The authors of the Universal declaration of human Rights indeed had lofty ideals, but little did they know that as long as the gap between the rich and poor exists, that humane document will remain in the elusive domain of dreams. The so-called global village will only stay at peace if resources are fairly distributed and the tenets of democracy and good governance are observed. What does human right mean to a poor hungry and grossly depraved man who is so remote from the things that constitute to the good life? There are indeed a lot of things that are not democratic about the life we live. In the first place no one decided to be born to who and where and even how? If in your own case you were consulted, then you must belong to some extraterrestrial planet that is yet to be discovered by Uncle Obama’s scientists.
Recently, Amnesty International took some time off from their perceived traditional stance of lambasting governments for failing to promote the human rights of their people, to doing a study just too relevant to Sierra Leone namely the maternal mortality situation in Sierra Leone. Not that we all did not know that our women die in child birth, but for so much focus to be brought on this issue is what is so touching. Amnesty International has opened the lid on one of the deep seated problems in our health sector. The other day it was the Anti- Corruption Commission with its system review of the Health Sector in Sierra Leone. Well where do we start this time round in addressing the myriad challenges in our health delivery? I happened to have watched the campaign session on the maternal mortality mounted by Amnesty International in a remote district headquarter town. I think the taking of the campaign to this town was not any coincidence as this town for long has gained ample notoriety for no enviable reason, like highest incidence of HIV, teenage pregnancy and girl child school dropout. Please do not ask me any further questions because you will have no answers. May be, just may be what they lose in the swing they will get in the roundabout. Incidentally this town has a lot of round-a-bouts. Back to the campaign… the sensitization incorporated the showing of a documentary featuring my favorite Nigerian actress Omotola and a host of prominent Sierra Leonean artistes like Base Aphonix, YOK, Lulu, and the smashing Willy –Jay. The video documentary also showed case studies of victims and relatives. Indeed that is the sorriest aspect. Has your family experienced the situation where a relative dies while giving birth to a child and you are now looking after that child? Good to note that the field was jam packed with people mainly youth.
What I noticed at one stage is that some of the audience lost the points and were even laughing. I felt like throwing up at this observation. Yes that is the Sierra Leonean nature…exhibiting a wrong sense of humor. Are you surprised that theatre is almost dead in Sierra Leone? Performers are motivated by an enlightened audience that does not miss out on a very good joke. For a district hosting some of the most remote areas in the country, I think the campaign was most appropriate.Quite interesting why most women especially in the rural areas do not bother about medical centers when pregnant. Many avoid the obvious embarrassment of not having the money to pay for services. In some cases the drugs are not just there…they are not there because there is no money to buy them …no money of course the country is poor…the country is poor because… don’t ask further questions.
Now I remember Governor Clarkson’s prayer. Mind you I have never gotten myself to like that prayer because of the governor’s seeming self-righteousness. To me it looks like he was playing God’s deputy. Any way I love the part in which he literally swears bad people of Sierra Leone. Those who do not mean well for the country.Go to New England. You remember the Medical Stores were gutted by fire some years back after it had been restocked? You remember the cases of drugs not distributed round the country until they expire, and then they cry of expired drugs on the market? Do you remember other issues or are you not a Sierra Leonean? Oh my God Sierra Leone has suffered. Have you recounted the number of disasters we have suffered this year alone… well some are partly man-made, bad planning and neglect do you say?
If you check the population of pregnant women then you will know how serious this maternity problem is. Interestingly the problem had long been recognized by no less a personality than Late Madam Ella Koblo- Gulama. You remember her speech on Independence Day drawing attention to infant and maternal mortality? Listen there is absolutely no way you are going to promote the welfare of our children when you cannot keep pregnant mothers alive. No way. And people keep saying that if you want to know a country’s future, then you check on the provisions made for their children. It just like women’s empowerment is very critical to child survival.
But it actually seems that our situation shows that some people have a right to die. Yes don’t be confused there is neglect of our women especially in pregnancy. Even when they continue to perform their normal chores the ever male chauvinist power play tilts heavily against them. Don’t tell me you do not know what I’m talking about. Those who think they can maintain culture at the expense of other people need to be struck by Governor Clarkson’s prayer for Sierra Leone. It’s an irony that women who bear the sour side of child bearing are often depraved and powerless. Well not surprising… the tree that bears the sweetest fruits gets the greatest stones thrown at it like Chidi Chekere says. What makes the whole issue of maternal mortality an emergency is the importance that the African in particular attaches to child bearing. African marriages never survive for long without an issue to show for it. In fact many traditions believe you get married in order to make children. A woman is not considered a woman if she fails to have a child even if the problem does not lie with her. Thank God I saved my dear mother the whole hassle for being stubborn enough to stay alive after she lost her first child. I am sure she was well fed in my pregnancy because they say that women who are well fed give birth to male children.
The journey to stop the unnecessary deaths of our mothers in child birth is indeed a very tough one but we will keep moving. Efforts at making the Midwives Association viable is one of those critical steps in the right direction. We definitely don’t have a choice, if we must survive as a nation then we are not going to sit by and allow mothers dying for their children to live with an empty future. Sure you agree with me except you were not born of a woman!
By S. Beny SAM
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