A brief history of the 20 years after independence and
Lend A Hand Movement
In 1961, Sierra Leone gained independence from British rule under a green, white, and blue flag lead by sir Milton Margai of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). Then, there was much optimism that the country would eventually develop, and the people were ready to begin their lives in their 'paradise on earth' with their neighbors and families. Encouraged by the bonus promised by the ministry, growers of coffee and cocoa in Kailahun worked harder, and the farmers in Northern Koinadugu put more effort into growing vegetables. They were counting on the words of the actors of independence. But what was the situation like in reality? It is true that people lived better lives and experienced acceptable politics under the short rule of the first president, but unfortunately, that was the only good time. On a side note, the four Sisters of the Clarissan Missionary Sisters entered Sierra Leone in 1960, a year before independence.
In 1967, Siaka Stevens became president after All People's Congress (APC) won the election. At that time, because political disputes, tribalism, and regionalism prevailed among politicians, APC called out to the people saying, "The country is too small for a multi-party system. If the people unite, we will have union, power and brotherhood." As soon as Stevens became president, he used all means possible to consolidate his own power and created a police state-like single-party dictatorship that was not profitable to the people. The good times passed. For twenty years thereafter, in a democracy without freedom or a way out, and a distorted capitalist economy, people continued to be robbed of their chance for fair politics and democracy. However, they did not give up their hope. As protests by university students and critical organizations increased, APC began to lose support, becoming known as a vampire that sucks up the people's property.
Lend A Hand Movement began its assistance to O.L.G. School in Lunsar through Sister Negishi Michiko in 1982, when APC was still in power.
A young girl who once studied under our education aid became a nun ten years later. A young boy became a monk and is now working devotedly at a hospital.
They are now trying to do for others what was done for them. These are good examples of fruitful results of our assistance.
In 1985, President Stevens, who made corruption and usurpation take root in Sierra Leone, gave up his position to Joseph Saidu Momoh, a military chief. A 'New Order' was Momoh's slogan when he succeeded to power. People were hopeful, thinking that a person who served in the army would be able to fix the distortions of the past. However, a 'New Order' ended in no order at all. Incompetent, unmotivated, lazy and corrupt, President Momoh admitted his failure and said, "I disappointed the people." But he did not respond to the people's call for resignation.
In 1990, he gave in to the trend for change that prevailed in Asia and Africa and assented to a multi-party election. In response to this, Foday Sankoh of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) threatened from Liberia to wage a war if democratization did not take place in 90 days. Sankoh's objectives did not lie in the realization of a multi-party democracy, but in the bloodstained acquisition of power. Eventually, he took the worst action in the world. His threat was the bugle that drowned Sierra Leone and its people to the worst misery in the last 10 years of the 20th century.
During this time, Lend A Hand Movement decided to undertake the school meal assistance at the O.L.G. elementary school and kindergarten in Lunsar. When this began in November of that year, the people, overjoyed, danced and sang, "Sanki, Sanki, Momoyo, Momoyo." This is one evidence of how bad the political situation was and how hungry and poor the children were.
However, we cannot help but say that the misery resulting from poverty was still slightly preferable to the misery that resulted from the horrible war, as the former did not completely take away happiness within the family and hope, as did the latter.
