Salone Diary

by Uma Sharma

Salone Diary consists of the chronicles of Sierra Leone written by David LaMattina, from Brownstones crew, during their two-week stay at Freetown, Sierra Leone, for their latest documentary Brownstones, Red Dirt.

Salone Diary narrates a vivid account of the life in Sierra Leone, written in narrative style. It is very insightful, about a world which is hidden from the mainstream view. The Brownstones crew had already filmed children from Brooklyn, in which children shared their thoughts about their schools, future, etc. In Salone Diary the crew describe their meetings and interview with refugee children from Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Although these two group of children live thousand of miles apart from each other, in almost two different worlds, they are connected with each other through the RESPECT Letter Exchange Program.

Dave shared his experience in Salone Diary, when refugee children in Sierra Leone received letters from their pen pals in Brooklyn. "These kids have nothing and with each letter they get from Brooklyn,they gain another possession. It's quite a gift and they treat it delicately, examining it with care while they try to decipher what their pen pal's life might be like."

The diary starts with the eventful escapade from New York to Sierra Leone. All the apprehension about Sierra Leone were calmed by picturesque beach, clear water and white sand. The crew's first day with children was delightful and heartwarming. As Dave wrote: "I wish I could describe how wonderful the next hour was, but I know I will fail to do it justice." The crew were offered the school's only desk with chair to sit. It was placed in the centre and children were sitting around them. Salone Diary

RESPECT Touches the World

by Paulo Muller

As a non-profit, non-governmental organization, RESPECT International provides a variety of initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of refugees both in camps and urban areas.

Volunteers are organized around the world to help the organization achieve its main goals: raise awareness on refugee issues among world youth; build relationships between refugee and non-refugee students through a pen-pal program, and make the first two possible by promoting events and advertising RESPECT's ideals in order to raise funds and recruit more volunteers to work with the organization.

RESPECT's e-Zine is a testimonial of its history in the field of refugee assistance. Its activities since it was founded in 2002 are well documented, highlighting the collaborative nature of the organization. RESPECT