THE 60% PHOTOGRAPHY

THE 60% PHOTOGRAPHY, a set on Flickr.

to order photographs framed or otherwise please e-mail me at: wurief@gmail.com

from sierra-leone with love.
fambul dem this is how we do....

Via Flickr:
THE 60% based on Sierra-Leone’s illiteracy rates, which according to World Bank figures, is at 59%. The illiteracy rates we used are based on the percentage of total people ages 15 and above, and although we rely mainly on World Bank figures, other reputable sources such as UNDP Sierra-Leone and UNICEF Sierra-Leone figures vary slightly in illiteracy rates, hence we chose to round the figure to 60%. THE 60% based on Sierra-Leone’s illiteracy rate is a deliberate choice because we come from the belief that poverty is further generated and perpetuated due to lack of proper education. We are also of the belief that in order for development to truly transform the social, economic and political climate, Sierra-Leone needs an educated society. With education comes the freedom to dream, to think independently and to compete with the rest of the globe. This is the philosophy that guides our decision to entitle our photography exhibition based on the country’s illiteracy rates.
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Communities Photographed are spaces of inspiration for us. Some of the photographs depict the average Sierra-Leone on their daily living, others we spent time speaking with and hearing their stories. With their gracious invitations into their homes, we were given first account of their daily reality and privy to their worries, concerns, hopes and dreams. The communities we interacted with are:

•Pan Body Community, Hill Station, Freetown

•The Bay, Freetown

•Sandaru Pengui Chiefdom, Kalhun District

•Inspired Moments on the streets of Freetown

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Quotes (translated into English)

“My husband is a teacher, I cannot read but I can sign my name. I want my children to go to school, I don’t want them to be like me”-

“I came here 30 years ago from Guinea. I gave birth to my 8 children here, in this place [bay]. This coin was enough to feed us all. I have lost 6 of my children here; 2 months ago I lost my daughter. It was the will of Allah.”

“Primary school is free, then after form one I cannot afford to pay for my daughter. So what’s the point? What’s the point if she can’t go further? This is my worry, I cannot sleep, how am I going to pay for her to finish school. How?”

“ I would go back up line. I would go back if it meant making the country better, but I want to have something to go back to. Even if its just land, or a job. I want to know that if I go back up line I can find a job and take care of my family”

“ I want development. These slippers used to cost 2,000 leones, now they cost 5,000 or 6,000 leones. We don’t make money. Everything is going up, just going up and we don’t have money”

“When it rains, water fills the entire house up. Everything spoils. So we hand all our things up on the walls, high up on the walls. When it rains, everything spoils”.

“who are you? What NGO do you work for you……[they] make promises, come see us, talk to us, take pictures of us, then they never come back.”

“ I don’t want to leave Freetown. The war brought me here; at least here I can find a way to make money, somehow. Up line has nothing, I am not leaving Freetown”.

“If I had money, I’d sell eggs. I want to sell eggs”.

“I want development. I just want to eat and take care of my family”.



*Please note that I have deliberately omitted names to any of the quotes above. The comments were similar with every conversation had for this exhibition.