CODE & ARF, Sierra Leone Young people from across a teacher education project (CODE) and a project supporting youth with disabilities (Albinism Royal Foundation) gathered in Freetown to identify gender issues that matter to them.
Fɔ tek drug pasmak wan – We yu tek kush pasmak yu nɔ de ebul lɛf am egen, dɛn I kin tan lɛk nɔn op nɔ de fɔ yu egen. Bɔt yu kin ebul bi yusɛf wantɛm mɔ bɔt fɔs yu go gɛt fɔ pul da bad nem we kush dɔn gi yu. Di pikchɔ na gud egzampul of aw sɔm pan wi pikin dɛn na Salon de naw.
Fɔ mared we yu nɔ du fɔ mared et. – (65 ia ol man ɛn 16 ia ol gyal-pikin. Mared de bi fɔ sho se lɔv de, bɔt fɔ bɔku pipul dɛn na Salon I min se yu we mared we yu lili yu nɔ to pikin egen. Bikɔs ɔf wi tradishɔn ɛn wetin wi biliv wi stil de gi wi lili gyalpikin dɛn to man fɔ seka mɔni. Ɔl gyal-pikin fɔ ebul ɛnjɔy insɛf lɛk pikin bifo mared tɛm de rich.
Drug Abuse – Kush addiction Trapped in a cycle of addiction, where hope feels out of reach. Recovery is possible but we must break the stigma. This photo is a good representation of the current situation of a handful of young people in Sierra Leone.
Early Marriage (65 year old man and 16 year old Girl) A wedding symbolizes love but for many in Sierra Leone it means the end of childhood. Young girls are still being exchanged for wealth due to tradition and religious believes. Every Girl deserves the right to enjoy their childhood.
Bintu Dumbuya, 24, Female
Fɔ lukdɔŋ on pɔsin we gɛt sɔm pat ambɔg pan aim bɔdi. ( Ɔ Lɛk I nɔ ebul waka fayn so.) Dis foto de sho se dis bad trik ya de pan man ɛn uman sɛf. Di pikin we nɔ ebul waka fayn, in klasmet dɛm de push am wansay. If wi de fɛt fɔ sho se uman ɛn man na wan, na wiɔl fɔ du am, man as wɛl as uman. Da we de wi de sho se wi ɔl gɛt fɔ si wi sɛf lɛk wan, wit nɔn difrɛns. Discrimination (Physical Challenge) This photo portrays that discrimination can be aided by both sexes. A physically disabled student being ostracized by her course mate based on her physical appearance. In the fight to promote gender equality, together we can pave the way for understanding and acceptance.
Fatmata Kamara, 24, Female Bintu Dumbuya, 24, Female
Dis fɔto de sho se dɛn de fos uman dɛm fɔ fɔ gri se pɔligami – wan man wit bɔku wɛf – na rayt tin. In da we de dɛn de yuz di uman dɛm fɔ mek mɔni. Luk dis man we i sidɔm de it we di uman dɛm de wok tranga tranga wan fɔ provayd fɔ di wan ol fambul, ɛspɛshali im di man. This photo represent that women are forced to accept polygamy and in the process they are being financially exploited. A man sitting down comfortably and eating whilst his partners are working hard to provide for the family especially him. Mamie Kamara, 24, Female, Babsinneh Jalooh-Jamboria, 24, Female, Fatmata Kamara, 24, Female, Bintu Dumbuya, 24, Female
Mamie Kamara, 24, Female, Babsinneh Jalooh-Jamboria, 24, Female, Fatmata Kamara, 24, Female, Bintu Dumbuya, 24, Female
Yu go si se dis man na dis pikchɔ im mɔt tay, I kant tɔk. Bay wi tradishɔn wi biliv se man dɛm fɔ bi di trɔŋ wan dɛm wɛn i kam fɔ shɔ bon-trɛnk ɛn fɔ bia ɔl ɔda tin. Bɔt man dɛnsɛf na mɔtalman Ɛn nɔ to ɔltin dɛnsɛf kin ebul do ɔ bia; bɔt bikɔs dɛn nɔ kin fil fri fɔ tɔk bɔt dɛn tin de opin wan, dɛn sɛf kin de sɔfa. Dɛn nɔ kin ebul tɔk bɔt wetin dɛn nɔ ebul du ɔ ivin if de we dɛn de tink difrɛn Traditionally men are expected to be physically and emotionally strong being above all situations at all times. But they too have weaknesses and limitations which they cannot openly confess because it would make them look weak. This situation creates barriers to open dialogue about vulnerability or dissenting opinions. Abdulia Sahid Conteh, 22, Male
Dis pikchɔ de sho aw tu tin dɛn kin ambɔg pipul dɛn na layf. Wan we pipul luk-dɔŋ pann yu, ɛn we di pipul dɛm we na yu ej-grup kin mek yu du tin we yu nɔ wan du. Di tu yɔŋman dɛn na dis fɔto na klassmet bɔt bikɔs dɛn na jus I nɔ izi fɔ mek padi wit ɔlman. Wan pan dɛm bin klɛva, in bin de rid ɔl tɛm, di ɔda wan in nɔ bin ebul dat. Bɔt nain naw put prɛzur pan in kɔmpin fɛ bigin tek drɔgs.
We dɛn de luk-dɔŋ pan uman dɛn we kin de bifo fɔ lid. Dis pikchɔ de sho aw sɔm man dɛm na Salon si uman dɛm. Dɛn nɔ biliv se uman fɔ ɛva de bifo pan ɛni tin. Wi kin si di uman de bifo fɔ tich di klas bɔt wan pan di man dɛm vɛks ɛn mekɔp in maynd fɔ pul di uman de bay fos.
his photo represents the power of discrimination and peer T pressure. The youths in this photo are course mates. Because they are person with albinism it is difficult for them to make friend. The one was quite intelligent and spends most of his time reading whilst the other was not. Since they were always together, the other succeeded in pressuring his colleague to abuse drugs. Abraham Yarjah, 22, Male Chernor Kandeh, 33, Male
Dɛn yɔŋ titi dɛn we de gɛt bɛlɛ we dɛn stil de go skul de gɛt badnem ɛn dɛn kin luk-dɔŋ ɔn dɛm. I kin tan lɛk na dɛn yon layf dɔn so. Bɔt if wi sɔpɔt dɛm ɛn gi dɛn ɛdyukeshɔn dɛn kin stil mek am na layf. Many young girls who became pregnant in Sierra Leone whilst still in school face stigma and discrimination which leads to school dropout. Their future is interrupted but support and education can empower young parents to thrive.
Isha Conteh, 22, Female Fereka Ibrahim Marah, 25, Male Abdulia Sahid Conteh, 22, Male
Discrimination on females taking lead roles. This photo represent the way some men in Sierra Leone see women, they don’t believe that women should take lead roles. This is a photo of youth in the classroom and a female took the lead in lecturing others and one of the male got offended and decided to forcefully move her from the board.
Fereka Ibrahim Marah, 25, Male Hellen Marie Sesay, 22, Female
Fɔ gɛt bɛlɛ we yu stil de go skul. Wɛtin dis min fɔ di titi dɛm: Dɛn de lɛf skul; dɛm padi ɛn fambul sɛf de nɛglɛkt dɛm; sɔm nɔ kin tap na os egen ɛn dɛn kin lɛf dɛm fɔ manej dɛn yon layf: dɛn bɔbɔ dɛn go luk-dɔŋ ɔn am. Di bɔbɔ in kin de go skul ɛn mek lɛk natin nɔ apin Teenage Pregnancy: For girls, Discrimination, stop schooling, loss of friendship and family, homelessness and left to fend for herself. For boys, they deny association with girl, continue schooling and pretend as if nothing happens. Aminata Sesay, 25, Female Katumu Josiah, 23, Female Josephine Hannah Kandeh, 19, Female
Dis pikchɔ de sho di advantej we uman dɛn de sɔfa wɛn I kam pan udat fɔ tɔk wetin fɔ apin na di os – uman dɛn nɔ fɔ tɔk. Ivin pan tin we kɔnsan dɛm, dɛn yon wɔd nɔ min natin. Fɔ lɛ uman dɛn fri fɔ tɔk na Salon na sɔm fawe drim fɔs. This photo represents the forceful way females are silenced when it comes to decision making. Females lack control of their lives and their words are shackled. True freedom remains a distant dream for females in Sierra Leone.
Bintu Dumbuya, 24, Female Abdulia Sahid Tencoid Conteh, 22, Male
Wan pan di tin dɛn we de mek skul gyal dɛn de gɛt bɛlɛ bifo tɛm na bikɔs di bɔ bɔ dɛm de gi dɛm mɔni fɔ ɛnjɔy dɛnsɛf. Bɔku tin de we di titi dɛn kin want mɔni fɔ so di bɔbɔ dɛn sɛf kin manej fɛn di mɔni fɔ pliz dɛm ɛn ɛnjɔy dɛnsɛf. One of the things that trap young girls into teenage pregnancy is financial exchange for pleasure. The girls may be in need of finances for various pressing reasons and the boys wanting pleasure are willing to satisfy that need.
Mandela M. Koroma, 26, Male Fatmata Kamara, 18, Female
Salon na kɔntri we pawopa biliv se wok de we na fɔ man nɔmɔ ɛn wok de we na fɔ uman nɔmɔ. Frɔm we dɛn bɔn na so pipul dɛn dɔn mek dɛn pikin dɛm fil. Pan dis poto ya wan yɔŋ uman de provoke in uman klasmet bikɔs I de lan fɔ be mesna we dɛn biliv se na man wok. Sex Role. Sierra Leone is a country that insists on sex roles; right from birth children are being programmed to follow the sex role doctrine of the country. This is a photo of a young woman being mocked by her male course mates because she chooses to study masonry.
Fereka Ibrahim Marah, 25, Male Abdulia Sahid Conteh, 22, Male Hellen Marie Sesay, 22, Female