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Sierra Leone: a difficult place to live. Disparity abounds. Through the 1990s, Sierra Leone was dead last on the HDI. Now it is 10 th last. When inequality is accounted for, it drops further to 5 th last. Where does disparity come from? History/culture Urban/rural Corruption
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Disparity abounds Through the 1990s, Sierra Leone was dead last on the HDI. Now it is 10th last. When inequality is accounted for, it drops further to 5th last. Where does disparity come from? • History/culture • Urban/rural • Corruption • Increasing private land ownership
A brief history ... Sierra Leone’s indigenous tribes were first visited by Europeans in 1500s. Soon after, the slave trade began. Most slaves were stolen from West Africa. England ultimately became the colonial master. It was here in Sierra Leone that England re-patriated slaves captured from other colonial ships, after England abolished slavery. Hence, the capital is called “Freetown”
Ethnic Disparities Repatriated slaves, known as “Creoles”, lived in Freetown and the British educated and trained them to be the administrative assistants. After Independence in 1958, these educated Creoles became the ruling elite in the government and business. They strongly value education for their children The Indigenous majority who live throughout the rest of Sierra Leone had much less European contact and were much slower to move into education; their literacy rates and average income are much lower
A Krio farm just outside Freetown. Krio farms grow more nutritious foods and houses are better cared for
Lebanese business class The Lebanese minority (only about 5000) control most of the retail trade and diamond business. They have their own (better) schools, live in nicer houses, and mostly keep to themselves. Their life expectancy, literacy and income are significantly higher than the black Sierra Leonean
Regional Factors • There are VERY FEW paid jobs in rural (subsistence farming) areas of Sierra Leone. Income is lower then, compared to Urban Sierra Leone • As mentioned earlier … the (Creole) Freetown area has higher development than the rest of the (Indigenous) country
Corruption Like so many least developed and developing countries, Sierra Leone is HIGHLY corrupt. It is assumed (even expected) that people with power use (abuse) their power to benefit themselves and their families. (eggov minister steals; bureaucrats, teachers, police extracts bribes) Those with wealth have power (they can bribe others to get what they want), so the cycle repeats itself. The rich get richer, and it is very hard for the poor to move up
Changing Land Ownership • The brutal civil war is over, and economy is being rebuilt • Foreign investors are now more confident and are investing again • Major gains have been made combatting maternal mortality Traditionally, land is communally shared, and allocated by village chiefs. Foreign investors insist on privately held land, and government officials are being “bought off”. Rural poor are loosing access to what used to be communal land, water and resources Those with power are sharing economic benefits with foreign investors. Rich get richer, poor get poorer
Improvements in Maternal Mortality • Sierra Leone used to have the highest maternal mortality rate in the world • The number of women dying from childbirth has dropped over 60% during last 15 yrs. • Why?
