KATHMANDU BABY

I really only had one moment where I was a seriously a bit unsure of things. Otherwise Sierra Leone was the most beautiful , welcoming and easy country to visit and it should most def make an appearance in that book, places to see before you die or expire or get to miserable or too fearful or whatever it is.

We were driving on the road back from the local town, I was looking red from the red dust on the road now plastered on my face.

We drove past one house and a woman appeared gesticulating widly at the car. She looked happy and E did too. We stopped the car and got out.

The women bounded over to the car. I have to say she did have the largest breasts I have ever seen in real life. She ran in fact directly to me and grabbed me for a purposeful embrace. I was a bit smothered by the embrace.

What was a bit ‘uncomfortable ’ was that she was now repeatedly pointing at her breasts and then pointing at E and obviously looking to me for some kind of reaction. I probably looked slightly bemused and my mende just did not stretch to , “ why do you keep pointing to your breasts and then my fiancé, what is going on?”

Hugging over and an introduction to another of Es aunts we returned to the car for our journey home.

E explained that what his aunt had been telling me. When he was a baby she had breast fed him. Of course with retrospect it made perfect sense. I know that its not uncommon for a baby to have milk from other relatives. But at the time I could have done with some advice on how to react to the above scenario. Now I know and it all makes perfect sense and I would know exactly how to react in the future.

matagelema sierra leone

Bulgaria

Nepal

long before we all loved him i was out there on the road in the t shirt.   He was loved in Sierra Leone back in March 08.  Not heard of in Bulgaria and my bulgarian did not stretch to explaining and heard of in places in Nepal.

I think I should win the prize for obama t shirt worn on the most continents pre election victoy.

I wrote this letter to Baroness Amos on the 28/5/08.  She did respond by way of a letter  and state that she awaited a response from the company’s director.  I understand that she may have now in fact resigned from the company in light of more deaths at the mine.

We armed with access to information in countries like the UK.  If we are buying products we can use our voice to ensure better working conditions for the people where those products are extracted from.

‘28^th May 2008

Dear Lady Amos

Re: Mining practices at Sierra Rutile Ltd.

I note that you are a non-executive director of the above named company. I recently spent fourteen days living in a small town in Rutile Sierra Leone.

Whilst I was quickly able to adapt to the lack of running water and electricity, I was not able to reconcile myself to the economic poverty and terms and conditions of employment for those people that service the mining venture in rutile. It is an increasingly successful venture which I note in 2006 produced 23% of the worlds annual supply of rutile.

On a daily basis I was confronted with evidence of the economic poverty of the mine workers and of the unacceptable working practices. I outline a few examples ;

- The low rates of pay: averaging 150 dollars a month. Given the conditions in which the workers live it is obvious it is barely, if at all, a liveable wage in Sierra Leone.

- Lack of ability to organise and lack of basic employment rights. Despite the guarantees of the ILO workers are unable to organise an effective union. I met people who having dared to challenge poor pay and working conditions and had been dismissed by the Company.

- The mine now employs agency staff coached in from Freetown, no doubt to further weaken any employment security for people employed by the mine. Perhaps seen as a security measure by the company. The constant security measures are aimed at theft, which is largely a reflection of the desperation of inadequately paid workers.

- Inadequate transportation and unpaid work :, workers routinely have to sit for 2-3 hours whilst the bus collects other workers. They are not paid for this time.

- Working hours: I met workers who work twelve hour shifts as well as workers who do not get lunch breaks.

- Working conditions: Whilst I was in Rutile a Malaysian worker died on the site. His is not the first death on the site. How many deaths have there been in the last 12 months ? I met a 21 year old widow whose husband, a plant worker, had died of stomach problems. What steps does the company take to monitor deaths of its workers in the Rutile area?

- Breach of national sovereignty: Sierra Rutile Ltd has established road checks in a number of the surrounding towns. The guards appear to have the authority to stop and search vehicles. This practise is anathema to any basic notion of a democratic society and the rule of law.

There is an atmosphere of poverty and fear for the workers of Sierra Rutile Ltd. An atmosphere cynically exploited by an exporter of a valuable mineral.

I am writing to you because I know that you have an interest in the promotion of human development around the world and a concern for those less fortunate than ourselves. You are well attuned to the abuse of those that are voiceless.

I would have written to the Chief Executive of the Venture, however after various enquiries I was told that no contact address could be provided for me for security reasons. I pointed out the lack of any security threat in pointing out to a company director work practices, which he surely must be concerned about. ,

It is possible you have not had the opportunity to visit the site and I have, I wanted to educate you as to what is going on there so that you can take appropriate steps to immediately remedy the situation.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course

Yours Sincerely

Rebekah Wilson