Last days in Salone

Thursday 26th:
Wrapped up practical stuff for Play31 with receipts and more. Finished yet a draft of my Salone article. Feels good.
Met with Thomas and we went over our grand plans of starting a public transport company in Freetown. G-D knows this city needs it: congestion is everywhere and especially in the eastern part where the roads are narrow and the trucks are plenty. Watched the rain fall in an amount that made me feel like Noah and then watched España in their march towards European championship, crushing Russia on the way. Looking much forward to experiencing my first ceremony tomorrow. Bonfire and confessions from the war: what more can a boy ask for?

Friday 27th:
Possible the most intense day here so far. Got up at five to drive all the way to Kailahun district in one go. When we got there we were greeted by the Reconciliation Committee and it was obvious that they’d been preparing for the ceremony for a while and were looking forward. I drove the last part of the way with a local chief on his bike and we stopped on the road to buy a ‘cutting gras’ from some boys. An enormous rodent, the cutting gras almost looks like a small dog. Mmm!
Later I had a long conversation with a local man who played a quite large role in the war. I had met him before and he has always been very open about his experiences. I think someone (possible Ego) will have to write down his astoundingly wild story one day!
At night the ceremony came. Our little Fambul Tok team were picked up on the veranda by a little committee with drums and bells and chanting. They led us around the village and up to the big bonfire. I could write pages on what happened over the next hours, but for now it suffices to say that it was a true lecture in traditional methods of settling disputes and conflicts. Dance, truth telling, forgiveness, playing children, laughing, crying, and food were mixed in a bonanza of Reconciliation. I passed out at 2am but the villagers continued until dawn and I was woken up by the drums a couple of times during the night.

Saturday 28th:
Was woken up by the chickens outside my little hut. I think it’s worth mentioning that I spent the night in a bed of hay!
We got up an prepared for the cleansing ceremony that follows the previous night’s ceremony. There was pouring of libation, there was sacrificing for the ancestors (no humans) and there was more singing and drumming. There was also Play31! The community got a football and we emphasized that it was for the whole community to enjoy. Even the devil (the devil plays a pivotal role in Sierra Leonean traditional ways of settling disputes. She(!) brings the community together in many ways. She also carries a big black mask) played along. To much amusement of the female crowd around her, she started kicking around the bal at the sacred site of sacrifice. Precious!
We drove all the way back to Kailahun and after some bread and sardines and a couple of rounds of chess with Robert, I went into a dream world of devils and dogs and footballs and food and chiefs and chanting and much more…

Sunday 29th:
Started the day going to the XX Chimpanzee sanctuary with Harriet. Supposedly, chimps are 98.something% genetically similar to we humans. It showed. They’re cute. And apparently they also don’t taste bad.
Spent rest of day at the beach before I had a great meeting with the coach of Sierra Leone’s national football team, Leone Stars. He was excited about Play31 and we agreed on various issues where we can cooperate: the team signing footballs that we give out was one of them. Much more on that to come!
Ended the evening watching España win the European Championship. Viva España!!

Monday 30th:
The day of the big Press Conference. It was sort of surreal to take questions as Director of
Play31. Made me realize how fast this has really all gone! It went really well, I thought,
and I was again confirmed that people really like this idea and support it at all levels.
Feels good! I will post articles and video from the conference sometime soon when the
real website (www.play31.org) is up and running again.
Am right now waiting to go to Lungi Airport to fly to Londonia. Can’t believe yet
another Salone adventure has come to an end. Will miss it! Adieu Fritong!