Linda Kim: Essay 4

Research paper : Sierra Leone War

                                                                                                             Linda Kim

     Hello. I am a 15-year-old girl from Sierra leone. I live with my brother! While I am writing this, my brother just went out to play soccer at the 'One-legged sports club'.(Kim) Whenever brother goes out to play soccer, our house is so empty. I think it is because there are no more mother and father in this house since we lost them at the Sierra leone war.

     Before telling you about this terrible war which gave a deep scar to me and my neighbors, I will tell you about our country, Sierra leone. Sierra leone is located at the West Coast of Africa.(Cho) And the population is 5 million and 880 thousand.(Cho) We use English in our country.(Cho) We have lots of ethnic groups including Temne, Mende, and Creole.(Cho) In this country, which seems just like the other normal countries, there was a big war.

     In our country, beautiful diamonds are produced a lot. Diamond is traded at the high price because of its mysterious color and fancy sparkle.(Kim) But this diamond was the back ground of the war.(Kim) The war that continued for ten years and left terrible results was holocaust by trying to occupy the mineral rights of this diamond.(Kim) And on this back ground of the Sierra leone war, 'diamond', there is Charles Taylor, who made this tries to occupy the mineral rights to extend to war.(Kim)

     The "main" cause of the war, Charles Taylor, was the president of Liberia.(Kim) At that time, the companies that will mine the diamond was already all decided.(Kim) Charles thought that this will turn into invalidity if the new government enters.(Kim) So he gave the rebels money and egged them to fight with the government forces. If Charles didn't support the rebels, the war might have finished soon.(Kim)

     Anyway, the war happened. I was born during the war and my father and mother dead by the bomb while getting some food to feed little me and my brother. I didn't got any injury luckily, but my brother lose his one leg. Many of the boys were dragged to the 'Child Soldier'.(Cho) Our country wasn't stabled at all. My friend lost every one around her except me and her son by this war. She even got her arms away.

     Finally, the war ended up by the effort of the international societies. The war ended but still, the town was not just happy. There was so many people who dead and who got hurt. And no one could just laugh and say "Wow!! The war is over!!" Even the kids didn't shouted.

     Including the child soldier and my friends, there was a lot of damage in our country. Many people's limbs were amputated. And about 2 million people became refugee which is almost half of the population.(Cho) And 2 hundred thousand people died.(Cho) Many people couldn't live without help.

     The War ended before 10 years, but everything is still hard in here, Sierra leone.(Kim) We are lack of schools, hospitals, and work places.(Kim) IMF even said like this. "People in the Sierra leone are at the severe poverty by having 26% starving people. And the poverty class is almost 70%."(Kim)

     But the international societies are helping us so we are overcoming the scars of the war. It is still very little help. But it is really important thing to us to live. I hope you to be interested in our country and other wars after reading this. The money you spend there by eating something sweet after meal can be a money for us to eat and live one day.

     Good news is that Charles Taylor finally got into the jail. From March 13th, 2008, the trial about Charles is opening.(Kim) It is a relief to make someone to be at the law and say sorry. But his admit of his fault cannot make the ones who lost their limbs to get them again. And it cannot make people who dead at the war to be alive. It is because there is nothing more important than one's life. The money, or the diamond(to say it directly) cannot be even compared to the life.

     And many people agree to this and many relief organizations are helping us. World Vision, Unicef, MSF are some of them.(Kim) Oh! and the 'One-legged sports club' where my brother is now playing soccer at was also supported by the FIFA. Like this, many people give a look at us and help us. This little helps pile up and make our lives healthy.

     Now I would end this by conveying a message from my friend. His name is Koba, and he is a former 'child soldier'. "Wars won't be occurring if all diamonds of Sierra leone exhaust. And my son won't be a child soldier like me. We are looking for the world where has no diamond at all."(Kim)

 

Unlike to the people here, to Sierra Leone people, diamond is just a mournful jewel that gives a painful wound to the heart.

 

 

Bibliography

 

Kim, Young mi. Why is the war fighting?. South Korea: Choosubat,

         2011.

Cho, Joung Yeon. Do you know how happy kid you are?. South Korea: Kookmin,

        2006.

Molie, David. Doctors without borders. South Korea: Parabooks,

        2007.