connection

In 1652, the first enslaved Africans in North America were brought from Sierra Leone to the Sea Islands off the coast of the Southern United States. During the 1700s there was a thriving trade bringing slaves from Sierra Leone to the plantations of South Carolina and Georgia, where their rice-farming skills made them particularly valuable

There is an ex rice plantation now that is a natural reserve appx 10 mins north of the house I was raised in in brunswick.

The Conflict is over (see you later)

The history: (via the cia)
Civil war between 91-2002. It resulted in tens of housands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people. The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in December 2005, leaving full responsibility for security with domestic forces,




The facts:
Life Expectancy: male: 38 Female 42
Population Below the Poverty Line: 68%

The country has begun the task of reconstruction, reconciliation and consolidation of peace:

Main exports: Diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish

The Peje West Coffee Farmers Co-operative (PWCFC) is a member owned and operated non-profit organization of local farmers who grow cash crops such as cocoa, rice, kola nuts, and coffee. After a decade long war in Sierra Leone, these farmers committed themselves to working together to rebuild their broken communities in an effort to collectively shape their own destiny.

As a result, these traditional farmers have organized themselves into a farmer's Cooperative. They should see their first real harvest in 2006, with the hope of exporting their produce to roasters abroad.

http://www.lionmountaincoffee.com/

my thoughts:

That said. After seing the movie trailer for Blood Diamonds I began to learn abotu LS. So what happens when the conflict is over. What do we do when places such as SL are moved to the back of the (hot) list. Will SL be forgotten? Or will they be given a chance to flourish. As far as their coffee to my best of knowledge there are no places that offer a SL Coffee. SL coffee has been hard to find information about. Its an arabica bean and is probably in some blends. I can't wait for one day to taste this rarity.