Rainy Season in Sierra Leone

Every year from from June until Oktober it is the rainy season in Sierra Leone, which continuously creates new challenges for Play31’s work in the country. Our reconciliation work is typically built up around a football tournament – a concept that is, obviously, hard to carry out in heavy rain.

Workshops on rights
This year, we chose to have workshops in the districts where we usually plan football tournaments – some for entire communities and some specifically about children and children’s rights.

The purpose of these workshops is to create a space, which gives children the opportunity to discuss important issues such as rights and obligations with each other and with Play31’s volunteers. To many of the participants, Play31’s workshops are often the only available source to knowledge about human rights, children’s rights, conflict resolution and trauma healing.

After a Play31 workshop in the Kono district, Sia Gbetuwa, a participant from the village Kongofinja, said: “Play31 is a huge source of motivation and inspiration for our kids, and the organisation helps them become whole human beings. Knowing your rights as well as your obligations inspires an early sense of responsibility – with the children as well as with their parents”.

The next few months
We are thrilled that our rights- and reconciliation work has been carried out, even without the tournaments, which promises more conitinuity and new possibilities for Play31’s ability to reach even more people. We will, however, continue our work as usual, now the rainy season is coming to an end, and the next football tournament will be held in the Kono district this October and November.

Oct 11, 2011; / Blog / No Comments