In Early 1993, When I Was 12,

I Had A Very Simple, Unremarkable And Happy Life. And I Grew Up In A Very Small Town. And So My Life Was Made Up Of, You Know, In The Morning Going To The River To Fetch Water - No Tap Water, And No Electricity - And, You Know, Bathing In The River, And Then Going To School, And Playing Soccer Afterwards.

I Guess What I'd Like To Say Is That People In Sierra Leone Are Human Beings, Just Like Americans. They Want To Send Their Kids To School; They Want To Live In Peace; They Want To Have Their Basic Rights Of Life Just Like Everyone Else. I Think We All Owe An Obligation To Support People Who Want To Do That.

Some People Tried To Hurt Us To Protect Themselves, Their Family And Communities...this Was One Of The Consequences Of Civil War. People Stopped Trusting Each Other, And Every Stranger Became An Enemy. Even People Who Knew You Became Extremely Careful About How They Related Or Spoke To You.

I Was Still Hesitant To Let Myself Let Go, Because I Still Believed In The Fragility Of Happiness.

...children Have The Resilience To Outlive Their Sufferings, If Given A Chance.