Sierra Leone sits on Africa’s west coast. It was a major port for the slave trade, and is now home to 5.6 million people with a per-capita income of $1,400. The country’s economy is growing fast, though, as Sierre Leone recovers from a civil war that ended in 2002. Sierra Leone is rich in mineral and agricultural wealth, and it could be an economic success if the government can maintain stability and reduce corruption.
In other words – further along than many of its neighbors, but not as far along as it could be.
Granta published a great essay about a veterinarian in Freetown, Sierra Leone: The Last Vet, by Aminatta Forna. She tells of the work of Gudush Jalloh, who is possibly the only veterinarian in Sierra Leone who does not work for the government. And, she explores the relationship between people and dogs in developed and developing countries. In London, wealthy people pamper their pets in almost ridiculous ways, yet animals are abused and raised for fighting. In Freetown, the dogs are not spoiled, but abusing them would be unthinkable. The dogs are part of the ecosystem, not toys; they eat garbage, they provide security, and they entertain the children. Jalloh helps spay and neuter animals, provides basic first aid, and offers vaccines.
Forna also discusses a lot of the ironies of aid. Many Westerners will do more for animals than for people. When Jalloh needed surgery to save his vision, some animal charities would not help because they were obligated to spend money directly on animals – and spending money on the only person providing care to companion animals in Sierra Leone didn’t count. People in West Africa tend to be respectful when they slaughter animals for food, but there are no vegetarians; many in the West are vegetarians, often for animal rights reasons, in societies that condone factory slaughter.
This was a short essay, but it was also really interesting. It offered an interesting perspective on daily life in Sierra Leone as well as on cultural differences and foreign aid.
