, they got a dancing version of Peagie. Once a member of the national dance troupe (Pa Sheki’s time) I showed the girls that even at 42, a “Sampa” is always a “Sampa” and they were thrilled. We spoke about the importance of education, the risks of teenage pregnancy and another chance was given by The PeagieWoobay Scholarship Fund to 12 girls who had dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy. Again it felt so good.
Back to Freetown, in the hustle and bustle. I did a few radio interviews, tv shows and hooked up with some friends.
With Sierra Leone still at heart and all the way, I packed all I could, including locally made baskets, to come present Sierra Leone in the best way I can in Sweden and to raise funds for my girls with a zeal that never dissipates. I am not losing hope in my land that I love. But will have it in my heart and do all I can to help educate the girl child in my country. Help me oh God!
© Politico 17/10/13
