Why Sierra Leone?
"Sierra Leone is fundamentally politically stable...it makes it a sensible investment from a donor's perspective."
4. Genuine scope for us to act effectively - to make a difference
Politically stable, Anglophone and even Anglophile!
Finally and pragmatically - but importantly: Sierra Leone is an environment where we can make a difference. There are three key points
Firstly, in the immediate term, Sierra Leone is fundamentally politically stable. This is undergirded by what remains a significant political and military (in fact mainly British military) presence. This is important on two levels. Firstly, it makes Sierra Leone a sensible 'investment' from a donor's perspective. This was not the case for example during Sierra Leone's war where the international community spent a lot of money disarming and rehabilitating child soldiers only for many of them to be re-recruited again, undoing all the work done. In contrast, present stability means our work is highly unlikely to go up in flames: it is a sound investment. Secondly, stability means it is safe to work here. No country with an infrastructure as dilapidated or plain absent as Sierra Leone is very safe to work in, and further where there is extreme poverty there will always be people prepared to take desperate actions, however in essence the personal security considerations and costs for working in Freetown or Makeni are not dissimilar to those of any Western inner City.
Secondly, English is one of the national languages of Sierra Leone. The logistical advantage that affords us as an Anglophone organisation surely needs no further elaboration?!
Thirdly, the British are probably more popular in Sierra Leone than they are anywhere else in the world! (Even Tony Blair is popular, indeed loved!! The Tony Blair Foundation is a highly active and trusted partner of the Sierra Leonian government). Take a drive through Freetown and you will pass numerous Union Jacks. Whilst this is partly attributable to lingering affection for days of Britain's colonial rule which are fondly (accurately or otherwise) remembered, today Britain's popularity is squarely rooted in the UK military's decisive intervention in 2000-1 which ended the civil war.
It is hard to quantify the advantage of working in a country where you are made to feel unambiguously welcome, but they are real.
Politically stable, Anglophone and even Anglophile!
Finally and pragmatically - but importantly: Sierra Leone is an environment where we can make a difference. There are three key points
Firstly, in the immediate term, Sierra Leone is fundamentally politically stable. This is undergirded by what remains a significant political and military (in fact mainly British military) presence. This is important on two levels. Firstly, it makes Sierra Leone a sensible 'investment' from a donor's perspective. This was not the case for example during Sierra Leone's war where the international community spent a lot of money disarming and rehabilitating child soldiers only for many of them to be re-recruited again, undoing all the work done. In contrast, present stability means our work is highly unlikely to go up in flames: it is a sound investment. Secondly, stability means it is safe to work here. No country with an infrastructure as dilapidated or plain absent as Sierra Leone is very safe to work in, and further where there is extreme poverty there will always be people prepared to take desperate actions, however in essence the personal security considerations and costs for working in Freetown or Makeni are not dissimilar to those of any Western inner City.
Secondly, English is one of the national languages of Sierra Leone. The logistical advantage that affords us as an Anglophone organisation surely needs no further elaboration?!
Thirdly, the British are probably more popular in Sierra Leone than they are anywhere else in the world! (Even Tony Blair is popular, indeed loved!! The Tony Blair Foundation is a highly active and trusted partner of the Sierra Leonian government). Take a drive through Freetown and you will pass numerous Union Jacks. Whilst this is partly attributable to lingering affection for days of Britain's colonial rule which are fondly (accurately or otherwise) remembered, today Britain's popularity is squarely rooted in the UK military's decisive intervention in 2000-1 which ended the civil war.
It is hard to quantify the advantage of working in a country where you are made to feel unambiguously welcome, but they are real.
